It's always a smart idea to keep your freezer stocked with frozen chicken breasts and sausages (hello, easy weeknight chicken dinners), well-marbled steaks and all the ground beef and turkey you can fit for homemade meatballs or burger recipes. And if you know how to defrost meat fast (and safely, too!), you can achieve a home-cooked meal on a weeknight in very little time.
But what if you need to defrost steak in a hurry? What if that chicken breast didn’t completely thaw overnight? What if you’re just really hungry? No worries, there are a few methods to speed up the process and defrost any cut of meat quickly. Here are answers to all your questions about how to defrost meat.
What's the safest way to defrost meat?
The absolute best method for defrosting meat safely is overnight in the refrigerator until it is completely thawed. Once thawed, ground meat, poultry, and seafood can keep well in the refrigerator for an extra day or two, while red meat (beef, pork, lamb, and steak) stays good for three to five more days. While opting to defrost meat in the refrigerator does require advance planning, it gives you the extra bonus of being able to refreeze it safely (though you may experience some loss of quality).
Can you defrost meat in cold water?
In just about an hour’s time, this method will quickly and properly defrost meat without a microwave, though it does require you to be more hands-on. Place your frozen cut of meat in a resealable plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the bag in the water. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure that it stays cold and continues to thaw the meat. Smaller cuts of meat, poultry or seafood (about a pound) can thaw in an hour or less, larger quantities (three to four pounds) may take two to three hours. Estimate about 30 minutes per pound for thawing whole frozen turkeys. We don’t recommend refreezing that meat once it’s been thawed, unless you cook it first. Tip: Use your thawed meat to make big batches of soup and stew recipes!
What's the fastest way to defrost meat?
Learn how to defrost meat in the microwave and you can have prepped protein in under 10 minutes — really. This method works best for smaller cuts of meat that will be cooked all the way through after thawing, like chicken breast for a chicken stir-fry or ground beef for tacos. Read up on your microwave’s instruction manual to learn the best way to defrost a specific cut of meat according to the microwave’s settings. If your microwave doesn’t have a “defrost” setting, set it at a lower power level and run in short bursts until the meat is thawed. Be careful though, cooking at too high a heat or for too long can actually cook the meat instead of defrosting. No matter what, as soon as you’re done thawing, cook the meat right away.
Is it ever OK to cook frozen meat?
When you’re really in a pinch, you don’t have to thaw frozen meat before cooking. Believe it or not, it’s safe to cook fresh-out-of-the-freezer blocks of ground turkey, solid cuts of chicken, and bricks of ice-cold steak. The meat will take longer to cook (about 50 percent more time), and it’s not ideal for achieving golden-crispy skin or a perfect sear. However, it’s an option that’s always there for you — even when perfectly thawed protein isn’t.
Just avoid cooking frozen meat in the slow cooker — it can spend too much time thawing and become unsafe to eat.
Is it OK to thaw meat on the counter?
While there are sources that claim you can thaw frozen meat in hot water or simply leaving it out on the counter, the USDA says this isn’t safe. Any piece of thawed meat should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. If the meat begins to thaw and it becomes warmer than 40 °F, bacteria that may have been present before freezing may start to multiply.
Samantha MacAvoy
Assistant Editor
Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
FAQs
Method #3: thawing in cold water
Is it safe to defrost meat in cold water? ›
When thawing frozen food, it's best to plan ahead and thaw in the refrigerator where it will remain at a safe, constant temperature — at 40 °F or below. There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. In a hurry? It's safe to cook foods from the frozen state.
What is the cold water thawing method? ›
Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the bag in the water. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure that it stays cold and continues to thaw the meat. Smaller cuts of meat, poultry or seafood (about a pound) can thaw in an hour or less, larger quantities (three to four pounds) may take two to three hours.
What is the safe method to defrost frozen meat? ›
The safest way to defrost any food is in the refrigerator. Place the meat in a clean container or platter that will hold any juices leaking out of the food. Place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent accidental cross-contamination of other food. Cook the meat as soon as it's defrosted.
How to defrost meat quickly in water? ›
THE QUICK (BUT SAFE) WAY…
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Submerge the meat, in its packaging or in a plastic bag, in the water. Change the water periodically. Your meat should be ready to grill in about 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Why does cold water defrost meat faster? ›
Cold water thawing method is favorable when a short thawing time is required. In this method, frozen food is immersed in a tank of cold water at a temperature above the melting point of the food. Heat transfer occurs due to the temperature difference between the food and the water.
How to defrost quickly? ›
Speed up the defrosting process e.g. by using cold water or a microwave (see the front of this sheet). Use an alternative menu item. If you do not have time to defrost for longer, replace the dish with a similar dish that is ready to serve. Change your defrosting method and make it safer, e.g. defrost smaller amounts.
What is the cold water method? ›
Cold water immersion, such as the Wim Hof Method, involves an individual submerging their entire body from the neck down in water no warmer than 59 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 15 minutes. The Wim Hof Method is known for combining breath work and cold water immersion often in natural, scenic environments.
Which method of thawing defrosting is safe? ›
1. Defrosting Food In The Refrigerator. The safest way to defrost food is in the refrigerator, as the food will not have to pass through the Temperature Danger Zone (5ºC – 60ºC) where bacteria can easily thrive and multiply.
What is the best thaw method? ›
Method #4: thawing in the refrigerator
This is by far the safest method for thawing, especially when thawing whole food items. It also takes the longest amount of time.
Never thaw food in a garage, basem*nt, car, dishwasher, plastic garbage bag, in hot water, out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.
Which method is a safe way to thaw food in ServSafe? ›
Thawing temperature has to be controlled, and there are only four correct ways to thaw frozen foods:
- In the cooler at 41° F or lower.
- In a microwave (if the food is to be cooked immediately)
- Submerged under 70° F or lower running water.
- As a part of the cooking process (such as a frozen hamburger patty)
Defrosting Safely
In any case, it is crucial not to leave meat outside the refrigerator to defrost, particularly during the hot summer, since this enables the bacteria to multiply rapidly. Under optimal conditions, bacteria can multiply rapidly and divide every 20–30 minutes.
Why do you need to run water to defrost meat? ›
If letting frozen foods thaw in the refrigerator isn't possible, the next best option is to submerge the food in running water that's 70 degrees or below, which helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens. There's no wiggle room here, either.
How do you defrost chicken in cold water? ›
Place the bag in a very large mixing bowl or clean washing-up bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and submerge the bag in it. Make sure the water is cold – using warm or hot water is unsafe and will promote bacteria growth on the poultry. Change the water every 30 mins.
What is the safest way to defrost chicken? ›
The safest way to defrost chicken is to place it in a refrigerator. This method is safe because the refrigerator keeps the chicken cool while it is defrosting, preventing it from getting too warm for too long. To use this method, do the following: Remove the chicken from the freezer at least 24 hours in advance.
How long to defrost meat in room temp water? ›
To defrost in water, submerge product, sealed in its original packaging, in room-temperature water. Change water every 30 to 45 minutes. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound of beef to defrost roasts and brisket.
Can you defrost meat in a bowl of water in the fridge? ›
Keep your meat in its vacuum-sealed bag and put it on a plate to thaw in the refrigerator so the ice on the outside of the packaging doesn't drip onto the rest of your food. If you're in a bind, you can speed up the thawing process by submerging the vacuum sealed bag in a bowl of cold water.
Is frozen meat ok if left out overnight? ›
However, leaving meat out on the counter or in the sink all day while it defrosts means you're allowing the meat to reach temperatures warmer than 40 degrees. And once meat hits 41 degrees or higher, it enters a bacterial danger zone.
What is the safest way to thaw chicken? ›
The safest way to defrost chicken is to place it in a refrigerator. This method is safe because the refrigerator keeps the chicken cool while it is defrosting, preventing it from getting too warm for too long. To use this method, do the following: Remove the chicken from the freezer at least 24 hours in advance.
