(pounds). Properly Thawing a Turkey. Holiday food safety starts with properly thawing a frozen turkey. Simply enter the weight of the turkey in pounds and click calculate. A turkey requires approximately 24 hours (1 day) of refrigerated thawing for every 4-5 pounds.Place the turkey on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a pan to avoid contaminating other foods. If you are short on time, cold water thawing is a much quicker process.pounds). Properly Thawing a Turkey. Holiday food safety starts with properly thawing a frozen turkey. Simply enter the weight of the turkey in pounds and click calculate. A turkey requires approximately 24 hours (1 day) of refrigerated thawing for every 4-5 pounds.