Defrost Chicken

Defrosting chicken is easy, but it must be done the right way to prevent harmful bacterial growth. How you defrost a chicken depends on how soon you plan on cooking it and how much time you have on hand. This article will teach you how to defrost chicken in the fridge, in cold water, and in the microwave.

Steps

Thawing Chicken in the Refrigerator

  1. Remove your frozen chicken from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. This is the safest way to thaw your chicken, however it does take longer than other methods.
    • Place your chicken at the front of the bottom shelf while it defrosts to prevent excess juices from getting on other food in the refrigerator. If your chicken has already been unwrapped, place it in a pan or bowl so that the juices do not leak.[1]
  2. Keep an eye on the time. The standard rule says that 1 pound (0.453 Kg) of chicken takes 5 hours to defrost in a refrigerator.[2]
    • Keep in mind that thawing a whole chicken in the refrigerator can take more than 24 hours. Plan accordingly.[2]
  3. Remove your chicken from the refrigerator when it is thawed. The chicken will no longer be covered in frost and will be squishy to the touch.
    • Check to see if your whole chicken is defrosted by placing your hand in the major cavity of the chicken. If there are ice crystals within the chicken, it needs to be defrosted for a longer period of time.
  4. Store your thawed chicken in the refrigerator. Chicken that has been thawed can be safely stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. Once a chicken has been thawed it should not be refrozen.
    • Store your thawed chicken in the coldest part of your refrigerator. This will keep your chicken bacteria-free for a longer amount of time.[3]

Thawing Chicken in the Sink

  1. Put your chicken in a Ziploc bag if it is not already wrapped. The Ziploc bag will keep bacteria from contaminating the chicken during the thawing process. It will also prevent bacteria from contaminating the sink.[4]
  2. Find a bowl that can hold all of the chicken. Make sure that the bowl is large enough for the chicken to be fully submerged in water.
  3. Place the Ziploc-ed chicken in the bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Make sure that the top of the chicken is covered.
    • Do not use hot water. Hot water will promote bacterial growth.[4]
  4. Change the water every 30 minutes. A pound of chicken will be thawed in roughly an hour by using this method.[4]
    • If you are thawing a whole chicken, be prepared for it to take a bit longer. If your chicken is 3 pounds, it should be thawed for 3 or more hours.
  5. Cook all of the chicken before storing it back in the refrigerator. Raw chicken thawed using this method cannot be stored again while it is still raw.[4]

Thawing Chicken in the Microwave

  1. Unwrap your pieces of chicken. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl so that juices do not leak while the chicken is being thawed.
  2. Keep in mind that microwaving your chicken could place your chicken in the ‘Danger Zone’. This means that if defrosted for too long, your chicken will become warm, thus becoming more open to bacterial growth.[5]
    • Generally try to avoid defrosting a whole chicken in the microwave because there is more chance for your whole chicken to enter the 'Danger Zone'. Microwaving a whole chicken also takes away from the nutritious and tasty aspects of the chicken.
  3. Place your bowl in the microwave. Set the microwave to defrost. If you do not know how long you should defrost your specific amount of chicken for, defrost the meat for 2 minutes. Let stand for 1 minute and then check the progress.[2]
    • Make sure that the chicken does not start to cook.
  4. Cook your chicken immediately. You must cook all chicken defrosted in this method before storing it back in the refrigerator.[5]

Tips

  • The lower the temperature at which your chicken defrosts, the less likely it is that dangerous bacteria will grow in the chicken.

Warnings

  • Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling raw chicken.
  • Avoid defrosting chicken at room temperature on your kitchen counters because if you leave your chicken at room temperature for too long there is a high risk of bacterial growth.
  • Whole chickens do not thaw well in the microwave. You can still use this method for a whole chicken but there is a higher risk of bacterial growth.
  • Keep the kitchen sanitary so you do not contaminate the chicken.
  • Make sure to cook it before you eat it so the harmful bacteria will get killed.
  • Be sure not to rinse the chicken before cooking because of risk of bacteria transfer as outlined in latest health guidelines.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/how-to-defrost-meat_n_1574315.html#s1062771&title=Thawing_In_The
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.helpwithcooking.com/cooking-poultry/defrosting-poultry.html
  3. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/howto/chicken-cooking-basics/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/how-to-defrost-meat_n_1574315.html#s1062822&title=Thawing_Under_Cold
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/how-to-defrost-meat_n_1574315.html#s1062794&title=Thawing_In_The
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