There are many ways to defrost chicken. But when it comes to hygiene and the quality of the meat, some methods are better than others. Here are our recommendations on how to defrost chicken in the best way.
Slow thawing in the refrigerator is best
When you are full in the kitchen, it can be tempting to quickly defrost the frozen chicken products on the kitchen table. But if you thaw the chicken at room temperature, you allow bacteria to spread.
Instead, we recommend thawing the meat in the refrigerator, where low temperature gives the bacteria more difficult conditions. The slow defrost in the refrigerator is also gentle on the meat, which better preserves its natural juice, taste and texture – and gives you the best product and result in the end.
Thawing the chicken in the refrigerator usually takes 1-2 days depending on the size (about 5 hours per 500 grams). It is therefore not the most flexible method, but fortunately our products are easy to pick up one at a time from the packaging, since they are frozen down individually. Top buy frozen chicken in bulk this is the best deal you can have now.
Faster thawing with (cold) water
We are aware that the cooking process and the kitchen’s capacity can mean that you sometimes have to defrost the chicken products faster than the refrigerator allows.
In these situations, we recommend that you take the products you need and thaw them in a bowl of cold water. Here it is important that you put the products in a sealed bag so that the water does not destroy the meat tissue and form bacteria in the meat.
With this method, the meat will usually be thawed after approx. 2-3 hours, but you should count on longer chicks for whole chickens. In addition, you need to change water every 30 minutes so that the meat does not reach a temperature that can cause bacteria to spread. This is also the reason why you should not defrost the products in hot water, as it would be inviting bacteria.
The very quick emergency solution
Unpredictability is part of the professional kitchen, and if you get orders you haven’t planned for, there are also other methods you can use. However, we believe that these are emergency solutions, and we mainly recommend the two previous methods.
Microwave oven is an option, if you need a very fast method. If you choose this solution, be sure to cook the meat immediately after thawing, as the microwave oven starts cooking. Also note that this method can adversely affect the taste and structure of the meat.
Another option is that you do not defrost the products at all, but instead prepare them frozen. It takes about 50 percent longer than if the product is thawed. This method depends on what you are going to use the product for. It can work well if the meat is to be used in dishes to be cooked slowly, while it is not recommended if the product is to be grilled or roasted.