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Holiday hosts with a frozen turkey and a question now have a toll-free number to call. According to a Butterball release dated Nov. 3, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line opened that day, celebrating its 45th year. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, which leaves about two weeks to get the bird thawed on a safe schedule.
A 45-Year-Old Help Line With More Than 50 Experts
The Talk-Line is staffed by more than 50 culinary experts, a group the release describes as including chefs, teachers, food scientists and registered dietitians. They take questions on everything from thawing and roasting to doneness, so a first-time host and a seasoned one reach the same kind of help.
The line is also one of the older consumer help lines in the country. The release calls it one of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines and says it has helped millions of people since its first season in November 1981.
Valerie Saint Sing, seasonal senior brand manager at Butterball, said in the release that the line has been a trusted resource for hosts for 45 years. Her comments frame the service as a way to give hosts the turkey expertise they need for the big day.
Where Hosts Can Reach the Line
Hosts can call 1-800-BUTTERBALL, according to the release. The line can also be reached through Butterball.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, live chat and email.
The service covers the United States and Canada, with staff who speak English and Spanish. The release says professionally trained turkey experts assist holiday cooks each November and December, but it does not list daily hours. Hosts who need a specific hour for a Thanksgiving Day call should look on Butterball.com first.
Thaw Times Listed by the USDA
A call is easier when the turkey is already thawed, and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Thanksgiving page gives two main methods with their timing.
In the refrigerator, the page says to allow roughly 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. The turkey should sit in a container or dish to catch juices, and once thawed it can stay in the refrigerator for one to two days before cooking.
In cold water, the page says to allow 30 minutes per pound, keep the turkey in its original wrapping and change the water every 30 minutes until the bird is thawed. A turkey thawed this way must be cooked immediately.
The page adds that a whole turkey rarely fits in a microwave, so that method suits only a small turkey or a turkey breast. It also states that thawing a frozen turkey on the kitchen counter or in hot water is not safe.
The same refrigerator rate appears in a Thanksgiving thawing guide from NC State Extension, written by Jessie Jones, an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences. It also advises submerging the turkey in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes, and cooking it immediately after thawing. Illinois Extension adds that a wrapped turkey belongs on a tray on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
Counting Back From Thanksgiving Day
The USDA page gives rates rather than a chart, but the arithmetic is simple. A 16-pound turkey works out to about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator at 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds, or about 8 hours in cold water at 30 minutes per pound.
A University of Georgia Extension circular, reviewed Sept. 15, 2026 and written by assistant professor Carla Luisa Schwan, spells out weight ranges at the same rates. For 12 to 16 pounds it lists 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 6 to 8 hours in cold water. For 16 to 20 pounds it lists 4 to 5 days or 8 to 10 hours, and for 20 to 24 pounds it lists 5 to 6 days or 10 to 12 hours.
Counting back four days from Thursday, Nov. 26 lands on Sunday, Nov. 22, the latest a 16-pounder should go into the refrigerator. Because a thawed turkey keeps one to two days there, starting on that Sunday or a day earlier leaves some slack. Cold water suits a late start, but it takes close attention and an immediate trip to the oven.
What the USDA Says Once the Oven Is On
Thawing is only the first step, and the USDA’s roasting guide covers the rest. It says a whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.
The guide says to check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. It also says to set the oven no lower than 325°F and to let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving so the juices can set.
On stuffing, the guide says that for optimum safety, stuffing a turkey is not recommended, and it suggests a separate casserole instead. Anyone who does stuff the bird must make sure the stuffing reaches 165°F. A pre-stuffed frozen turkey from the store should not be thawed first, since the guide says to cook it from the frozen state.
Readers still choosing a method can browse these Thanksgiving turkey recipes, and a pan with no drippings is covered in this turkey gravy without drippings recipe. Another page collects turkey stuffing recipes for the rest of the table.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: “Roast turkey” by Mark Miller is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)