How to defrost chicken correctly and quickly

Chicken meat - a valuable dietary product, which is used to prepare the first and second courses, fillings for pies, used for cooking salads.

Fresh poultry is ideal, but more often than not, chicken is stored frozen. There are several simple ways to make the meat soft and cookable without loss of flavor or nutritional value. Every housewife usually has her own preferences in this regard.

It is good if before putting the chicken in the refrigerator, cut the carcasses into portioned pieces, neatly placed in bags and containers. This will make defrosting much easier and quicker.

How to defrost a whole chicken quickly

It takes a long time to defrost a whole chicken carcass. The more natural the thawing conditions, the closer the defrosted meat will be to the quality of a steamed chicken. Therefore, it is reasonable to take the chicken out of the freezer in the evening, then it will be suitable for cooking around dinner the next day.

Thawing at elevated temperatures is risky, especially if not the freshest meat has been frozen. As the temperature rises, microbes become active in the meat, causing a characteristic unpleasant odor. It can be difficult to get rid of it even when the poultry is cooked.

If you intend to cook a dish in which the chicken will be cut into pieces, you can immediately cut it into pieces with a kitchen hatchet. Getting a neat portioned cut this way, of course, will not work. But if you divide the carcass into 2 or 4 parts, it will accelerate the defrosting process. The chicken will thaw faster due to the fact that the surface area in contact with the water or air environment will be larger. Poultry to be cooked whole will thaw as a carcass.

Once the meat is completely thawed, it is rinsed well and the cooking will begin. Long defrosting without heating allows to preserve the full flavor, delicate texture and dietary properties.

Depending on the availability of time reserve, available appliances and other conditions choose the most convenient way to defrost the chicken.

In the refrigerator.

This method is very good because the meat is not subjected to large temperature fluctuations and thaws slowly. Because of this, its texture and taste are fully preserved.

The technology of defrosting a whole carcass in the refrigerator is very simple. The product is placed on a large platter or in a shallow bowl and placed on the shelf farthest from the freezer. Depending on the design of the refrigerator, this may be the highest or lowest level.

If the frozen food is packed in a plastic bag, do not remove the container until the end of the defrosting. This prevents other foods in the refrigerator from coming into contact with the raw meat. If the chicken was frozen in paper or without packaging at all, the container with it loosely covered with food film.

While placing the chicken in the refrigerator for thawing, make sure that the blood does not drip onto other foods. If large amounts of liquid form during the process, it is drained periodically. Turn the carcass occasionally so that it thaws evenly.

The outer surface of the carcass becomes soft quite quickly. Inexperienced housewives are misled by this, and they think that the chicken is thawed. And when cutting it, they find that the inside of the product is still hard, but the inner surface is covered with ice. Defrosting is complete if the legs and wings have become movable in the joints, and there is no ice left inside or outside.

The main disadvantage of this option is its very long duration. The approximate time to defrost a whole chicken in the refrigerator is determined by the formula: The weight of the carcass in kilograms multiplied by 10. If the bird is very large, it may take more than a day to thaw completely. Therefore, cooking is planned taking into account the time it takes to bring the frozen chicken into a form suitable for cooking.

Repeated freezing after thawing in the refrigerator is unacceptable. Such a product will be almost completely deprived of all nutrients, and the texture will become rigid, rubbery. A dish made with re-frozen and defrosted chicken will be unpalatable.

On the Table

The easiest way is to put the frozen product in the package in a bowl and leave it on the table at room temperature. To speed up the process, several holes are made in the package. As the thawing process drains the resulting liquid.

Defrosting time can take up to 30 hours. But as a result, the chicken will be almost indistinguishable from the fresh product and will retain all its properties.

In the oven

This option requires a small glass bottle. The bottle can be used for carbonated drinks and children's juices. The bottle is carefully washed and filled with cold tap water.

A small wooden cutting board or a piece of plywood is placed on the tray. A container with water is placed on it, on which a chicken is put. The whole structure is placed on the lower level of the oven heated to 180 degrees.

Defrost the chicken for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the carcass. The chicken will thaw faster, for large birds it will take longer. If you overcook the meat in the oven, it will start to boil right in the defrosting process. Therefore, after 8-10 minutes assess the condition of the carcass and then carefully observe the process.

In the oven, the meat will gradually warm up. Due to the heating of the water in the bottle, the carcass will thaw both outside and inside, which speeds up the process and makes it more gentle. Therefore, most of the taste and nutritional qualities of this method can be preserved.

In the microwave

A whole chicken in this way to defrost will not work, so the carcass is first divided into parts. Pieces of meat without packaging are placed in a plastic container without a lid or a deep bowl. Take only dishes designed for use in the microwave.

1. Put the container with the meat in the microwave, turn on the mode "Defrost" for 2 minutes. The nuances of using this function are specified in the instructions for the device. Depending on the model, the duration of meat processing may be longer or shorter.
2. After the microwave has turned off, the container with the chicken is taken out, give the meat 1-2 minutes to cool down and check its condition. If necessary, the manipulation is repeated again.

Despite the fact that microwave ovens are equipped with a mode "defrost", use it only in extreme cases. This is an extreme version of thawing meat because it is exposed to high temperatures. As a result, the nutritional value of the meat decreases and the taste of the meat deteriorates.

The sharp increase in temperature in the upper layers of meat begins to actively reproduce bacteria. Therefore, microwaved chicken thawed in the microwave immediately begin cooking. For baby food, such meat is extremely undesirable to use.

In a multicooker

This kitchen appliance can significantly speed up the defrosting process. But it is suitable only for small pieces of carcass or for chicken fillets.

Frozen meat without packaging is spread in a single layer on a grid or tray, which are designed for steaming. Pour water into the bowl of the multicooker (about half of the maximum volume). Set the container with the meat, turn on the cooking mode "steam". Leave the lid of the device open.

During thawing in this way the pieces of meat are constantly turned over so that they warm up more evenly. The softness of the meat and the absence of ice on it indicate that the process is complete. Depending on the device model and the size of pieces of meat, defrosting in this way takes from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Increased temperature during defrosting has a negative impact on the taste, but the multicooker treats meat more gently than the microwave.

Diameter of the tray for steaming is small in diameter, so you can not defrost a large amount of meat at once in this way. Given that you need to cook it immediately, it is appropriate to use the multicooker to defrost chicken only when it is necessary in an emergency and a small amount of meat is required.

In the steam cooker

In this device, too, you can defrost only parts of the carcass or fillets. Frozen meat, freed from the packaging, spread in the highest container of the steamer. Fill the evaporator to a quarter and turn on the heating mode. This is a delicate mode which alternates 2-minute heating periods with 8-minute pauses.

Meat pieces are inverted for even defrosting. Defrosting time in a steam cooker depends on the model and design of the device. On average, it will take about half an hour.

Despite the advantages of reheating mode, there is a risk that the outer layers of meat will not only thaw, but also begin to boil, and the pieces inside will remain frozen. Therefore, it is suitable for relatively thin slices, large parts of the carcass is better to let thaw in another way.

In an air grill

In this kitchen unit, it is convenient to defrost both whole carcass and cut. The main condition is to place the meat in a sleeve or baking bag and close it tightly with a special clamp.

Defrost the chicken in the air grill at 60-65 degrees and medium speed of the fan. It takes 5-6 minutes for the product to be ready for further cooking. During the operation of the device its lid is left ajar so as not to interfere with the evaporation of moisture.

Compared to other methods of defrosting, in which meat is heated, this can be called the most gentle and fast. But after such thawing, the chicken becomes dry. This should be considered when choosing the dishes that are going to be cooked. Chicken thawed in the air grill is better to stew in gravy or boil.

In water

This option is good, because it does not involve heating during defrosting. This is why you can not use hot water for defrosting purposes. An increase in temperature will provoke the development of bacteria in the surface layers of the meat. This will have a bad effect on its taste, and during cooking, the chicken will smell unpleasant.

Place the carcass, pieces or fillets in a sealed bag, ideally if it has a ZipLock. It is important that the meat not come in direct contact with water. Failure to follow this rule will cause the bird to become tough in texture, and dishes made of it will lose their characteristic flavor.

The bag with the meat is placed in a plastic or metal container so that the entire chicken fits in it. Pour cold water on top of it. After half an hour, the water is poured off and the container is filled with a new portion of cold water. Repeat until the meat is completely thawed.

Time for defrosting in water is determined on the basis of 40-60 minutes for each half kilogram of product. Chunks of chicken and fillets will defrost faster than the whole carcass. To speed up the process, the water is slightly salted. But then less seasoning is added when cooking the dish, because the meat will already be slightly salty. Meat thawed in this way is very similar to fresh meat and is suitable for all dishes.

In the sink under running water

This is a hybrid method that combines the benefits of defrosting in the refrigerator with the advantages of thawing in a bowl of water.

1. Place the bagged chicken in a deep bowl or saucepan in which it fits whole. Place the container in the sink so that the dishes do not cover the drain hole. Turn on the cold water at a moderate pressure so that the stream of water gently washed over the product, not smashing it, splashing in all directions.

2. Leave the bird to defrost under the stream of water for an hour and a half. After that, turn off the faucet and leave the meat in a bowl of water for another 2 hours.

The main disadvantage of this method is uneconomical consumption of water. But if there are no electric devices to speed up the process, and there is not enough time to defrost naturally, this option can be a decent way out.

On the battery

The packed chicken is placed on a cutting board or a metal tray and placed on the radiator of the radiator. Glassware is not recommended because it can break if dropped.

Turn the carcass from side to side, from breast to back for more even thawing. The process will go a little faster than the natural way, but it will still take 4-6 hours.

This is the riskiest option. Use it only if all other methods are unavailable. When heating on a radiator, there is a high risk that bacteria will actively reproduce in the thawed parts first. By the time the whole carcass is thawed out, some of its parts may already be slightly deteriorated.

Combined method

It happens that the defrosting process started naturally (in the fridge or on the table), but plans have changed dramatically and it is urgent to get the product ready for cooking. Then it is better to accelerate it with cold water.

Sometimes the opposite happens - defrosting under the faucet is started, but you need to leave the house urgently and there is no way to control the process. In this case, leave the chicken in a container with water or take it out of the container, free from packaging and put it in the refrigerator. If this is not possible, it is left on the table, covered with clingfilm.

Bring to the end of the thawing in the electric appliance is extremely undesirable, as the quality of dishes from meat prepared in this way will be very low.

How to defrost a chicken filet quickly

Poultry fillets without skin should be defrosted in a natural way. Of the quick defrosting options, cold salted water or defrosting under the faucet should be preferred.

Pieces of chicken breast flesh are usually small in size and quite thin, so they quickly become soft when immersed in water. Once this has happened, you can take the meat out of the liquid and cut into smaller pieces (cubes, medallions, straws) according to the recipe that will be used to prepare the dish. Sliced breast will thaw very quickly, literally 15-20 minutes.

If you intend to fry or bake whole pieces of fillet, then accelerate the thawing process can be achieved by more frequent changes of cold water in the container, where it is thawing.

The use of electric devices for emergency defrosting is highly undesirable. Fillets have no skin, so the upper layers of fibers of meat when exposed to high temperatures will immediately thaw and then begin to weld. As a result, by the time the inner layers of slices are heated, the upper ones will already be in a state of semi-cooking. A dish of such meat will be unpalatable, because the slices are unevenly cooked, and when stewed will be dry and loose.

Can I boil a frozen chicken without defrosting it?

You can boil a whole chicken without defrosting if you will be using an electric or gas stove for cooking. In electric appliances (microwave, multicooker) without thawing, you can boil only small pieces. For example, wings, backs for soup are used as a base for broth immediately after they are taken out of the freezer.

Frozen chicken is placed in a container with cold water and brought to a boil at maximum temperature. After that, reduce the intensity of heating and cook over low heat, not allowing the broth to bubble. Cooking time for frozen poultry is about 30-40 minutes longer than usual.

It is better to divide the carcass into pieces before cooking. This way it cooks faster and more evenly. As it cooks, remove the foam formed from the coagulated blood.

Check the readiness of the meat by piercing it with the tip of a knife or fork. Try to pierce the thickest part of the carcass or piece. No red or dark liquid should appear on the place of the incision or puncture. If traces of blood are seen, the meat continues to cook for some more time.

There is almost no difference in taste and nutritional value of broths cooked from fresh chicken and frozen poultry. If we talk about the product itself, frozen cooked chicken may be a little more fibrous than usual.

How long can you keep defrosted chicken

Poultry defrosted in the refrigerator can be stored for no more than one day. In all other cases, you should immediately start cooking the meat.

If this is not possible, you should put pieces of chicken in the marinade and put it in the refrigerator. In this form it will not spoil for another 2-4 hours.

The shelf life of dishes prepared from thawed poultry is also different. It is desirable to eat them immediately after cooking and do not leave for more than a day, even in the refrigerator.

Mistakes in defrosting poultry

In the natural thawing method, meat is left on the table or windowsill for a long time. Since this process takes about a day, the chicken may be exposed to sunlight. This should not be allowed to happen. External heating of the carcass and such a long stay outside the refrigerator can lead to the fact that the meat will go rotten (as the housewives say, suffocate). Therefore, the container with the bird should be moved to a place where there is no direct sunlight. You should also place the chicken during natural defrosting away from heaters.

Accordingly, it is not necessary to put the meat in the sun on purpose, so that it thaws faster. In the sun, the carcass will go rotten before it is completely defrosted.

It's a bad idea to try to defrost the bird with a hairdryer or electric fan. This trick is shown in some comedy movies as a joke. Heating the surface of the meat does not thaw the internal tissues. In addition, the air flow from the electric device will bring particles of household dust, the composition of which is extremely unpleasant: particles of skin, fabric fibers, dust mites and many other ingredients that are unlikely to be a good seasoning for poultry.

It is categorically forbidden to try to speed up the thawing process by using calorifiers, electric fireplaces and other heating devices. In addition to the fact that the chicken in this way will not thaw, but will spoil, there is a great risk of moisture entering the device, which could cause a short circuit.

Poultry meat should not be thawed in the same container as other foods. Also, avoid contact of raw poultry during thawing with food that is ready to eat.

Do not defrost chicken with signs that the meat is spoiled and unfit for consumption. These include:

1. Brown spots on the skin of frozen chicken and a grayish tint to the meat.
2. A greenish tinge or grayish patina on the surface of the product.
3. Mold on any part of the carcass.

All these unpleasant manifestations indicate that the meat was frozen already spoiled. During the thawing process, all bacteria and fungi are activated. They cannot be removed by washing, trimming or other means. Such meat should not be given to animals to eat.

If during defrosting the skin of the carcass or fillet surface becomes slimy or sticky, the food cooked from it can cause serious poisoning. It would be a mistake to continue the process. A disgusting smell will spread throughout the house, which is difficult to get rid of. At the first sign of low-quality product, it must be disposed of.

Do not defrost meat that has been in the freezer for more than 9 months. It will take a very long time to thaw, during which it will inevitably begin the putrefactive processes in the upper layers of tissues.

Trying to defrost a chicken by pouring boiling water on it or dipping it into hot water is a fatal mistake. Not only will the outside of the meat thaw, but it will also boil, while the inside will remain icy.

Leaving the process unchecked should also be considered unwise. Even if defrosting will last about a day, it is necessary to turn the carcass regularly. When thawing chicken parts or fillets, you should separate the pieces one from the other as soon as possible.