How to Defrost a Chicken

Before cooking a chicken, it is very necessary to defrost it properly. This is because wrong defrosting can easily spoil the chicken. For making sure that the chicken has properly defrosted, place your hand inside its body cavity. If you do not find any ice crystals inside the chicken, it means that the defrosting is complete. If you do find the crystals, give some more time to the defrosting process. There are three different ways which you can use for thawing the chicken. To know about them, just read on.

How to Defrost a Chicken

Chicken Defrosting in the Refrigerator

For defrosting the chicken in refrigerator, you should follow the tips mentioned below.

Place the chicken in a tray or dish, with the packaging. Keep it the fridge and let it defrost.
If you remove the packaging, then make sure to wrap the chicken in a cling film.
When you keep the chicken in the fridge, be sure to make provision for collecting the juices leaking from the bird.
Usually, the defrosting time for chicken is five hours per pound of meat. So, keep the weight of the chicken in mind before deciding the defrosting time.

Chicken Defrosting in the Microwave

If you are thinking about defrosting chicken in the microwave, make sure to keep the following tips in mind.

Microwave method is best used in case of small birds. A large chicken might not thaw well in it.
Remove all the packaging and wrapping from the chicken before putting it in the microwave.
Place the chicken on a microwave-safe dish, with enough provision for collecting the juices leaking from it while defrosting.
Initially, microwave the chicken, on the defrosting setting, for two minutes. Turn off the microwave and leave the chicken to stand for 1-2 minutes. Check the chicken. If it’s not done, microwave for one minute more and check again. Make sure that the chicken does not get cooked in the defrosting itself.
After defrosting the chicken in the microwave, cook it immediately. Do not store it in the fridge.

Chicken Defrosting in Cold Water

The ‘Cold Water’ method of defrosting chicken will require you to keep the following tips in mind.

For defrosting the chicken, do not remove the packaging and wrappings from it. Rather, make sure that the chicken is also wrapped in several layers of cling film, so that the water does not fall onto it.
Now, take a huge dish (or use the sink) and fill it with cold water. Submerge the chicken in the water and leave it for sometime.
Refill the dish/sink with cold water every ½ hour. This will make sure that the water remains cold and does not lead to the growth of bacteria in the chicken.
Never ever use warm water for defrosting. It will only lead to spoilage of the chicken.
After the chicken gets defrosted, cover it with cling film and store it in the fridge.
The usual defrosting time in case of ‘cold water’ method is 30 minutes per pound of meat.

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