Just about everyone has wondered if you could cook a frozen turkey. This says yes you can. Read the whole thing if you want to try it but here are the major points
If you stick it in the oven by 9 in the morning, it can be ready for carving by 4
Size translates to oven time for a whole turkey, and size will be an issue when you are faced with day-of choices in your grocer’s freezer. As in, the ideal 12- to 14-pounders will be long gone. Generally, a frozen bird needs to spend about 1 ½ times as long at a low-ish oven temperature (325 degrees); an unstuffed 19-pounder that takes almost 4 hours to roast from a fully thawed state will take 6 to 6 ½ hours from fully frozen.
The pan you use for this is nonnegotiable. It needs to be low-walled so as much air as possible circulates around the bird. You have the technology at hand:
• Seat an ovenproof wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Hoist the bird onto the rack.
• Move the middle oven rack down one level, keeping the lower rack in place (for reheating sides) and removing any upper rack.
• Pour a cup of water into the pan.
That’s it.