How to Thaw Chicken

Thawing chicken is easy, but it’s essential to do it the right way to avoid bacteria growth. The method you choose will depend on when you plan to cook the chicken and how much time you’re willing to invest in the process. The following guide will show you how to safely thaw chicken in the refrigerator, in cold water, and using a microwave.

Remove the frozen chicken from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. This is the safest way to thaw chicken, but it takes more time than other methods.

• Place the chicken on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent any chicken juices from dripping and contaminating other foods. If the chicken is unwrapped, you should put it in a bowl to catch any excess liquid.

Pay attention to thawing time. The standard rule for thawing is that around 0.5 kg of chicken takes about 5 hours to thaw in the refrigerator.

• Keep in mind that thawing a whole chicken may take over 24 hours, so plan ahead.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator once it has thawed. The chicken will no longer be frozen and will feel soft to the touch.

• If you want to check if a whole chicken is fully thawed, you can feel inside the breast cavity. If there’s still ice inside, it needs more thawing time.

Store thawed chicken in the refrigerator. Thawed chicken can be safely kept in the fridge for about 1-2 days. Once thawed, the chicken should not be refrozen.

• Store thawed chicken in the coldest part of the refrigerator to keep it safe from bacteria for a longer period of time.

Place the unwrapped chicken in a zip-lock bag. The zip-lock bag helps prevent bacteria from contaminating the chicken while it thaws. It also prevents bacteria from making the sink dirty.

Find a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Make sure the bowl is big enough to fully submerge the chicken in water.

Place the chicken, wrapped in a zip-lock bag, into the cold water bowl. Ensure the bag is fully sealed.

• Do not use hot water. Hot water will encourage bacteria growth.

Change the water every 30 minutes. With this method, approximately 0.5 kg of chicken will thaw within an hour.

• For a whole chicken, thawing time may be longer. Chickens weighing over 1.5 kg will take around 3 hours or more to thaw.

Cook the chicken before storing it in the refrigerator. Chicken thawed using this method should not be stored in the fridge while still raw.

Remove the chicken pieces from the packaging. Place the chicken in a heat-resistant bowl to prevent any liquids from leaking out during the thawing process.

Remember, thawing chicken in the microwave can put it into the ‘Danger Zone’. This means that if the chicken is thawed for too long, it will warm up, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow.

• Generally, it's best to avoid thawing a whole chicken in the microwave, as it’s more likely to fall into the 'Danger Zone' compared to smaller pieces. Additionally, thawing a whole chicken in the microwave can cause it to lose nutrients and flavor.

Place the bowl of chicken in the microwave. Set the microwave to the defrost setting. If you’re unsure about how long it takes to thaw a specific amount of chicken, start by thawing for 2 minutes. Wait about 1 minute, then check on the progress.

• Make sure not to cook the chicken during the thawing process.

Cook the chicken immediately. It is important to cook all the chicken thawed in the microwave before storing it back in the refrigerator.