5 Tricks To Thawing Meat In The Microwave

Single servings. Before freezing, package meat in single servings for faster thawing. If your freezing chopped or ground meat, freeze it flat for fast and even defrosting.

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Remove from packaging. Take meat out of the packaging before you thaw it to avoid cooking it in the juices as it thaws in the microwave.

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Defrost setting. Maybe you've never actually hit this button before? Now is the time. Check the meat every few minutes and, if thawing ground or chopped meat, break it apart as it thaws for even cooking.

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50-percent power. Can't find the defrost setting or it doesn't work on your microwave? Use the 50-percent power option. No matter what, don't defrost on full power. It will cook the outside of your food, leaving the inside still frozen.

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Cook immediately after defrosting. Because you're warming up the meat so much as it defrosts in the microwave, there's a bigger chance of bacteria forming on it between the time it defrosts and the time you cook it. Limit the amount of time by cooking the meat immediately after you take it out of the microwave.

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Julie Ruggirello is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @TDMRecipeEditor.