Current Events > My microwave is suggesting 32 minutes to defrost this chicken... is that right?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Seems awfully high... 4.5 pounds of legs. But I've never microwave defrosted before.
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Just run cold water over it for a couple hours. Or if you have more time, let it defrost in the fridge. Two best ways.
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Yeah watch it with the microwave. Defrosting with it the wrong way can lead to some of the meat cooking.

I'm still not sure how the whole thing works but you press the defrost button then 0, 0, and anything 1-9 which selects a certain time frame. I do this if I'm defrosting ground beef quickly for example, and again I need to watch it so nothing cooks. Gradually cut off what has softened and put the rest back in.

Best to use sktgamer's advice. Chicken doesn't take long to defrost normally.
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Put it in water , change the water once in a while. To me microwaving these things zaps the taste away.
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as a third opinion, prefer 2nd posts option.

i always defrost in that method unless it is beef, have to quickly consume it before it goes bad. fresh meat doesn't stay good past a few days when its opened or stored improperly.
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sktgamer_13dude posted...

Just run cold water over it for a couple hours. Or if you have more time, let it defrost in the fridge. Two best ways.

No, never defrost in the fridge. Using cold running water is best however.
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Why can't you let it defrost in the fridge?
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LightHawKnight posted...

sktgamer_13dude posted...

Just run cold water over it for a couple hours. Or if you have more time, let it defrost in the fridge. Two best ways.

No, never defrost in the fridge. Using cold running water is best however.

Why not defrost it in the fridge?

Fridge is by far the safest way if your talking from a food handlers standpoint. Running cold water is faster though, but also another very safe way.

As others have said, doing it in the microwave can cook it some and lead to it being lower quality.
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At like half power or something probabaly? I'd never defrost any kind of meat in the microwave, personally.
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Microwave defrosting IMO tends to lead to a very thin layer of meat cooked outside and the core of the meat is rock hard frozen. It's better predominantly for food that is already cooked and just needs to be defrosted.
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Cook it without defrosting.
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LightHawKnight posted...

No, never defrost in the fridge. Using cold running water is best however.

explain.
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Steve Nick posted...

Cook it without defrosting.

this is fine for soups. If you're baking / grilling I don't recommend this.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Steve Nick posted...

Cook it without defrosting.

this is fine for soups. If you're baking / grilling I don't recommend this.

baking frozen chicken is fine
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Steve Nick posted...

Cook it without defrosting.

this is fine for soups. If you're baking / grilling I don't recommend this.

Especially grilling. It'll double/triple the cook time. It's literally the worst.
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You run it under cold water the water will splash all over your kitchen counter, sink handle, and dish rack :)

Put it in a glass bowl and cover it with a microwave-safe plate. Use the defrost mode if your microwave has one (most do). Covering it like that keeps it from cooking the outer layers of the chicken and gives it a more even defrost.

32 minutes sounds way too high though. On defrost mode maybe 5-6 minutes. Regular microwave mode would be just a few minutes, with expected semi-cooking.
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Anisoptera posted...

You run it under cold water the water will splash all over your kitchen counter, sink handle, and dish rack :)

That's why you run it under cold water in this invention called "the sink".
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Anisoptera posted...

You run it under cold water the water will splash all over your kitchen counter, sink handle, and dish rack :)

This. You should put it in a zip lock bag or something first. It can contaminate your sink, faucet, and dishes if you have a nearby dish rack.
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Put it in a plastic bag and soak it in the sink in cold water. Drain and refill the sink every 20-30 mins.
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Gamer99z posted...

Anisoptera posted...

You run it under cold water the water will splash all over your kitchen counter, sink handle, and dish rack :)

This. You should put it in a zip lock bag or something first. It can contaminate your sink, faucet, and dishes if you have a nearby dish rack.

that's a terrible way to do it.

The best way to do it is to fill up a large empty bowl with water, then stick the meat inside, then pour more water over the top, preferably into an area that is just more water so it doesn't contact the meat first.
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If you have plenty of time, just throw it in the bottom of your fridge and let it defrost over a period of two days.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Gamer99z posted...

Anisoptera posted...

You run it under cold water the water will splash all over your kitchen counter, sink handle, and dish rack :)

This. You should put it in a zip lock bag or something first. It can contaminate your sink, faucet, and dishes if you have a nearby dish rack.

that's a terrible way to do it.

The best way to do it is to fill up a large empty bowl with water, then stick the meat inside, then pour more water over the top, preferably into an area that is just more water so it doesn't contact the meat first.

The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, the meat tissue may absorb water, resulting in a watery product.

The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/the-big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods-for-consumers/bigthaw2
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