By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen

Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.

Chicken in the freezer can give you confidence for cooking on the fly, but only if you know how to defrost it quickly and safely. Here’s how to do it two ways, plus how to cook it straight from frozen if you’re really in a time crunch.

How to Thaw Chicken Quickly

In a perfect world we’d always plan ahead and defrost chicken slowly in the fridge for a day or two. But knowing a couple shortcuts can really expand your last-minute repertoire when your schedule is less than predictable. According to the USDA there are only two safe ways to thaw food quickly: in cold water and in the microwave. Here’s how to do both, plus a quick safety refresh before you start.

Why Is Safe Thawing Important?

Wondering why can’t you thaw meat in hot water, or on the counter? The answer has to do with something the USDA calls “the danger zone.” This zone is the temperature range between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, an environment in which the bacteria known to cause foodborne illness can grow.

Thawing happens from the outside in, meaning that although the center of a piece of food can still be frozen, the outer layer can easily exceed the 40-degree-F limit and bacteria can multiply, sometimes reaching dangerous levels. Subsequent heating or refreezing may not kill some types of bacteria.

Thawing foods in the refrigerator is the gold standard for making sure they don’t exceed the 40-degrees-F limit. When that’s not possible, thawing them submerged in cold water will keep food within the safe zone with a little attention, and using the defrost function on your microwave will do the job as long as you cook it immediately after it’s thawed.

Method #1: How to Thaw Chicken In Cold Water

Double bag the chicken. Place the frozen chicken in a waterproof, leakproof bag; since most packaging will leak a little it’s best to double wrap it if you can. This ensures it doesn’t end up soaking directly in water, affecting the chicken's texture and possibly contaminating the surrounding area.

Place the sealed chicken in cold water. Place the sealed chicken in a larger bowl or basin and fill it with cold water; make sure the chicken is well sealed and that there is enough water around it to cover it completely and allow for circulation. If the package floats, you can weight it down with a plate.

Replace the water regularly until thawed. Leave the bowl on the counter, adding new cold water every 30 minutes. A 1-pound package of chicken breasts will take about an hour, while pieces like thighs or wings will take a bit longer. A 3- to 4-pound whole bird could take about 3 hours.

Cook the chicken immediately. Once the chicken is thawed you should cook it immediately according to the USDA.

Method #2: How to Thaw Chicken In the Microwave

Using the defrost function on a microwave is the quickest way to thaw chicken, but there are a few caveats. Microwaving food tends to create hot spots, so your raw chicken might be warmed through in some parts and still frozen in others. By the time it’s defrosted throughout you could have some dried out areas.

Place chicken on a microwave-safe plate. Place unwrapped chicken (never chicken in plastic) on a microwave-safe plate or bowl.

Make sure chicken is cooked evenly. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for defrosting. Chicken typically cooks unevenly in the microwave, so check that all parts are thawed before removing it.

Cook the chicken right away. Once defrosted, cook the chicken immediately; it’s not safe to refrigerate or refreeze microwave-thawed chicken. Only refreeze once it's been fully cooked to avoid bacteria growth.

Clean the microwave. Thoroughly clean the microwave with soap and warm water to remove any drips or spatters that could contaminate other foods.

Method #3: Or Maybe You Can Cook It From Frozen

Yes, you can safely cook frozen chicken without thawing it if you follow a few rules. Here are some guidelines for safety and tips for best results.

• Frozen chicken will take about 50 percent longer if cooked from frozen; for instance, a whole chicken that would normally take 1 1/2 hours to roast will take about 2 1/4 hours.
• Individually frozen pieces like boneless chicken breasts are some of the easiest and quickest cuts to cook from frozen.
• Chicken parts like thighs and wings are often frozen in a big mass. You’ll need to plan time to defrost them by the cold-water or microwave method long enough so you can pry them apart into individual pieces; cooking them in a jumble won’t give you satisfactory results.
• Avoid high-heat methods like grilling and broiling for cooking frozen chicken. The outside is likely to char before the inside is cooked through.
• An Instant Pot multicooker is an excellent way to cook frozen chicken, but never do it in a slow-cooker; the moderate heat of slow cooking can leave frozen food too long in the bacteria-friendly danger zone.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure your chicken has reached the safe cooking temperature of 165 degrees F.

Read more about cooking frozen chicken here, plus cooking other unthawed foods in Make Sure You Really Know How to Cook Frozen Food Safely.

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