Need to quickly defrost your frozen chicken thighs, wings or breasts for cooking? From cold water baths to slow cookers to Instant Pots, here are four easy ways to quickly defrost raw chicken.
Handling chicken can be tricky and there are many ways to go wrong. Poor preparation can result in bland-tasting meat or even food poisoning.
Improper thawing is one of the biggest culprits for this, but it’s a trap many of us fall into.
We were all under pressure to cook for the guests on time. It’s easy to go ahead and cook meat when it’s not done or safe. This includes chicken that has not been properly thawed. Not only is that gross, it’s a security risk.
But what if you are in a hurry? Is there a quick and safe way to do this? How to defrost chicken quickly.
The best way to quickly defrost chicken is to submerge it in cold water. This method takes 30 minutes per 2 pounds of meat and is the best choice for protecting your meat from bacterial growth.
The best and safest way to defrost poultry is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the chicken to thaw at a safe, consistent temperature.
While this is not a quick method, it allows the meat to reach a thawed state without exposing it to temperatures that allow bacteria to thrive on its surface.
This is the area known as the “danger zone” between 5°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F) where bacteria grow fastest, doubling in size in 20 minutes.
This is why many people misinterpret thawing. YOU should allow the chicken to thaw, but not allow the meat to reach danger zone temperature for any period of time. These are the 4 best ways to do it quickly and safely.
Cold water bath
Starting this list is a proven way to trust professional kitchens around the world. Often referred to as a cold water bath, this method is one of the quickest and also the best for preserving meat quality.
Fresh meat always tastes better than thawed meat, but this method allows the chicken to retain much of the flavor and texture it would get if you cooked it fresh.
This technique takes 30 minutes to thaw 2 pounds (about 900 grams) of chicken, and you don’t need any special cookware to do it.
Fill a large ache two-thirds to three-fourths full with cold water and dip the flesh in it. To keep the water fresh and at an ideal cold temperature, refill the water every 10 minutes.
A whole chicken takes longer than thighs, wings or breast. To avoid this, YOU can speed things up by separating the bird as it thaws. This allows the water to reach more areas of the bird, including cavities.
Pro tip: Be sure to use cold water. This prevents the meat from falling into the danger zone of 40°F to 140°F where bacteria grow faster.
Microwave
Proven for years, the microwave is one of the most reliable methods of defrosting meat.
But while this method is quick and only takes 5-10 minutes, you need to pay close attention when defrosting. This method can easily drift into the area where it starts to boil rather than thaw. This can ruin the texture of the meat, make it very tough, and expose the meat to bacterial growth.
It’s important that you do it right. If your temperature is too high or the microwave cooking time is too long, you’ll ruin it. The ice in the flesh turns to water and then steams and cooks from the inside.
Check the meat every minute or two as it thaws. Once ready, transfer to your grill or oven to cook.
Check out my guide on how to smoke a whole chicken
Be careful. This method is only suitable for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and not for portions of the poultry that contain bones.
Many modern microwaves have defrost settings, but if yours doesn’t, I recommend using a medium-low setting for two to three minutes. Afterwards, flip the chicken and microwave for an additional two minutes per pound of breast. Make sure the microwave is paused and turned every minute until it is thawed and ready to cook.
This is one of the quickest and easiest methods of microwave cooking, but you risk overcooking and ruining the meat. It also doesn’t work with chicken cuts that contain bones, including wings or thighs.
Hot water jet
Using hot water is an official last resort if you don’t have access to a cold bath or microwave. You need to get accurate temperature readings, so you need an accurate meat thermometer to get the best results.
I mentioned earlier that chicken meat temperatures between 40°F and 140°F risk allowing bacteria to thrive, putting YOU at risk for food poisoning.
The difference to cooking cold chicken is that at high temperatures in a grill or oven, the meat stays in that temperature range for a very short time, meaning bacteria don’t have enough time to multiply. We can apply the same principle to die it instantly to the use of hot water.
Place the chicken in a large wound and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of your meat.
Keep a steady flow of hot water over the meat. If you leave it in hot water, the water will cool and render it ineffective.
Be sure to cook immediately after defrosting so that the surface of the chicken is not exposed to the action of bacteria.
Pot for slow cooking
Granted, this isn’t pure defrosting, but cooking straight from frozen food can work for some forms of cooking. Slow-cooking recipes (like stews, curries, and soups) are good examples of this. In these methods, meat IS immersed in hot temperatures, allowing it to cook without leaving a tendency for bacterial growth.
Pro tip: It takes longer than usual to cook the chicken. As a general rule of thumb, allow 50% more cooking time.
The last word
Ultimately, chicken is best thawed overnight in the refrigerator. This allows the meat to be fully thawed without the risk of developing harmful bacteria.
Not only is it safe, but it evenly spreads taut meat, allowing it to be cooked to perfection without losing any quality.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of having time on our side, so a quick thaw method is a good solution.
Of the four methods above, using a cold water bath is the best. It suits any cut of chicken, boned or boneless, and provides taut even meat and safe on.
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Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
