I tested Butterball's Cook-From-Frozen Turkey, and it's a total game changer for Thanksgiving.

I've roasted many turkeys over the years, both at home and as the food director at Mytour, and I totally understand how overwhelming it can be. If the turkey is frozen, when do you start defrosting it? Should you wet or dry brine it? Do you spatchcock it? How long should it roast for, and where on earth are the giblets? It’s a lot to consider, especially for a once-a-year task.

When I discovered Butterball’s new cook-from-frozen turkey, I was intrigued. Cooking from frozen? That could be a breakthrough! Thawing can be such a hassle, and Michelle Lieszkovszky, Butterball’s Director of Innovation, agrees. 'The number one question our Turkey Talk Line experts get every Thanksgiving is about thawing a turkey.'

But that’s not the only issue this new turkey was created to solve. The bird also comes pre-brined, with the giblets already removed. 'We’ve removed both the fear and frustration from the entire cooking process,' says Lieszkovszky.

I decided to test the turkey myself. How long would it take to cook? Would it taste as delicious as a fresh bird that I brine on my own? Butterball sent me a sample so I could find out, and on a random October Monday, I filled my apartment with the scent of Thanksgiving. Here’s how it went.

Getting the Turkey Ready

Butterball’s Cook From Frozen Premium Whole Turkey comes securely wrapped in plastic and placed inside a larger plastic bag with handles, making it simple to transport from the freezer at the grocery store to your cart. The cooking instructions are printed on the outer bag and are straightforward. Simply remove the turkey from the packaging, discard the plastic wrap, place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, brush it with oil, and bake at 350°F. No seasoning, basting, or additional ingredients are necessary.

While the packaging offers optional seasoning ideas, Butterball emphasizes that extra seasoning isn't needed since the turkey is pre-brined. I decided to follow the simplest method for my test, leaving out the salt and pepper. It felt strange not to season the turkey, but I resisted the urge.

Roasting the Turkey

The instructions specify roasting the turkey until it’s completely cooked, which is confirmed when a thermometer reads 170°F in both the breast and thigh. Keep in mind that the breast will cook faster than the thigh, so it’s important to monitor the thigh temperature. The packaging recommends an approximate cooking time of five hours, but this can vary depending on your oven.

This was the only part of the process where I encountered difficulty. After four and a half hours, I checked the turkey’s temperature and it was just 127°F. There was still much more cooking to be done. Ultimately, the turkey took more than six hours to cook, which was fine for an ordinary Monday but could have been a problem for Thanksgiving with hungry guests waiting. (And yes, I did check with my oven thermometer, and my oven was at 350°F.)

The Results: The turkey took much longer to cook than expected, which highlights the need for careful planning when preparing a big meal.

After allowing the turkey to rest for 30 minutes—usually, I rest it for up to an hour to prepare the stuffing and sides while the turkey cools, but the packaging suggests 20 to 30 minutes, and we were hungry—I carved it and brought it to the table.

The turkey looked perfect, a rich golden brown. The skin was crisp, and the meat was tender and flavorful. My concern about not seasoning it with salt and pepper turned out to be unnecessary. The turkey had just the right amount of seasoning, and it was wonderfully juicy and tender—definitely not dry. While this bird didn’t have an overpowering flavor, honestly, I don’t expect that from any turkey.

My Overall Review: The turkey turned out well, though I did encounter some uncertainty with timing.

The only difficulty I faced with the Butterball Cook From Frozen Turkey was the unpredictability of the roasting time. With a fresh or fully thawed bird, it’s much easier to estimate the time.

Aside from that, this turkey could be a real time-saver for beginner or nervous cooks, or anyone who just wants to avoid the hassle of preparing the bird, whether to conserve energy for the sides and pie or just because they don’t want to fuss. Personally, I enjoy a little more effort, especially at Thanksgiving. So, I’ll likely stick with cooking a fresh bird where I can experiment with the seasoning and better gauge the roasting time. However, I’d definitely recommend this product to anyone willing to try it, with the caveat that they allow for more roasting time than they initially expect.