Thanksgiving Falls on November 26: USDA Thawing Clock Allows One Day per 4 to 5 Pounds, Putting a 16-to-20-Pound Turkey in the Fridge by November 21
WASHINGTON — Thanksgiving in 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), updated on November 5, lists three safe ways to thaw a turkey — in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave — with a weight-based timetable households can count back from the holiday.
Under the USDA guidance, refrigerator thawing is the recommended method: keep the fridge at 40°F or below, leave the bird in its original wrapping on a tray, and allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds — 1 to 3 days for 4 to 12 pounds, 3 to 4 days for 12 to 16 pounds, 4 to 5 days for 16 to 20 pounds and 5 to 6 days for 20 to 24 pounds. Once thawed, the turkey keeps for another 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Counted back from November 26, a 16-to-20-pound turkey should move into the refrigerator by Saturday, November 21, and a 20-to-24-pound bird by November 20.
Cold-water thawing takes about 30 minutes per pound: the turkey must be in a leak-proof bag, submerged in cold tap water changed every 30 minutes — 2 to 6 hours for 4 to 12 pounds and 8 to 10 hours for 16 to 20 pounds — and cooked immediately afterwards. Microwave thawing follows the appliance manual for size, power and timing, and also means cooking immediately. The USDA states that a turkey must never be thawed on the counter, in the garage or in hot water; a package left out for more than two hours can sit in the 40°F to 140°F "Danger Zone" where bacteria multiply quickly. The cooked turkey must reach 165°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh. Questions can go to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, staffed weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern and on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：感恩节烤火鸡。（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0） / Photo: A Thanksgiving roast turkey. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
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