- Run hot tap water into a bowl.
- Check the temperature with a thermometer. You’re looking for 140 degrees F.
- Submerge the frozen chicken breast.
- Stir the water every once in a while (this keeps pockets of cold water from forming).
- It should be thawed in 30 minutes or less.
I frequently get asked how to safely thaw frozen chicken when sharing all of my chicken recipes. I demonstrate three secure and simple ways to thaw chicken in this video.
You might be tempted to leave it on the counter to thaw while you go about your day depending on what time of day you are reading this, but resist the urge!
Wouldn’t it be great if you could receive easy recipes and cooking advice like this in your inbox every week? And not just a recipe, but a completed weekly schedule with a finished shopping list and meal-prep sheet!
Relax, I’ve got a solution for you too if you’re reading this 2 hours before dinner. However, even if you only have a few seconds before you need to cook that frozen chicken, it is still possible!
If you’re still here, it must be because you still have some time before dinnertime with your family.
Here are three (USDA-approved) secure methods for thawing frozen chicken for tonight’s dinner.
You can defrost frozen chicken in the refrigerator, a cold water bath, or the microwave, depending on how much time you have. Although each approach has advantages and disadvantages, the result will be thawed chicken that is ready for cooking.
Defrosting Method: Defrosted in the fridge overnight.
Regarding this technique: I used this technique as the reference point to test the other recipes against. I simply put the frozen chicken breast in the fridge, sealed in its packaging, and allowed it to thaw overnight for about nine hours. Results: The chicken was perfectly defrosted and prepared to cook after nine hours. The bag contained a small amount of liquid, but not much. The breast had completely defrosted, and there were no visible color changes or textural alterations. This method worked precisely as expected. My takeaway: Thawing chicken in the refrigerator yields perfectly defrosted, evenly thawed, and flawlessly pink chicken. If you prepare ahead of time, the technique is excellent and doesn’t affect the chicken’s flavor or texture. This method is not very helpful unless you plan ahead because it takes a very long time, especially if you try to defrost a lot of chicken at once. (For this test, I only defrosted one chicken breast; I would anticipate that a large block of frozen chicken would require much more time than nine hours.) ).
Remove the giblets and anything else that is on or inside the whole chicken. Then freeze it in a ziptop bag.
Cold water in the sink is my go-to method if you have a whole chicken or chicken pieces that were frozen together. Even though it will take longer than the microwave, Checking on it frequently to see if you can separate the pieces is one way to expedite the process. Once they separate, you can quickly separate them using the hot water method. Similar to this, you can microwave defrosted chicken pieces until they separate, and then use the hot water or cold water methods.
If your chicken is already frozen, skip down. Read this section if you have fresh chicken that you want to freeze so that it thaws more quickly because it will save you time to prepare your chicken.
You must use this method to cook defrosted chicken right away. You want to immediately cook the meat at a high temperature to kill any bacteria that may have grown there. Placing the chicken in the refrigerator afterward would allow any bacteria to continue growing. As a result, make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as soon as possible. To make sure the chicken is heated to a safe level, I like to use an instant read thermometer.
The refrigerator is one of the safest places to defrost chicken. The meat is evenly defrosted, but it takes the longest and is the safest method. This method is hands-free and does not require special packaging for the meat, so even if you didn’t transfer the chicken to a ziptop bag and simply frozen it in its original packaging, it will still work for you.
The Best Way to Defrost Chicken — Submerge in a Cold Water Bath
The cold-water bath technique is most frequently used in professional kitchens because it is the quickest and least harmful to the meat.
A one to two-pound frozen bird, up to a four-pounder, and an equivalent, tightly packed frozen package of pieces can all be defrosted using this technique in just about an hour.
A single chicken breast, or possibly two or three, can be defrosted in a water bath in 45 minutes, give or take.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to thaw frozen chicken breasts?
Slowly defrost frozen chicken in your refrigerator, or defrost it more quickly by placing it in a leak-proof container or plastic bag and submerging it in ice water.
Can I defrost chicken in hot water?
Do NOT defrost chicken in hot water! It’s not safe. Warm water will start to “cook” the outside of the meat before the middle is thawed, which may also result in the growth of bacteria.
How do you defrost a chicken in 5 minutes?
Chicken can be quickly defrosted in the microwave (5–10 minutes) by causing the water molecules to vibrate quickly together, which produces heat. You are essentially steaming the chicken from the inside out if you microwave it for too long or on a high setting.
Can I thaw chicken in cold water?
Thaw in Cold Water If you need to defrost your chicken today but only have a few hours, you can use the cold-water method. The USDA advises against thawing meat in hot water or at room temperature.
