How do i defrost a chicken?

Question

why can't I cook chicken meat from frozen and why must it be defrosted in a fridge ..not at room temperature?

Answer 1

I think the fridge thing is so the meat can defrost at a cold temperature to prevent bacteria growing and contaminating the meat, if defrosted at room temp this bacteria may be able to grow. I have always defrosted chicken out of the fridge though and nothing has happened to me yet!

Answer 2

Chicken flesh is a good insulator and doesn't conduct heat well.

If you cook a chicken from frozen the outside will burn before the inside has fully defrosted. Somewhere between these extremes there will be a zone that is just perfect for Salmonella and other nasty germs to grow. They will breed like mad and you will guarantee your diners a severe dose of food poisoning.

Put it in a fridge for a while after taking from the freezer so that it defrosts slowly. After a while, when it's a bit softer, you can take it out to finish defrosting at room temperature. It will take may hours.
If you take it from a freezer and don't use a fridge leave it at least 8 hours.

However you defrost it check that the inside an folds around legs and wings are fully defrosted (soft) before cooking it.

Answer 3

Stick some TNT inside and light it up then run away very very quickly and far far far away! When it goes bang, its ready! haha Thats what they did on 'Brainaic'. Haha

Jokes aside now....

SAFE DEFROSTING:
There are three recommended ways to defrost chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold running water and in the microwave.

Never defrost chicken on the counter or in other locations. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator.

Boneless chicken breasts will usually defrost overnight. Bone-in parts and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or longer.

Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can be kept in the refrigerator an additional day or two before cooking.

During this time, if chicken defrosted in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen without cooking first.

Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cold.

A whole (3 to 4 pound (1 to 2 kg)) broiler fryer or package of parts should defrost in 2 to 3 hours.

A 1-pound (500 g) package of boneless breasts will defrost in an hour or less.

Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.

Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. Foods defrosted in the microwave or by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave or in a slow cooker. However, chicken can be cooked from the frozen state in the oven or on the stove.

The cooking time may be about 50% longer. Some advise against cooking frozen meat and poultry altogether; with chicken, always check the temperature with a food thermometer to ensure proper cooking.


Hope I have helped. Enjoy your chicken!

Answer 4

It needs to defrost in the fridge due to the bacteria growing on it. If you leave it out in a warm room, it would grow at a faster rate.
You cannot cook a chicken from frozen as the inner carcass would never cook and you would end up with very bad case of food poisoning.

Answer 5

Hi,

The best way to avoid the build up of bacteria is to defrost it in the fridge for 24 hours, u can do it at room temp but the risk of bacteria buildup is greater, or u can put it in warm water in a sink or defrost in the microwave, just make sure the chicken is throughly cooked all the way through!

Rx

Answer 6

I defrost all meat at room temperature. Chicken, ground beef, roasts, etc. I put it in the kitchen sink at night before I go to bed, and then stick it in the fridge the next morning when I get up. You're not supposed to defrost at room temperature because of salmonella, trichanosis (sp?), etc., but you know--I'm 31 years old and I've been eating meat that is defrosted in the sink over night practically my whole life and I have *yet* to get sick from it. :)

Answer 7

It's sinews will be tough and rubbery if cooked from frozen,you can defrost it in a bowl of cold water or the microwave,but it's best left in the fridge for a day,unless you have an outside shed,you could put it in there over night.

Answer 8

Use common sense. Chicken MUST be cooked properly.

It IS preferable to thaw chicken out first, but you CAN put it directly into the oven if you know it is cleaned properly and if you are going to bake it quickly.

If you are going to section it to cook it immediately, thaw it out in warm water, or put in into the microwave and use 'defrost'.

If you are going to cook it TOMORROW, you better thaw it out in the refrigerator, and then make absolutely SURE it is cooked PROPERLY.

Thawing it on the counter overnight or all day is DANGEROUS because of the possibility of contamination with salmonella. (food poisoning) bacteria which multiplies at room temperature. People get very sick from salmonella.

If you are going to make something like chicken stew, and if you KNOW the chicken is cleaned properly, you can put it right into the stew pot as IS, FROZEN. It will cook and fall apart, then you can remove the bones , skin and fat. Do that PRIOR to adding the rest of the veggies or sauces to the slow-cooker.

Answer 9

i have always defrosted my chickens at room temperature or in a sink of cold water, never had a problem yet ! ... small chicken pieces can be cooked from frozen large ones is a no no ... too much risk of food poisoning !

Answer 10

Defrost in either a microwave or put the sink on HOT and let it run over the meat for a couple of hours or sooo...

I'm 13 and I knew that! How old are you?