Defrosting Time Calculator
Enter what you are defrosting and its frozen weight, and we will tell you when it needs to go into the fridge.
Add this and we will tell you when it needs to go into the fridge.
Answer
Allow 2 days and 2 hours to 2 days and 12 hours in the fridge
Your defrosting plan
- There must be no ice crystals left in the cavity and the legs must move freely.
- Stand it on a tray or in a dish so the drips cannot reach anything else in the fridge.
Defrosting safely
- Defrost in the fridge, not on the worktop. The outside warms up long before the middle thaws, and that is where bacteria multiply.
- Stand the food on a plate or tray on the bottom shelf so nothing can drip onto other food.
- Once defrosted, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 24 hours.
- Never refreeze food that has been defrosted, unless you cook it first.
Food safety
- Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
- Cooking times are a guide only. Ovens, joints and starting temperatures vary, so always check the food is cooked before serving rather than relying on the clock.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Reference and detail
In the fridge, not on the worktop
On a warm kitchen surface the outside of the food reaches room temperature hours before the middle thaws, and that outside layer sits in the range where bacteria multiply fastest. In the fridge everything stays cold throughout. It takes longer, which is the only reason to plan ahead.
A big turkey needs days
Allow ten to twelve hours per kilogram in the fridge. A 5kg turkey is around two and a half days, and a 9kg bird is four. This is the single most common Christmas mistake, and it is why we let you enter the time you want to start cooking and work backwards.
How to tell it is fully defrosted
No ice crystals anywhere, including in the cavity of a bird, the legs and wings moving freely, and a skewer going into the thickest part with no resistance. If there is any firmness in the middle, give it longer, a partly frozen joint will not cook evenly and the timing will be wrong.
Once it is defrosted
Keep it in the fridge, on a tray on the bottom shelf so nothing drips onto other food, and cook it within 24 hours. Do not refreeze it raw. Cook it first, and the cooked dish can go back into the freezer.
Questions and answers
Questions about defrosting food safely
Why should I defrost food in the fridge instead of on the worktop?
Defrost in the fridge, not on the worktop. The outside warms up long before the middle thaws, and that is where bacteria multiply.
Food safety
Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Can I refreeze food once it has defrosted?
Never refreeze food that has been defrosted, unless you cook it first.
Food safety
Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
How long can defrosted food stay in the fridge before I cook it?
Once defrosted, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 24 hours.
Food safety
Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Do I need to keep defrosting food covered in the fridge?
Stand the food on a plate or tray on the bottom shelf so nothing can drip onto other food.
Food safety
Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Can I cook some foods straight from frozen instead of defrosting them?
Some foods can go straight into cooking from frozen, and the defrosting time calculator marks these when a food can be cooked from frozen.
Thin fish fillets, for example, can go in the oven frozen with roughly half again on the time, and cooked meals such as stews and soups can be reheated straight from frozen in a pan or the microwave. Reheat until steaming hot throughout, and only reheat once.
Food safety
Defrost food in the fridge, not on the worktop, and make sure the middle is fully thawed with no ice crystals left. Partly defrosted food may not cook evenly. Use it within 24 hours of being fully defrosted.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: defrosting food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
How do I know a joint or bird has properly defrosted?
Enter the weight above for a defrosting schedule, then check by feel and sight rather than the clock alone: there should be no ice crystals left and the flesh should give no resistance in the thickest part.
Guidance
Read the full guide
- How to Defrost Food SafelyWhy the fridge is the right place, roughly how long a joint or a bird needs, how to tell it is fully thawed, and how long you have once it is.
Safety guidance reviewed against Food Standards Agency sources on 11 September 2026. How we calculate cooking times and safety guidance.