Getting the giblets out of a frozen turkey can seem daunting, but it’s an important step before cooking your holiday bird. With some preparation and careful technique you’ll have those giblets removed in no time. In this comprehensive guide I’ll walk you through the entire process of thawing, unwrapping, and cleaning out your turkey to remove the giblets.
Why Remove the Giblets?
The giblets are the internal edible organs of a turkey usually consisting of the neck heart, gizzard, and liver. They are typically wrapped in a packet and placed inside the turkey’s cavity by processors. It’s crucial to take the giblets out before cooking for a few reasons
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They require different cooking times than the whole turkey, so leaving them in can lead to overcooking.
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The liver in particular can give the turkey an overly strong flavor if cooked inside.
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Removing allows you to use the giblets for making gravy, stock, or other dishes if desired.
Step 1: Thaw the Turkey Completely
It’s very difficult to find and remove the giblets if your turkey is rock solid frozen. So the first key step is making sure to thaw it fully before attempting giblet removal.
There are two recommended methods for thawing:
Refrigerator Thawing
Allow 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 4-5 lbs of turkey. A general guideline is:
- 4 to 12 lbs – 1 to 3 days
- 12 to 16 lbs – 3 to 4 days
- 16 to 20 lbs – 4 to 5 days
- 20 to 24 lbs – 5 to 6 days
Check if thawed by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. It should read between 32°F to 40°F when ready.
Cold Water Thawing
Submerge the wrapped turkey in a sink or bucket of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound. The turkey will be thawed when the breast temp is 32°F to 40°F.
I prefer thawing in the fridge for food safety, but cold water is much faster if you’re in a time crunch. Never thaw at room temperature, as bacteria can grow rapidly.
Step 2: Remove the Turkey Packaging
Once thawed, take the turkey out of any plastic wrapping. Make a shallow slice into the plastic at the back end. Then peel back and remove the plastic wrapper completely.
Discard the plastic immediately since it touched raw meat. Also remove any metal or plastic trussing around the legs.
Place the unwrapped turkey in a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan to catch any juices. Thawed birds tend to leak a lot!
Step 3: Locate the Giblets
Time to find where the processor tucked those giblets away. They can be placed either in the:
- Main body cavity (the large rear opening)
- Neck cavity (the front area between the wings/breast)
Check the Main Cavity First
Look inside the sizable hole between the hind legs and tail. See if you can spot a paper or plastic wrapped package.
It may be lodged underneath the neck, so dig around in there and feel for it. Grab and gently pull out the entire giblet packet.
Sometimes the neck is also stuffed in the main cavity, so remove that at the same time if present.
Check the Neck Cavity
If you didn’t find the giblets in the rear, carefully reach into the neck hole towards the breast. Open it up wider and peer inside with a flashlight. Retrieve the giblet package if present.
Step 4: Deal with the Giblets
Once you’ve located and removed the packet of giblets, you have a few options:
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Refrigerate and use them to make homemade turkey stock or gravy. They add rich, savory flavor.
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Cook them under or inside the turkey. This releases flavor directly into the meat during roasting.
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Bread and fry them up as a crispy, tasty snack. The heart and gizzard are especially good for this.
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Toss them out if you have no plans to use them. Some folks find organ meats unappealing.
As for the neck, you can braise it, use it for stock, or discard it if you wish.
Step 5: Prepare and Cook the Turkey
With the giblets removed, pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels. Be sure to thoroughly wash any surfaces, utensils, and hands that touched the raw poultry. Season or rub the turkey as desired.
Truss the legs, tuck the wings, and roast until the thighs reach 165°F and the breast 170°F. Let rest before slicing and serving.
Turkey: 36
Giblets: 17
Frozen: 10
Cavity: 5
Neck: 5
Thaw: 4
StepsPart
- 1 Thaw your turkey in the fridge if it’s frozen. It takes about 24 hours to thaw for every 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of turkey. Check if the turkey is completely thawed by inserting a thermometer into the breast at a few different places. The temperature should be between 32 to 40 °F (0 to 4 °C).[1]
- For example, it will take about 3 days for a 15 lb (6.8 kg) turkey to thaw.[2]
- You can also thaw it more quickly in ice water. Put the wrapped turkey in a plastic bag and submerge it in a bucket of cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes per 1 pound (0.45 kg).
- Don’t leave your turkey to thaw at room temperature.
- 2 Place your turkey on a sheet tray or in the sink. Don’t put the turkey in a roasting tray yet, because it will drip a lot of juices as you open it up that you don’t want to cook with. Instead, put the turkey on a sheet tray or in the sink.[3]
- Keep in mind that you will have to clean and sanitize whatever surface comes in contact with raw meat.
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3 Remove the wrapping from the turkey. Flip the turkey upside down, and make a slit in the wrapping with a knife. Peel open the wrapping around the turkey to totally remove it. Throw the wrapping directly in the trash since it had contact with raw meat.[4]
- It’s best to open the turkey packaging from the back, so that if you accidentally slit the skin you won’t cut into the breast meat.
- If the turkey legs are hooked together with a plastic piece, you can leave that on during roasting.
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- A rough formula for calculating how much turkey you need is 1 pound (0.45 kg) per adult and 0.5 pounds (0.23 kg) per child.[13] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- If you accidentally cooked plastic-wrapped giblets in the turkey, you shouldn’t eat the turkey or the giblets. If you accidentally cooked paper-wrapped giblets, just take them out after the fact; you can still eat the turkey. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
- While the neck, gizzard, and heart can be used to make stock, the liver will give stock an unpleasant mineral taste. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
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FAQ
How do you remove giblets from a frozen turkey?
It’s difficult to remove a giblet package from a fully frozen turkey. So wait until the turkey has sufficiently defrosted during cooking and use tongs or forks to carefully remove the package. Then you can cook the giblets separately if you wish.
How to get the insides out of a frozen turkey?
Start by thawing and unwrapping your turkey. Then, reach into the bird’s front and back cavities to take out the giblets. You can save the giblets for cooking or throw them away. Make sure to clean all surfaces that touched raw meat thoroughly.
How to get innards out of frozen turkey?
A frozen turkey will take at least 50% longer to cook than a thawed turkey. It may be tough to get the giblets out, but you can pull out the packet with tongs once the turkey has been baking for 20 to 30 minutes.
Where are the giblets in a frozen butterball turkey?
Remove packaging, neck and plastic bag containing giblets (in neck cavity). Drain juices and dry turkey with paper towels.
Can you remove giblets from a frozen turkey?
Getting the giblets out of a frozen turkey can be tricky, but with a few simple steps, you can easily remove them before cooking your bird. It’s difficult to remove a giblet package from a fully frozen turkey. The giblets are often wrapped in paper and stuffed inside the neck or body cavity.
Can You Forget to remove giblets from a Thanksgiving turkey?
Whether it’s your first time or your twentieth making a Thanksgiving turkey, it’s frighteningly easy to goof it up by forgetting to remove the giblets.
Can you remove giblets before roasting a Turkey?
While it is technically possible to remove the giblets after the turkey is cooked, it is much easier to do it before roasting. Removing the giblets beforehand ensures they don’t affect the cooking process. 11. Can I use the giblets if they are torn? If the giblets are torn, it is best to discard them.
Can you cook a Turkey with giblets inside?
Giblets can be tucked inside the neck cavity or the main body cavity of a raw turkey. Sometimes they are wrapped in paper or plastic. Reach carefully into these areas to extract them. Can you cook a turkey with the giblets still inside? It’s not recommended to cook a turkey with the giblets still inside.
How do you clean a Turkey after removing the giblets?
With the giblets removed, pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels. Be sure to wash any surfaces and utensils that touched the raw poultry with hot soapy water to avoid contamination. Season the bird simply with salt and pepper, or get creative with a flavorful spice rub.
How do you package a Turkey with giblets?
Reach into the body cavity to pull out the giblets. Butchers will usually wrap the giblets in paper or plastic and store them in the front cavity of the turkey. Reach into the body cavity and remove the package. Ready-to-cook whole poultry is required to be packaged with giblets in the US.