A whole chicken will take about two hours to thaw. Once thawed, the chicken should be cooked as soon as possible. Show
Whole chickens are very versatile and can save you money at the grocery store; learn how to thaw a whole chicken safely.  Why Buy a Whole Chicken?This post contains referral links. It's simple to find pre-cut, pre-packaged chicken in your grocery store, and if all you want is boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a large batch of wings, that's the way to go.However, if you want to save money on your grocery bill and don't have a strong preference for white or dark meat, a whole chicken is a great option. Don't be intimidated by a whole chicken; they're easy to store in the freezer, cook whole, and cut into pieces, and the parts you don't eat can be used to make homemade chicken broth.So, when whole chickens are on sale at your grocery store, stock up and prepare to freeze some chicken. How to Freeze a ChickenYou can freeze a whole chicken in its original packaging; however, grocery store packages aren't always airtight, so if you're not going to use the chicken in the next few months, double-wrap it in a large Ziploc freezer bag, or tightly wrap it in freezer paper or heavy-duty plastic wrap.A whole chicken can be frozen for before it starts to lose quality. You can also cut the chicken into pieces and freeze them in Ziploc freezer bags, depending on how you intend to use them.If you want to freeze the thighs and drumsticks together but the breasts separately, do so!nbsp;If you think you'll use all of the parts at once, freeze them all together. How to Defrost a Whole ChickenThawing a chicken is simpler than thawing a turkey, if only because chickens are smaller and take up less refrigerator space. In the RefrigeratorA whole chicken will still take a long time to thaw; allow at least 24 hours for every 5 pounds.A 6-pound chicken will take slightly longer than 24 hours to thaw, and a 9-pound chicken will take two full days. The best way to thaw a whole chicken is in the refrigerator, inside a pan with a lip to prevent spills.When thawing raw meat, keep it on the lowest shelf of your refrigerator to contain any leaks and reduce the risk of cross-contamination with other fresh foods in the refrigerator. If your refrigerator does not have enough space, you can use a cooler; we use a large 5-gallon drink cooler to thaw turkeys, but chickens do not require as much space.You can still use that drink cooler, or a smaller cooler that you have on hand, or a Styrofoam cooler. When thawing large pieces of meat (such as chicken, ham, and roasts), I like to use Styrofoam coolers to keep the temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius).With a Styrofoam cooler, I punch the end of my probe thermometer through the side of the cooler. The display sits on top of the coolerI set the alarm for 39 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 degrees Celsius), at which point I know I need to add ce packs to keep the thawing chicken cool enough. The chicken should be cooked within 1-2 days of thawing in the refrigerator. In a Cold Water BathIf you are short on time and need your chicken to thaw quickly, you can thaw it in a cold water bath, which is faster than thawing it in the refrigerator (or cooler), but requires more attention from you.Place the chicken (still tightly wrapped) in your sink, and fill the sink with cold water. Every 30 minutes, drain the sink and replace with fresh waterPlan on 30 minutes per pound in a cold water bath (so an 8-pound chicken would take at least 4 hours to thaw). The chicken should be cooked immediately after thawing in a cold water bath. Enjoy! Is This Chicken Done? printableYou can't tell if your chicken is fully cooked just by looking at it; a meat thermometer is required.Here are our best tips to tell when your chicken is done, and a free printable cheat sheet for your kitchen! How to Safely Thaw MeatIf you want to learn how to thaw different types of meat, you should read these posts: How long does it take to thaw a whole chicken on the counter?A whole chicken will still take quite a while to thaw. You should plan on at least 24 hours for every 5 poundsSo a 6-pound chicken will take slightly longer than 24 hours to thaw, and a 9-pound chicken will take two days.at least 24 hours for every 5 pounds. So a 6-pound chicken will take a bit longer than 24 hours to thaw, and a 9-pound chicken will take two full days to thaw.
How quickly can I defrost a whole chicken?Frozen chicken can defrost more quickly in cold tap water after being sealed in a leak-proof container or bag. You can also defrost frozen chicken gradually in your refrigerator.putting it in a leak-proof package or plastic bag and submerging in cold tap water.
A whole chicken can be left outside to defrost.The USDA advises against thawing meat at room temperature or in hot water, so if you only have a few hours to defrost your chicken, you can use the cold-water method.
How long does chicken take to defrost at room temperature?A whole chicken will likely require 2-3 hours to prepare using this method, but a package of chicken breasts weighing 1 pound may only need an hour or less.2–3 hours for a whole chicken, while a 1-pound package of chicken breasts can take 1 hour or less. |
How long does a whole chicken take to thaw
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