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Guess you’re finally planning on getting that chicken out of the freezer. That’s a nice thing though, and you should follow this article for a detailed explanation on how to defrost chicken in the microwave safely and effortlessly.
When it comes to tasty, quick, and easy kitchen staples, it is known that chicken is the king of them all. These lean white meats of chickens are a healthy dinner option that you can prepare in many ways, from tasty finger foods to grill.
Although chicken is an amazing meal, it is almost inevitable that you will find yourself with your chicken in the freezer once, twice, or even more.
When you want to have chicken for dinner, you have to get your chicken out of the freezer, so you need to know how to defrost your chicken in the microwave.
How To Defrost Chicken in The Microwave
The best method to defrost your chicken if you have a short period and microwave is to defrost it.
To safely defrost your chicken using the microwave, remove any packaging like foils or paper because packaging like that can easily catch fire. After this has been done, you can place your chicken in a microwaveable dish or contain a lid and cover the dish loosely.
You shouldn’t use the normal setting on the microwave, so you move to the defrosting settings it provides. Thaw for about two minutes or until your chicken thaws.
Ensure that you check your chicken and flip it over periodically to help the chicken thaw evenly. Not all microwaves have the defrosting options, so you can set your microwave to cook at 20-30 percent; that should be enough to thaw your chicken.
Sometimes the time your chicken defrosts depends on the size of your chicken and the wattage of your microwave, as sometimes, defrosting would take about seven to eight minutes to defrost per pound.
This process might differ depending on the make of your microwave and the size of your microwave also.
An important factor you should consider after thawing your chicken is that you should eat it immediately after it is defrosted since microwaves heat the temperatures of the chicken, which in turn heats the bacteria thriving in the chicken.
See Also: How to Defrost Bacon in the Microwave
Are There Other Ways to Defrost My Chicken Apart from Microwaving?
Now that we’ve discussed how to defrost chicken in the microwave, let’s quickly talk about other ways you can also defrost your chicken easily apart from microwaving them!
1. Refrigerating
The refrigerating method is the safest method to use to defrost your chicken. This method takes a lot of time, and we are talking about 24 hours a lot of time. Although this method takes a lot of time, it is the safest method to use.
This method involves simply placing your chicken in a refrigerator and making sure that the temperature is set to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below before putting your chicken in the refrigerator.
You should ensuring that it is tightly secured in a container, dish, tray, or any medium that would prevent the liquid juices from spilling on other dishes.
For this reason, it is advisable to place your chicken at the bottom of the tray to be sure that it is not leaking to other dishes.
2. Cold Water Method
The cold-water method is faster than the refrigerator method and requires a lot of attention. For this process, you first have to place your chicken in a plastic bag or a leak-proof bag to ensure that bacteria doesn’t get into your chicken from the surrounding organisms or the air.
After that, place your chicken in a bowl filled with cold water or your sink filled with cold water while changing the water every 30 minutes as the chicken continues to thaw. Like every other method, the time the chicken takes to defrost depends on the size of the chicken.
Smaller packs of chicken usually take about an hour or even less to frost, while bigger ones take about two to three hours before they completely defrost.
Chicken that is usually thawed using this method should be cooked immediately, and if the intention Is to place them back in the freezer, you should cook them again before being preserved in the freezer.
See Also: Can You Put Cling Film In The Microwave?
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Defrost Chicken Quickly?
The faster way to defrost your chicken is by placing it in a microwave. Other methods like placing it in a refrigerator or submerging your chicken in cold water take longer, and by time, we are talking about days.
How Do You Defrost a Chicken in Five Minutes?
We don’t think you can thaw your full chicken in five minutes, but if you could spare 30 minutes to carry out this process, you should listen to this. Firstly, run boiling water into a bowl, then check the temperature of the water using a thermometer; it should be up to 140 degrees F.
If your water is as hot as that temperature, you can submerge your chicken breasts. Stir the hot water once in a while as this keeps the pockets of the chicken from getting cold, and please, do not do this with your hand.
After this has been done, you should thaw it in about 30 minutes; there you go!
Can I Cook My Chicken from Frozen Chicken?
Yes, it is possible to cook your frozen chicken, but you must follow a few guidelines to attain maximum results. So, if you have a very limited time to cook your chicken dish and wish to skip the thawing stage, you can simply do this.
It is simple. Just use your stove or gas for cooking your chicken breasts directly, but you have to increase the cooking time by 50%.
Can You Microwave a Raw Chicken?
Yes, it is possible to do this, but one thing you should have in mind is that microwaving your raw chicken is different from reheating your frozen chicken. If you are aware of that already, you are good to go.
While using this method, you should ensure that the microwave is set to at least 165-degree F for you to kill any food-borne bacteria properly.
Can You Defrost Chicken in Hot Water?
You should never try to defrost your chicken in hot water because it is not safe! Doing this would possibly allow the bacteria to form, causing your chicken to become contaminated.
