Crucial Steps You Can't Skip When Thawing Chicken

Thawing frozen chicken might seem like a straightforward kitchen task, but as with many things, there are right and wrong ways to do it. Kory Foltz, the director of culinary at Sunseeker Resort shared with Daily Meal his expert advice on the best method to thaw frozen chicken — and yes, it's in the refrigerator, but it's not quite that simple either. 

When it comes to thawing a package of frozen chicken, "the number one biggest concern is allowing the air to circulate around it," Foltz explained, "and ensuring that no liquids escape and contaminate anything else in your refrigerator." Raw chicken contains serious bacterial risks and should not contact anything else in the fridge — and, "when you thaw chicken, always cook it right away," he added. To ensure these basic rules are followed, there are a few steps to guide you along.

When thawing chicken, "if you can keep it in original packaging that is best," Kory Foltz told us. Leaving the original package sealed "allows for liquids to stay within the packaging, and reduces the risk of any liquid seeping out," he said. Removing the raw chicken from its package unnecessarily increases the risk of cross-contamination with kitchen surfaces, as well as any items in your refrigerator.

Between cutting open and discarding the old package, placing the raw chicken on a new surface, and sticking it in the refrigerator, there are many opportunities to unintentionally spread harmful bacteria like E. coli all over your kitchen and refrigerator. Leaving the package sealed reduces these risks, but you should wash your hands after handling the packaging anyway, out of an abundance of caution.

Kory Foltz told us that keeping the chicken in its package is best to prevent juices from seeping out, but anybody who's ever handled packaged chicken from the grocery store knows that it can leak sometimes. Plastic bagging your raw chicken at the grocery store might avoid one of the most common mistakes people make with raw chicken, but think twice before relying on just that bag to catch any thawed chicken liquid. Any unexpected holes in the bag can still leave you with a bacteria-ridden mess to clean up. 

That's why, Foltz said, you should "ensure you put it on a tray or plate to catch any liquids." And just in case there is a leak, put the tray on the bottom shelf of the fridge. This minimizes mess and cross-contamination from leaks.

"The best way to thaw chicken is slow and steady under refrigeration," Kory Foltz told us. And slowly is key, not just for texture, to give the melted ice crystals time to reabsorb into the meat, but also for safety. Leaving it on the counter can take you into a danger zone of bacterial growth.

"Thawing chicken too quickly, especially at room temperature, can lead to bacteria growing on the outside while the inside is still frozen," Foltz advised. This explosive bacterial growth is possible when raw chicken is exposed to temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as it would be for hours on the countertop. Foltz said, "the refrigerator method keeps everything safe and controlled."

Just as a whole chicken takes longer to cook than a chicken breast, your thaw times will vary depending on how much chicken is being thawed, and in what form. Kory Foltz told us that the ideal thawing process "takes around 24 hours for a whole chicken, and roughly six to eight hours per pound for chicken breast."

So if you're cooking a creatively delicious everything bagel-seasoned roast chicken, plan ahead for a full day or so of thawing in the refrigerator. Unfreezing a chicken breast for a quick dinner like this basil butter grilled chicken requires a little less foresight. Place the packaged frozen breast on a tray in the refrigerator in the morning, and it should be ready to cook around dinnertime.

The final step in the best method to thaw frozen chicken, Kory Foltz said, is to give the chicken room to breathe. "If things are piled too closely together or on top of each other," Foltz warned, the pieces "tend to thaw out less evenly." So, when you're portioning out raw chicken to freeze for later, "before you freeze them, ensure that everything is lying flat, and you will get an even thaw," said Foltz.

Once your chicken is fully thawed, don't forget to administer the smell test — though if thawing vacuum-sealed chicken, let the safe but smelly lactic acid buildup air out first, for about 30 minutes. Any raw chicken that smells off after that half an hour should be discarded.