Can you cook a whole chicken from frozen?

Question

Thanks for the comments im trying to prove to my nan it cant be done.

Answer 1

You can't indeed MUSTN'T EVEN TRY TO cook ANY part of a chicken or other poultry from frozen, full stop, period, dot com!
You can REHEAT from frozen if it's already cooked, but even then it wants some thawing out first.

Answer 2

Well, yes, I guess that you can but I wouldn't advise eating it afterwards.
The inside of the chicken or any fowl for that matter contains bacteria. If you put the chicken in the oven when it is frozen, the outside will cook but the inside will only gradually warm up. Warm and moist conditions are the perfect breading ground for the bacteria to build up. The real problem is that while the bacteria are breading they create toxins. Apart from that, the texture of the meat would be pretty grotty.
Even if the chicken was cooked by another method the same would apply - for example if the chicken was to be cooked whole in the microwave, then it would still have to be cooked at a low setting, defrost, at first.
Rule of thumb is if (when it was alive) it walked on two legs it will need to be defrosted before cooking. If it walked on four then you can cook it from frozen, although I would be reluctant with pork if it was anything bigger than a chop.
No-one has told me about arachnids or insects, so I have no idea about six and eight legs - but I do cook squid and prawns from frozen so that might be a clue.

Answer 3

Not recommended because it will cook unevenly and probably the inside will still be frozen while the outside looks done and the only way to know would be with a meat thermometer but then how can you stick a meat thermometer into a frozen bird. Also, probably you have a giblet bag inside the turkey that should be removed to make giblet gravy. So, no you must thaw, preferably in a sink of warm water or on defrost in your microwave.

Answer 4

Not a good idea - it would take a very long to cook through and by the time the inside was done the outside would be dried up and rock hard, or when the outside is done nicely the inside will still be raw and could result in food poisoning.

Thaw thoroughly before cooking.

Answer 5

absolutely not, as the outside part of the chicken will cook, but the meat inside will remain uncooked or possibly frozen. You can speed up defrosting using a microwave, heat it on a low setting and give it large 'rests' between the microwaving to let the heat spread, you don't want to cook it at this point.

Answer 6

No. But it is easy enough to defrost. The best way is to put it in a bowl of very hot (not boiling) water. Change the water every 15 minutes. Don't defrost in the microwave because some of the outside skin will cook before the inside is done.

Answer 7

no you defiantly can"t cook chicken from frozen you are 100% guaranteed to have food poisoning but you can put the chicken in a bowl of cold water 2 defrost overnight! but being as this advice is for your dear sweet gran id say in the fridge overnight. enjoy!x

Answer 8

No!!! Never ever ever cook any meat from frozen (unless it's pre-packaged and states that you can). Thaw it out overnight in the fridge, then take it out of the fridge, test it to see whether it's completely de-frosted, and if not, let it stand at room temperature for several hours, until it's completely thawed.

Answer 9

Of course you can, as long as you are prepared to have the runs or worse for a few days. Good luck. Buy a large cooked one from Tesco, mixed veg. in a bag and steam, and roast potatoes again in a bag. And Granny will think you are wonderful. Oh, and give her a sherry it makes everything taste good.

Answer 10

well being I have culinary to answer that no. Because when you cook it from frozen the out side will be done before the inside is.