Butterball Introduces Freezer-To-Oven Turkey for a No-Thaw Thanksgiving

The largest turkey producer in the U.S. wants to save you time this Thanksgiving by eliminating the dreaded thaw.

Butterball just introduced its Cook from Frozen Premium Whole Turkey, which customers can simply remove from the freezer and pop into the oven on the big day. The company says there’s “no thawing, no mess and no stress” involved in the preparation of its new product.

“From frozen to fantastic,” reads Butterball’s product page. “No more need for planning days in advance to thaw, dealing with messy necks, giblets, or touching raw meat. Forget about basting or brining. That means more precious moments spent with loved ones and less time on kitchen stress.”

Butterball tells TODAY.com that its cook-from-frozen turkeys are prepared with a specially-formulated brine (with water, sodium phosphate, spices and natural flavors, according to its website) that will keep the bird moist throughout roasting and that the neck and giblets aren’t included to make it easier to prepare. (Sorry to your gravy.)

Here’s how it works:

And no, you cannot and should not stuff this turkey, as it would pose a food-safety risk. Your stuffing must be prepared and cooked separately, making it more of a dressing.

The 70-year-old company says it doesn’t set prices at retailers, but the suggested retail price for its cook-from-frozen turkeys is $2.49 to $2.99 per pound. These turkeys will run 10 to 14 pounds, with an average of 12 pounds.

The new product is now available at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and Publix stores, and can also be purchased at select Walmart locations and select Kroger and Kroger banner stores like Fred Meyer, Fry’s and Ralph’s. Customers can use Butterball’s store locator to find their closest retailer that sells it.

Butterball’s new turkey is meant to simplify your holiday cooking schedule, but just so you’re aware, the FDA says it’s safe to cook a turkey directly from the freezer — it’s just going to take longer to hit your Thanksgiving table.

“A solidly frozen turkey will take at least 50 percent longer to cook than a thawed turkey,” the FDA says on its website, adding that if a turkey is only partially frozen, it still will take longer to cook.

Butterball’s cooking calculator estimates that a turkey can take anywhere from 2 hours to more than 6 to cook. So, unless you pop your 30-pound frozen turkey in the oven at least 12 hours before dinner, you might want to remember to thaw it.

Nicole Johnson, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line told TODAY.com that the ratio for thawing a turkey in your refrigerator is 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey meat.

Washington, D.C. native Joseph Lamour is a lover of food: its past, its present and the science behind it. With food, you can bring opposites together to form a truly marvelous combination, and he strives to take that sentiment to heart in all that he does.