How To Defrost Chicken Safely: 3 Quick And Easy Ways
Thawing meat and food in general can be quite annoying, however it’s important to be done properly. On the bright side when it comes to meats such as chicken, it really isn’t rocket science. The United States Department of Agriculture or USDA has found there are three safe ways to thaw your chicken. One of these ways also includes a last minute, quick defrost if you forgot to do it earlier. So, let’s see how to defrost chicken the safe way and why it’s so significant to do properly.
Thawing meat and food in general can be quite annoying
What Is The Importance of Thawing?
While freezing your meat can help slow down the process of bacteria growth, during the thawing process it does start to grow significantly. This usually happens when the food’s temperature starts to rise above 40 degrees F or 4 degrees C. Thawing the meat the wrong way can create a danger zone in which the center remains frozen while the outer layer is not. These temperatures (40-140 °F or 4 to 60 °C) allow bacteria to grow quite rapidly and if food is kept at those temperatures for too long it can cause illnesses, such as food poising, as well as be fatal in some cases. While cooking can help kill certain types of bacteria, they can leave toxins behind and remain in the food even after it’s gone through heat treatment. That’s why defrosting your food properly is very important.
Thawing the meat the wrong way can create a danger zone
How To Defrost Chicken Safely
Chicken is one of the safest meats to cook from frozen. While this is great news, it does apply mostly if it is thawed properly beforehand. That’s why today we are going to show you the three USDA approved methods, starting from slowest to quickest.
Chicken is one of the safest meats to cook from frozen
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#Fridge Defrost
This is the slowest method when it comes to defrosting chicken, however it is also the safest. You can even wait a few days before cooking and even refreeze the chicken if you need with this method. This is all thanks to the fact that the refrigerator keeps the meat at a safe temperature during the whole thawing process. All you need to do is get the chicken out of the freezer, place it on a plate and put it in the fridge. Defrosting the chicken can take from twelve hours to twenty-four hours for boneless and skinless chicken breasts to fully thaw. For an entire chicken it may take more.
This is the slowest method when it comes to defrosting
#Cold Water
We often forget to take the chicken out of the freezer on time, so this method is a savior as it’s a bit faster than the refrigerator, but still safe. However, you will need to keep an eye out on the chicken as it defrosts to ensure it stays within safe temperatures. It’s also recommended to cook the chicken after it’s thawed, as it is not safe to refreeze it after this method. For this method just submerge the chicken, in its original package or a leak-proof package, under cold tap water. You can use a bowl or fill up the sink. Then make sure to change the water every half an hour to ensure it doesn’t warm up. Small chicken cuts can thaw in an hour, while a whole chicken can take up to three.
For this method just submerge the chicken under cold tap water
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#Microwave
Well, this isn’t the best method, but it definitely is the quickest. The problem with thawing chicken in the microwave is that it thaws unevenly, which can create the danger zone we previously mentioned. That’s why you want to do it the right way. All you need you do is unwrap or remove the chicken from it’s packaging. Then place it on a microwave-safe plate and check your microwave manual to determine the proper timing and power level. If you’ve lost the manual set it to defrost or 20 per cent and cook the chicken in two minute intervals, turning it and checking if it’s ready. Repeat this until the chicken is defrosted. Like with the method above, make sure to cook the chicken immediately and do not refreeze.
The problem with thawing chicken in the microwave is that it thaws unevenly
These were the safest ways when it comes to how to defrost a chicken. We hope you found this article useful. Now you know how to easily defrost your chicken in a safe way without worrying about potential bacteria.
These were the safest ways when it comes to how to defrost a chicken
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