Frozen vs. Fresh Turkey: Here’s What to Know Before Buying

If you’re reading this on the day of your feast, stop what you’re doing and go buy a fresh turkey! But if you’re still making your Thanksgiving game plan, you might be wondering if you should buy a frozen or fresh bird. 

While fresh turkeys offer a delicious way to support a local farmer (and provide a sigh of relief for last-minute shoppers), many Americans opt to buy frozen turkeys. It’s for good reason: They’re typically more affordable and can be stored in your freezer for up to a year before your feast.

Josh Turka, a butcher and owner of 5th Quarter Butchery & Charcuterie in Waitsfield, Vermont, stresses that you can find excellent fresh and frozen turkeys. Whichever you choose, he says, “you’re going to do yourself the best service by just getting the best quality bird you can afford.” 

But frozen and fresh turkeys each offer their own pros and cons. Here’s everything you need to know to help you make an informed Thanksgiving purchase. 

Fresh turkey: a breakdown

Fresh turkeys are typically slaughtered within a week of making it to your Thanksgiving table, and are never chilled below 26°F. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends using a fresh turkey from the supermarket by the best-by or use-by date on the label; and, if there isn’t a best-by date, within one to two days of purchase. However, if you’re purchasing a freshly butchered turkey from a farm, it will last in your fridge up to 10 days, according to Turka. Place it on a tray or pan to trap juices, preferably on the bottom shelf, to prevent it from leaking on other foods.  

While a fresh turkey is not inherently a better choice, buying one makes it a little easier to achieve crispy skin and juicy meat, Turka notes, since you’re not dealing with the extra moisture from a frozen bird. He suggests dry-brining fresh turkey and allowing it to sit uncovered in the fridge for at least a day, which will allow air to circulate and yield even crispier skin. 

Frozen turkey: a breakdown

Frozen turkeys are processed in much the same way as fresh turkeys, but producers start slaughtering them for storage as early as the beginning of the year. Though they’re available online year-round, they’ll start showing up at most supermarkets in early November, and can be stored in your freezer for up to a year. 

While a frozen turkey allows you to cross off an item on your Thanksgiving shopping list well in advance, you’ll have to budget time for thawing it in the fridge — at least one day per four pounds of meat, which equates to about four days for a 15-pound turkey. (If you’re in a pinch, you can safely thaw it with cold water — more on that below.) 

And, while a frozen turkey can end up just as delicious as a fresh turkey, it needs some more TLC to get there. 

“If you like crispy skin, a frozen turkey can just require a little bit more attention and care in order to get that skin dry enough [so] that it’ll crisp up. All that defrosting can put a lot of water back into the skin,” Turka explains. Defrosting also damages the cells of protein, which can lead to dry meat.  

“The key is to get your turkey brined well in advance,” he says. Some frozen turkeys, such as Butterball, are already injected with a salt solution; be sure to read the label so you don’t end up with overly salted turkey. But if your turkey isn’t pre-brined, you can brine and thaw it at the same time. 

“For a frozen bird, I recommend a wet brine just because it’ll pull in a little bit of moisture,” Turka says. “If I had a frozen turkey, I’d be putting that into brine probably on Sunday or Monday,” he says. He pulls it out of the brine on Tuesday, then leaves it uncovered in the fridge. “It’s going to give that skin the opportunity to dry out,” he says.

Butcher and chef Steve Sabicer, who writes a weekly newsletter, Enlightened Omnivore, on sustainability and food with a focus on meat, recommends a dry brine for frozen turkey, which takes longer than a wet brine but makes your turkey much easier to store and clean up.

Remove the bird from its packaging while still frozen and sit it on a baking sheet, then allow the bird to thaw slightly so that you can access the cavity. Apply one tablespoon of kosher salt for every five pounds of bird, putting half the salt in the cavity and half all over the outside of the bird. Thaw, covered, in the fridge for a week. 

How long does it take a frozen turkey to thaw? 

If thawing your turkey in the fridge, you should budget for at least one full day per four pounds of meat. If you’re short on time, you can thaw your turkey by placing it (still in its original packaging) in cold water inside a large food-safe container. This will take six to 10 hours (one hour for each pound of turkey). Refresh the cold water every 30 minutes. After your turkey has thawed, it’ll last in your fridge for about two days.