How to defrost chicken in the microwave.
The chicken can be defrosted in the refrigerator, in cold water, in a bowl at room temperature, or in the microwave. The most useful defrosting for any meat is considered to be defrosting in the refrigerator. The most harmful is in the microwave oven. Very often, when there is not enough time for defrosting, housewives resort to the microwave for help. How to properly defrost chicken in it?
Why is it undesirable and harmful to defrost chicken in the microwave?
Defrosting chicken in the microwave is not recommended due to the fact that it may not defrost evenly. Already defrosted places begin to prepare. And the chicken can still have ice inside. Therefore, it is best to defrost small portions in the microwave.
Step-by-step instructions for defrosting chicken in the microwave:
1. Remove the bird from the packaging and remove the giblets;
2. Place the carcass on a large plate upside down and cover it with cling film;
3. On the microwave, select the low setting. If your oven allows, set the chicken's weight. On average, it takes up to thirteen minutes to defrost a carcass weighing one and a half kilograms. After four minutes of microwave operation, turn it off and turn the chicken upside down and continue defrosting;
4. It is also important to let the chicken rest. For example, for a chicken of one and a half kilograms, it takes fifteen minutes to defrost - it thaws for seven minutes, then settles and defrosts for another five.
Important! Make sure that the chicken does not move from the defrosting stage to the cooking stage. If this happens, proceed as follows:
If the carcass is still very frozen, the places that are ready to cook should be covered with pieces of paper;
If the chicken is almost thawed and is already entering the cooking phase, you need to remove it from the microwave and let it defrost completely at room temperature.
If you don’t know how much the chicken weighs and how long it needs to defrost, defrosting proceeds as follows:
1. The chicken is placed in the microwave and the defrost mode is set for two minutes;
2. Then turn the chicken over to the other side and continue defrosting for another two minutes;
3. You need to alternate defrosting on both sides until the chicken is completely defrosted.
Thawed chicken should be cooked immediately. If you didn't have time to cook it right away, you can put it in the refrigerator, but no more than twenty-four hours after defrosting.
It is very good if fresh, not frozen meat is used for cooking. But this is not always possible. Therefore, it needs to be defrosted often. Several techniques are used for this. Each of them is good in its own way and differs in time. In each specific case, you can choose a more suitable option. How to quickly defrost chicken?
The taste of the dish that will be prepared in the future depends on the quality of this process. The best option is to naturally defrost food. At the same time, you can preserve all the vitamins and the correct taste of chicken meat. However, it is not always possible to wait the allotted time. In this case, you need to know how to quickly defrost chicken.
To speed up this process, you can use a microwave oven. Even the most simplified model has a function for defrosting food. However, you should remember that this method is not the best. Remember to turn the meat over so it thaws evenly. Set the defrosting time depending on the type of product and its volume. These standards must not be exceeded, otherwise the chicken may end up half-cooked. Usually, the instructions for the equipment contain a ratio of time and amount of product that needs to be defrosted.
If the meat will be marinated in the future, you can only slightly defrost it so that you can cut it into portioned pieces.
Another way to quickly defrost chicken is to use running water. To do this, place the carcass in a container and place it under running water. Defrosting will take 1 - 1.5 hours. This is longer than but better for the taste of the product.
You can defrost chicken in the refrigerator. To do this, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Here, the defrosting time will be long, but the maximum amount of vitamins and taste will be preserved.
You can defrost chicken very quickly only if it is not a whole carcass, but portioned pieces, then the process is greatly simplified. It takes less time to defrost. If you plan to prepare chicken dishes that require pre-marinating the product, you can allow the meat to thaw in the marinade. To do this, you need to prepare the sauce and put chicken pieces in it. This could be drumstick, thigh or breast. In a marinade, the defrosting process is faster. It is only necessary after some time, when the meat has thawed, to turn it over and mix well. After another 30 minutes you can start cooking.
Before quickly defrosting, you should find out at least its approximate weight in order to choose the right time. If it is boiled or stewed, then you can not defrost it completely. If it is fried, then the thawing process must be thorough, otherwise there will be a lot of water in the pan and the chicken will turn out a little boiled. Also, after defrosting, you should thoroughly dry the carcass using special towels.
Cooking food in the microwave also has its own peculiarity. In order for them to be processed evenly, you need to turn the pieces over or stir from time to time.
Nowadays, every housewife has at hand all the necessary equipment, which makes her work easier in the kitchen and allows her to quickly and tasty prepare any dish. You just need to use it correctly as needed and depending on the situation. The microwave is one of these devices. It greatly simplifies some processes and allows you to quickly defrost foods needed for cooking or reheat already prepared dishes.
For many housewives, chicken is a real lifesaver.
She saves the day if unexpected guests appear on the doorstep or there is simply not enough time to prepare dinner for the family. Chicken cooks quickly, and its dishes always turn out tasty, satisfying and healthy. The only problem that you may encounter in the process of emergency cooking of chicken dishes is deciding how to quickly defrost chicken. Almost every housewife has her own “proprietary” way of defrosting chickens. And we must admit that not all of them are harmless. How to quickly defrost chicken
The fastest way to defrost chicken is to use the microwave. Most modern microwave ovens are equipped with defrosting functions. To do this, simply place the chicken in the oven and set the timer for 1-2 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken). After the time has passed, remove the carcass, turn it over, and place it in the oven again for the same period. All! The chicken is ready and you can start preparing the intended dish.
The opinion that chicken defrosted in the microwave loses its taste is nothing more than a myth. Only the most sophisticated gourmet will be able to distinguish the taste of meat defrosted in it from meat defrosted in the usual way. Such gourmets are extremely rare!
But, nevertheless, one should not assume that this method of defrosting is harmless. The microwave “kills” any food, makes it “dead”. This happens at any stage - defrosting, cooking or heating. So when it comes to using this kitchen appliance, which is unsafe in many respects, you need to look at the root of the problem: whether to use it at all or not.
This method of defrosting is categorically unacceptable in families where they care about the health of their household and do not eat food prepared in microwave ovens. The task of quickly defrosting chicken in this case becomes somewhat more complicated. It will not be possible to defrost a bird in a few minutes; at best, in one to two hours. And you can’t do without improvised means.
The easiest way to quickly defrost chicken is to remove it from the bag and place it in a deep, wide pan filled with water at room temperature. It is desirable that the water not only be around the chicken, but also penetrate inside it. Change the water every 10-15 minutes. At most, after 1-1.5 hours the chicken can be cut up and cooked.
Often, to quickly defrost chicken, place it under running cold or warm water directly in the bag. In this case, it will defrost for at least 2-2.5 hours.
Well, the last, not the most useful, but nevertheless used method is to place the chicken in a pan filled with warm, almost hot water, which needs to be changed as it cools. This method allows you to defrost the chicken within an hour or a little less, but some of the nutrients are irretrievably lost.
The easiest way is natural defrosting. If you are going to cook the chicken in the morning, then the evening of the previous day, move it from the freezer to one of the refrigerator shelves. If you are going to cook during the day, just take the chicken out in the morning and leave it at room temperature. In 4-5 hours it will completely defrost.
The longer it takes to defrost, the more nutrients are retained in the chicken. And on the contrary, the sooner the bird carcass is defrosted, the less of them remains in the chicken.
Chicken meat is a dietary and very healthy product. It is commonly found in many people's diets because it is easy and quick to prepare. Moreover, chicken is cheaper than pork or beef. It is best to eat fresh meat, but when purchasing for future use or when owning your own, you cannot do without freezing. Follow all defrosting rules so as not to harm your health and preserve the taste and beneficial properties of poultry fillet.
In a refrigerator
Remove the chicken from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Place it in a saucepan or deep bowl so that the juices from the meat do not spill onto other foods. If the chicken still has its factory vacuum packaging, do not remove it; if not, then wrap the bird in paper towels or place it in an airtight bag. Do not allow the surface of the carcass to come into contact with warm air. Because of this, bacteria that are harmful to health can develop. How long it takes for the chicken to defrost in the refrigerator depends on its weight. At temperatures from 0 to +4 °C this may take a day or even more. The standard time is 5 hours for every half kilogram of poultry fillet. After the time has passed, check the condition of the meat. It should be completely soft. You can reliably verify this by looking into the cavity of the chicken. If there is some ice left, it will take more time to defrost. Store thawed chicken in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours.
Defrosting in the oven
An oven, unlike a microwave oven, is usually found in every home, because it is often used for baking and preparing main courses. And with this technique, the meat will thaw in just 10-15 minutes. This is also one of the most used ways to quickly prepare food for cooking. Sequence of actions to be performed:
- Remove the chicken from the freezer and be sure to remove it from the packaging.
- Take any glass bottle and pour plain clean water into it.
- Take a baking sheet, place a cutting board on it, and a bottle of water on top.
- Place the lower part of the carcass on the bottle and put it in the oven in this form.
- Turn on temperature 180 degrees. After 10-15 minutes everything is ready for cooking.
The heat should be minimal so that the carcass is defrosted and not baked.
In general, the method is very good, because the heat passes through the carcass perfectly in the oven - evenly and from all sides, and it definitely won’t cook or burn. The only disadvantage of this option is that if you keep it there a little longer than necessary, it may begin to cook inside and dry out a little on the outside. This is why it is important to set the timer correctly for the specified amount of time.
Usually, even the largest carcass defrosts no longer than 20 minutes.
Defrosting chicken in the shortest possible time is very easy, and there are many ways to do this. Each person can choose the most suitable option for himself, depending on what equipment he has at home and how long he can wait to prepare food. You just need to follow all the advice and observe temporary regimes.
In the sink
To defrost in this way, do not remove the original packaging from the chicken, and if it is not there, place the carcass in a sealed bag. Choose a container that will fit the entire bird, or use a shell. Place the chicken there and run cold running water. You can simply fill it with water for 20–30 minutes, then drain and add a new one. This will allow the meat to quickly warm up to the temperature of the water. This way the chicken will thaw faster than in the refrigerator. It will take an hour for every 500 g. Use warm water instead of cold water (but not higher than +25 °C), this will significantly speed up the defrosting process. Refresh the liquid as soon as it cools.
Do you need to defrost chicken before cooking?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgsK4Z3ItSo
If the meat is not defrosted, it will become tough and dry after cooking. If there is a lot of ice on the chicken, then it may not cook at all. In extreme cases, you can do without defrosting when preparing broth so that the beneficial properties do not evaporate, but for use for other purposes, it is advisable to use long-term defrosting under running water or in the main compartment of the refrigerator. After the chicken has thawed, you can rinse it, so there will be no dirty foam.
There are a large number of options for defrosting chicken, but they have both advantages and disadvantages. Not every method will be suitable in a given situation, so the choice is yours.
In the microwave, slow cooker or oven
A whole small chicken or its individual parts are suitable for defrosting in the microwave. Place the meat in a glass container and place it in the device. Turn on the defrost mode for 3 minutes, then let the bird stand for a while without exposure to temperature, turn it over and repeat the procedure. Do this until the meat is tender. Make sure it doesn't start to dry out. If this happens, you have selected the wrong temperature setting. Defrosting in the microwave will take no more than 10 minutes.
When defrosting chicken in the microwave and oven, do not forget to turn the carcass over from time to time.
You can also defrost a small chicken in a slow cooker. Place it on the grill of the device and run it in “steam” mode. The bird will thaw within 10 minutes. If there are few ice crystals left, turn it over and run the same cycle for 5 minutes.
Chicken can be defrosted without a microwave or slow cooker. Preheat the oven to +30 °C and place the bird there for 15–20 minutes. For best results, turn the chicken after 7-10 minutes.
Now you know the basic rules for defrosting chicken and can calculate how long it will take. The most suitable method is in the refrigerator, because the lower the defrosting temperature, the better the taste of the product. If you need the chicken to thaw quickly, you can do this using a microwave or oven. When using any of the methods, remember that the ice that has formed on top must be removed.
Every housewife strives to ensure that her refrigerator always has supplies of food that can help her out at the most unexpected moment. One of these products is chicken carcass. Chicken is an indispensable way to feed your family quickly, tasty and satisfying. However, chicken has one drawback - it takes a long time to defrost. Of course, there are methods that can defrost chicken in a few minutes, but the quality of the meat suffers as a result. So, let's try to understand all the ways to defrost chicken meat.
Other ways to defrost chicken
As has been said many times above, you can defrost chicken in the microwave only if you need it urgently, otherwise there are better methods that will defrost the carcass evenly.
Fridge
Just put the frozen chicken in the refrigerator. It will take a long time to defrost; allow 1 hour for every 100 grams of carcass. But if you are not in a hurry, you can be sure that the meat will not spoil.
A thawed carcass can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days.
Bowl of water
Take a large bowl (so that the chicken is completely covered with water), place the meat in it and fill it with cold water. The water needs to be changed every 30 minutes.
Do not use warm water, it promotes the growth of harmful bacteria! Once cooked, meat will spoil much faster than you think.
The carcass thaws quite quickly even in cold water. For example, with a weight of 1.5 kg. defrosting will take about 3 hours.
How to properly defrost chicken
In order for the chicken to be juicy, tasty and healthy, it needs to be defrosted for as long as possible. The sudden change in temperature kills the fibers of the fabric, and the meat becomes soft, like porridge. Therefore, the most correct way to defrost chicken is in the refrigerator. This usually takes about a day, depending on the size of the carcass. A large chicken can take 30 hours to defrost. If you're planning on making a chicken dinner tomorrow, be sure to move the chicken from the freezer to one of the refrigerator shelves this evening.
You need to take out the frozen carcass, remove it from the packaging film and transfer it to a cup. The container should be deep and wide enough so that melting water does not leak out. You can cover the cup with the chicken with film or a lid to prevent the smell of the chicken from spreading throughout the refrigerator. In addition, this protects the meat itself from foreign odors.
If you don't have that much time to defrost, you can speed up the process by leaving the chicken not in the refrigerator, but simply at room temperature. To do this, remove the carcass from the freezer, remove the packaging, put it in a cup and leave it on the table. This way the chicken will defrost for about 4-5 hours. The chicken will defrost even faster if you make several cuts on the chicken. However, this will only be relevant if the chicken is subsequently butchered and not baked. Cuts on a whole carcass will spoil the appearance of the dish.
If guests suddenly arrive, there are several ways to quickly defrost chicken meat.
- Fill the chicken with water. This is the most optimal way to defrost chicken meat, in terms of time-quality ratio. The fact is that water melts ice better than air. Place a frozen chicken carcass in a container of cold water, and the ice will thaw in just a couple of hours. To make the process go faster, you can immerse the meat in warm water, and then periodically change the liquid as it cools. There is a lot of debate about whether you should remove the bag when thawing chicken in water. There is still no need to remove the packaging, so the chicken will not lose its taste and after cooking it will be more juicy and tasty. It is not recommended to pour hot water over frozen meat, otherwise the fibers will simply cook and lose their structure. In addition, the meat will become tasteless and useless.
- The most popular means for defrosting chicken carcasses is the microwave. All modern models of microwave ovens have a defrost function. Simply place the chicken on a plate and microwave for 3-4 minutes. After the specified time, the carcass must be turned over and defrosted again for 3 minutes. Then you need to remove the carcass and check whether the meat is completely defrosted. To do this, place your hand in the belly of the chicken - where the tripe was. If you feel pieces of ice there, repeat the procedure. However, this method of defrosting should be used as rarely as possible; in this case, the chicken loses the lion’s share of its beneficial properties.
- You can also defrost chicken in a slow cooker. To do this, place the carcass on a special stand, which is designed for cooking manti and steam cutlets. Then pour water into the multicooker bowl and set the cooking mode to steam. To defrost a medium-sized chicken, 10 minutes is usually enough.
- You can also defrost the chicken in the oven. This method is usually used if you plan to bake the chicken in the future. Remove the frozen chicken from the freezer, remove it from the packaging and place it on a baking sheet. The heat should be minimal so that the carcass is defrosted and not baked. Usually, even the largest carcass defrosts no longer than 20 minutes. After this, you can get the chicken and do everything that was previously planned. Marinate the meat or stuff it with vegetables and fruits, and then put it back in the oven, setting it to the desired temperature.
Remember, the chicken turns out much more tasty and juicy if it is at room temperature before cooking. If the chicken was defrosted in the refrigerator, allow the meat to warm on the counter before cooking.
This question worries many housewives, especially when guests are on the doorstep. And you need to deal not only with the main course, but also with salads and even dessert. You can also bake the chicken frozen. However, some consistency needs to be observed. First, the temperature in the oven should be at a minimum, for at least 10-15 minutes. After this, take out the chicken, rinse it from ice and blood, brush it with spices, turn up the heat and put the carcass back in the oven. If you put the chicken straight into a hot oven, it will not cook evenly.
Some housewives prefer to marinate the chicken in advance. If you bought fresh chicken, rinse and marinate it before freezing - brush with salt and spices before putting the carcass in the freezer. Then, when an emergency arises and you need ready-made and tasty food within an hour, you can wrap the chicken carcass in foil and put it in the oven. First, keep the meat on low heat until the chicken is defrosted, then simply open the foil and add heat. A tasty and ready-made dish will be ready in 40 minutes.
How long does it take to defrost?
First, it is necessary to clarify that if you simply leave the chicken to thaw in a room at normal above-zero temperatures, then this process will take quite a lot of time - about several hours. In addition, this also threatens that the product may quickly deteriorate due to the proliferation of microorganisms in it. Therefore, it is worth using faster methods if there is an urgent need to cook something from chicken meat.
Chicken is an indispensable way to feed your family quickly, tasty and satisfying.
It should also be said that the most natural way is to defrost directly in the refrigerator. Then the carcass will thaw without spoiling, as can happen when left just in the room. To do this, you need to place it in a deep bowl to drain the water and put it in the refrigerator overnight. With this option, it will best retain all its beneficial properties and not lose its unique taste. It is also important that it is undesirable to freeze and defrost one product several times, because this greatly spoils it.
In the microwave
On average, when using a microwave for this procedure, meat will defrost in 10-15 minutes if its weight is 1.5-2 kg. If the weight is greater, then, accordingly, the process will take a little longer.
The most popular means for defrosting chicken carcasses is the microwave.
In the oven
In the oven, the carcass is exposed to a temperature that penetrates it evenly. Therefore, when using a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, it will take about 5-10 minutes to defrost the meat.
This method is usually used if you plan to bake the chicken in the future.
In water
Water can be used either cold or hot; if you soak the carcass in cold water, it will actually be used only after two to three hours. When using hot water, this indicator is much better, because everything will be ready in 10-15 minutes. That is, if you don’t have time, then it’s better to take hot water.
Fill the chicken with water. This is the most optimal way to defrost chicken meat, in terms of time-quality ratio.
Note. The lower the temperature at which defrosting occurs, the lower the risk that bacteria will begin to multiply in it, which could cause it to spoil.
How to defrost minced chicken
Minced chicken is a universal remedy against hungry households.
Add a little boiled oatmeal, a raw egg, a little beef or pork fat to the minced meat for juiciness and fry the cutlets in a frying pan. You will get a lot of tasty, juicy and low-cost cutlets. For greater benefits, you can not fry the cutlets, but bake them in the oven or steam them. If you have minced chicken in the refrigerator, you don’t have to worry about an unexpected dinner. However, so that it is always at hand, it must also be quickly defrosted. When preparing minced chicken, it is better to divide it into small portions before freezing, so as not to defrost excess if necessary. It is better to defrost minced chicken in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If you don’t have time for this, put a piece of minced meat in a waterproof bag and fill it with warm water. Or put the minced meat in the microwave for 5 minutes.
Chicken is an excellent product, not only tasty and easily digestible, but also easy to prepare. But in order to preserve its taste and benefits, the carcass must be defrosted correctly. Shock defrosting in the form of using a microwave oven and warm water is extremely undesirable and can only be used in emergency cases. The rest of the time, try to defrost the chicken for a long time, preserving the taste and beneficial qualities of white meat.
How to quickly defrost fillet at home
Frozen chicken fillets are thawed by placing the frozen meat in a bag and tying it tightly. Then put it in a container filled with warm water and leave for 1-3 hours, depending on the weight.
If you use hot water, the fillet will become tough when cooked. It is necessary to place the product in a bag in order to preserve the beneficial elements contained in the pulp and to prevent the accumulation of liquid in the fibers.
