How to Quickly and Safely Defrost Chicken

Everyone loves a good chicken dinner, and if you're a planner, you probably have some chicken stashed away in your freezer right now. Whether you like chicken wings, drumsticks, chicken breasts, or a whole roast chicken, keeping some frozen meat on hand is smart—you just need to know how to defrost chicken the right way. Read on for a few tried-and-true methods.

Ree Drummond is a big fan of super-easy chicken dinners, like chicken and noodles, chicken pot pie, chicken salad, and more. But before you reach into your freezer and get started, it's important to follow some basic rules for thawing your chicken. The USDA recommends three main methods for safely and efficiently thawing chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave (scroll down for details on all three). No matter which method you choose, be sure to give yourself enough time—rushing the process is not a good idea! And no matter what, don't just leave your chicken out on the counter to thaw all day—you need to keep the chicken at a safe temperature during the thawing process.

How do you defrost chicken without ruining it?

Just pick one of the methods below—if you follow these tips, you don't have to worry about ruining your chicken!

Refrigerator method:

The best way to thaw any kind of meat is in the refrigerator—this allows the meat to defrost slowly, evenly and safely. Depending on what cut of chicken you have, this could take two days or even more (thin cutlets will take less time). To thaw your chicken in the fridge, put it on a rimmed baking sheet or a plate (in case any juices leak out of the packaging or bag) and refrigerate until fully thawed; your fridge should be at 40 degrees or lower in order to do this safely. According to the USDA, if your chicken was thawed properly in the refrigerator, it's still safe to keep in the fridge for another day or two without cooking. The meat can also be refrozen without cooking—just keep in mind that the texture may change.

Cold water method:

This method is quicker than the refrigerator method but not as quick as the microwave. To do it, keep the frozen chicken in its packaging (or in a well sealed plastic bag) and submerge it in cold water. Swap out the water with fresh cold water every 30 minutes or so to maintain a safe temperature. According to the USDA, a 3- to 4-pound frozen chicken or package of chicken parts will take about two to three hours to thaw this way. You can thaw a whole turkey this way, too! Keep in mind that once the meat is fully thawed you should cook it right away—don't refreeze it.

Microwave method:

If you're in a rush and don't have a day or two of thawing time to spare, you're probably wondering how to thaw chicken in the microwave. This method can be super fast and convenient, but you'll need to cook the chicken right away as soon as it's defrosted—don't wait a few hours before cooking or stick it back in the freezer. Like with the refrigerator method, the amount of time you need for defrosting chicken in the microwave depends on the cut and size. You can use the defrost setting on your microwave, but do it in intervals and check on the chicken regularly as it thaws in order to prevent parts of the meat from actually cooking in the microwave. You don't want your meat to stay for extended periods of time in the "danger zone," which is between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, when bacteria grows very quickly. Also note that the microwave method is best for small chicken parts—don't try thawing a whole bird in the microwave.

Can you defrost chicken in two hours?

It depends on the cut of chicken and the size. Two hours isn't long enough to thaw your chicken in the refrigerator, but if you're just thawing a couple pounds of chicken parts using the cold water method above, it should be fine. (A whole roaster or fryer will take longer than two hours to thaw.) Remember to cook the chicken right away if using this method.