The Correct Way to Defrost Chicken in a Hurry

We’ve all been here before. It’s time to make dinner…and the chicken is still frozen. And you don’t have time to wait. Something went wrong – maybe you even forgot to put the meat out to defrost – and now your family is waiting for a quick dinner that’s going to take forever. Don’t order takeout! You can still make that chicken safely AND quickly, with this little kitchen hack. Watch the video below to see how it’s done.

Back in the day, you were encouraged to leave your meat out on a counter top to let it defrost overnight. We know now that this idea is a huge no-no.

The new recommended FDA method is leaving the chicken in the fridge overnight so it stays fresh but still defrosts. As we all know, while this method is safe, it is annoyingly slow, too.

Defrosting your chicken with water is by far the fastest method of the three. And this method isn’t just a quick fix for when you’re in a pinch, it’s actually been found as a safe and more effective way to defrost your chicken always.

The way to do it: put your chicken in a big pot in your sink and let COLD water (never use hot because it cooks the chicken and aids some of the temperatures processes we want to avoid) run over it gradually. Water conducts heat better than air does, which means that the ice on the chicken is going to melt much faster with running water than it would just sitting in your fridge.

This is a great tip for that classic cooking conundrum, and now you’ll never have to wait for your chicken to defrost again!