Defrosting Frozen Chicken

Step by step tips on how to defrost frozen chicken

Depending on the time you have available there are 3 methods to defrost frozen chicken: in the fridge, in water or in your microwave.

TheNewIceAge Team talks you through the possible methods you can use but remember – frozen chicken should never be defrosted at room temperature.

Click here to see how to defrost Christmas Turkey
Click here to see how to defrost frozen fish

Defrosting frozen chicken in your fridge

Using your fridge to defrost your frozen chicken is the method we recommend.

This is the slowest method but this is the safest method. You should plan your defrosting time for roughly five hours per pound of meat (see below).

Defrosting times

Defrosting frozen chicken takes longer the larger the bird: see below for frozen chicken defrosting times according to weight

3 lbs – 15 hr
5 lbs – 24 hr
7 lbs – 34 hr
10 lbs – 48 hr

To defrost your frozen chicken place it at the bottom of the fridge, in a bowl large enough to catch any juices that may drip. Do not allow any of these raw meat juices to come into contact with fridge surfaces or food as this may contaminate them. If the bird has packaging or wrapping this should be kept on during the defrost process. The thawed chicken can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days before you cook it. If your chicken does not have any packaging you should cover the bird whilst it is in the fridge.

Frozen chicken must be properly defrosted before it is cooked. Ensure your frozen chicken is completely defrosted by feeling for ice crystals inside the cavity of the bird. If ice crystals are still present, the bird is not defrosted yet. You can also test thicker parts of the meat with a fork to see if it feels frozen.

Never refreeze chicken once it is defrosted, it is however safe to do so once the meat is cooked. Always clean plates, utensils, surfaces and hands thoroughly, after they have touched raw or thawing meat, to stop bacteria from spreading.

Defrosting frozen chicken using cold water

Thawing frozen chicken in cold water is faster than defrosting it in the fridge – great if you're in a hurry!

Because this method involves immersing the frozen bird in water the chicken must be wrapped in a sealed plastic bag so that the water does not leak onto the meat. Frozen chicken must be completely covered by cold water throughout the defrosting period. To ensure that the water remains cold you should change it every half hour. You should never use warm water to quicken the process, as this may encourage the growth of bacteria to harmful levels. You should allow for half an hour per pound of meat (see below).

Defrosting times

Defrosting frozen chicken takes longer the larger the bird. See below for frozen chicken defrosting times according to weight

3 lbs – 1.5hr
4 lbs – 2hr
8 lbs – 4hr

When your chicken is defrosted you should keep it in the fridge and eat it within a couple of days. Ensure that any surface that has come into contact with the raw meat is washed and dried thoroughly. Frozen chicken must be properly defrosted before it is cooked. Ensure your chicken is completely defrosted by feeling for ice crystals inside the cavity of the bird. If ice crystals are still present, the bird is not defrosted yet. You can also test thicker parts of the meat with a fork to see if it feels frozen.

Never refreeze chicken once it is defrosted, it is however safe to do so once the meat is cooked. Always clean plates, utensils, surfaces and hands thoroughly, after they have touched raw or thawing meat, to stop bacteria from spreading.

Defrosting frozen chicken using your microwave

If you are pressed for time this method can be useful

Refer to the microwave manual as many microwaves are different and require different times to defrost a whole bird. Care needs to be taken to ensure that you do not dry out the meat when you defrost.

For chicken breasts or small pieces of chicken, ensure that the wrapping is removed before putting the meat in the microwave. Put the pieces in a microwave dish so as to catch dripping juices and, using the defrost setting, defrost two minutes at a time checking progress between each go. Once the chicken pieces have been defrosted, they should be cooked straight away.

Chicken must be properly defrosted before it is cooked. Ensure your chicken is completely defrosted by feeling for ice crystals inside the cavity of the bird. If crystals are there, the bird is not defrosted yet. You can also test thicker parts of the meat with a fork to see if it feels frozen.

Never refreeze chicken once it is defrosted, it is however safe to do so once the meat is cooked. Always clean plates, utensils, surfaces and hands thoroughly, after they have touched raw or thawing meat, to stop bacteria from spreading.

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