I need a quick way to defrost a fillet of chicken and I don't have a microwave, can I boil it?

Answer 1

Refrigerator Thawing
Planning ahead is the key to this method because of the lengthy time involved. A large frozen item like a turkey requires at least a day (24 hours) for every 5 pounds of weight. Even small amounts of frozen food -- such as a pound of ground meat or boneless chicken breasts -- require a full day to thaw. When thawing foods in the refrigerator, there are several variables to take into account.
Some areas of an appliance may keep the food colder than other areas. Food placed in the coldest part will require longer defrosting time.
Food takes longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35°F than one set at 40°F.

After thawing in the refrigerator, ground meat and poultry should remain useable for an additional day or two before cooking; red meat, 3 to 5 days. Foods defrosted in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality.

Cold Water Thawing
This method is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, meat tissue can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.

The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat or poultry – about a pound – may defrost in an hour or less. A 3- to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately. Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

Microwave Thawing
When microwave defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwave defrosting. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed and, indeed, may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria to grow.

Answer 2

Don't get in the habit of microwaving for defrosting, it sometimes partially cooks it, and it's just nasty. Boiling it will cook it, NOT a good idea if this chicken is going to be used in a recipe other than chicken salad. My vote goes to number one answer of a bowl of cold water, it works great. It may not be an immediate fix, but invest $10 in one of those thaw boards for the future, they work great.

Answer 3

No, boiling it won't defrost it, it'll begin to cook it. This happens in a microwave anyway, so you're out of luck.

There are two ways of defrosting your chicken;

1. Just let it thaw naturally, but this will take hours and hours and isn't quick.

2. Get a special black defrosting board, and defrost it on that. It'll defrost in about half the time, but I'm not sure how. They're just a black ceramic board for defrosting. Still not 'quick' though.

There isn't a 'quick' way without partly cooking it in the process and making it tough I'm afraid. Good preparation is the key.

Answer 4

Put it in a bowl and run the cold tap over it for about 5 mins - you might have to move it about a bit so the whole chicken is defrosted.

Answer 5

(Tip - Place fillets under cool running water for quick defrost.)
Evergreen Foods Ltd. Frozen Food Specialists
http://www.evergreenfoods.com/meatpg.htm

Answer 6

Steaming might be better so that you do not lose flavor. Place the fillet on a heat proof saucer in a pan with about 2 inches of water , place over high heat with a lid on the pan, heat for about 10 minutes, your fillet should be thawed enough to cook any way you want to cook it.

Answer 7

Definitely thaw quickly in a sealed bag under running tepid or cold water. The obvious but slow answer is to plan ahead and get it out the night before, but I've got kids, when does the planning ahead get done!!!

Answer 8

just put it in a large bowl filled with cold water- it will be thawed in 20-30 minutes. This works better and faster than a microwave

Answer 9

Put it into a bowl of cold water, don't boil it as this will cook the chicken.

Alternatively you can run it under a tepid tap for a while.

Answer 10

Best to let it defrost first. Run under cold water.

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