When you’re removing chicken from the freezer, it is important to allow it enough time to thaw. How long does thawed chicken last in the fridge before it begins to degrade?
If you can answer this question and know what exactly you have to do and when, you’ll be able plan your next cooking schedule accordingly.
So, How Long Does Thawed Chicken Last In The Fridge?
A rule of the thumb is that thawed chicken which is raw will last for only one or two days in the fridge.
This question, however, is contingent on several factors. If the chicken was freshly frozen, and you removed it from the freezer with the refrigerator method the chicken should be kept for about 3 to 4 days.
If it’s been stored in the refrigerator for a few days prior to the time you put it in the freezer or chilled it in the cold water in a bowl and then cooked it off, you must immediately cook it off.
How To Thaw Chicken Safely?
The first thing to keep in mind is that you should never freeze chicken at the room temperature. If you allow the chicken out on the counter to defrost the chicken, it will remain inside the “danger zone” for too long.
What exactly does this mean? Well, the “danger zone” refers to the temperature range between 40 to 140 degrees F. If meat is kept in these temperatures for more than four hours, the bacteria grow quickly making the food unfit to eat.
To get the best results, you should chill or defrost your chicken inside the refrigerator.
It is important to ensure that the temperature in the refrigerator is kept below 40 degrees.
Allow yourself a minimum of an hour for every five pounds of chicken. The refrigerator method works for large cuts of meat and whole chickens.
If you want to cut down on time, you can utilize the method of cold water to loosen the frozen meat. Be sure that the chicken is properly secured in a zip-top container or any other container that is leakproof.
Place the chicken in an ice-cold bowl for 30 minutes. Then change the water to fresh batches. The chicken that is frozen should be able to thaw at the rate of around 1 hour per pound following this method.
Tips: Do not make use of the hot water method to remove frozen portions of your chicken. While you may think it could speed up the process, it could, on the contrary, send the meat right into danger. Use cold water and your chicken will be defrosted before you are aware of it.
As a last resort you can utilize the microwave to melt smaller pieces of chicken. Make use of to use the “defrost” setting (if your microwave comes with one) and be sure to make sure you check the meat often to ensure it’s being thawed proportionately. It’s not recommended to use the microwave to cook whole chickens because the exteriors of the chicken begin to cook before the insides get the chance to cool.
Take note that if you make use of either the microwave, or other cold water method it is necessary to cook the chicken immediately.
The chicken may have warmed over 40°F, in which situation it must be cooked immediately to eliminate any bacteria that could be harmful.
How Long Can Thawed Chicken Stay In The Fridge Before Cooking?
Raw chicken thighs
If you’ve thawed your chicken in the fridge, you’ll have more flexibility with regards to your timing for starting. In general, chickens should be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days after it’s completely frozen.
However, the actual length of time can vary depending on how fresh the chicken was at the time the chicken was put in the freezer.
If it was stored in the fridge for three days prior to putting it in the freezer you must cook it as fast as you can after the thawing process is over.
How Long Can You Keep Chicken in The Freezer?
In theory, frozen chickens will remain indefinitely if the temperature of the freezer is lower than 0 degrees Fahrenheit for throughout the duration. In reality, you need to freeze and cook chicken parts within 9 months and the complete bird within a year.
The chicken that’s cooked, on the contrary, needs to be pulled out and defrosted within four months to ensure the quality. If it’s kept in the freezer for too long, it could be dry and spongy after it’s been thawed.
Whatever the case, whether the meat is still raw or cooked before you freeze it, it is important to cover the container with a tight seal and mark that container by the month as well as the contents.
If you don’t, you may end up with a plethora of unknown objects strewn about in your freezer.
Can You Cook Chicken When It’s Still Frozen?
Let’s say you’re in a rush and don’t have enough time to defrost your chicken. Do you think it’s safe to begin your cooking while the chicken is frozen?
Yes, however, it will require more time to prepare than frozen chicken will. Plan to add at least 50% to the cooking time when starting with frozen chicken.
So, when the recipe states to grill poultry breasts over 10 minutes it will take minimum 15 minutes to cook from their frozen condition.
If you decide to go this route, be sure that you cook the chicken on medium to medium-high temperature.
In the event that you cook it at a low temperature, the chicken will take longer to cook and could dry out.
However cooking it in a hurry at high temperatures could cause a chicken to be burned on the outside, but frozen in the middle.
How To Tell If Chicken Is Spoiled?
There are four primary methods to determine if your chicken is rotten. These methods can be applied to chicken that was stored in your refrigerator or any other chicken in general.
Begin by checking the “best by” date on the packaging. If the date is past it is probably best to avoid devouring the chicken. Then, test your senses to smell the chicken.
If it has a smell that is gross or not appealing at all Then you’ll want to throw it away to avoid becoming sick.
After that, look at the appearance of the chicken’s appearance. Do you notice anything strange? If your chicken is beginning to deteriorate and become soiled, the color of the chicken might be gray, blue, or green hue.
You should not consume the chicken when you notice anything odd in the color of the chicken. Also, you can determine if there are signs of mold or growth on the chicken.
If there are, the chicken needs to be removed. Take a take a look at how the meat feels regardless of whether it’s either cooked or raw. If the chicken’s texture that is slimy, it’s definitely the time to get rid of it. Avoid eating it!
Cooking Chicken to a Safe Temperature
Boneless chicken thigh grilled
Whatever method of thawing you decide to use, be sure your chicken has been cooked before eating it. At 165°F, it’s the preferred temperature for breasts and thigh meat is better when done to 180 degree.
Make use of a reliable thermometer that can be read instantly to measure the temperature. The probe should be placed in the meat’s thickest part of meat to get precise results.
Be aware that the meat continues to cook while it cools down, so it’s fine to remove the off the breasts as the temperature rises to 160 degrees.
As we’re in the middle of resting time Plan at least 5 minutes of rest for smaller pieces, and twenty minutes for the larger bone-in cut pieces.
It is possible to let an entire chicken sit for up until 45 mins. Make sure you refrigerate leftovers for 2 hours or an hour when the temperature is extremely high.
How to thaw chicken?
There are a variety of methods to thaw chicken. Note that these methods are not defrosting by placing it on your counter in room temp or in a container filled with hot water.
These two methods are equally risky since they both let the chicken to remain in dangerous temperatures, which let bacteria grow rapidly. The risky temperatures range from 40 and 140F.
The most effective methods to defrost chicken is to put it in the refrigerator or in a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave after defrosting. Each of these methods allows that the bird to be safely thawed.
Refrigerator Thawing
The process of thawing your chickens in the refrigerator is done by placing frozen chicken in your refrigerator, and allowing them to remain in the refrigerator until they’ve completely been defrosted.
The time required for a piece of meat to defrost will depend on what it’s made of and also the size. For instance smaller breasts of chicken typically take one or two days to cool in the fridge.
Bones-in-the-bone pieces of chicken will take more time, generally about two days.
The USDA states that the pieces of chicken can be kept in the fridge for one to two days following being removed from the freezer.
Cold Water Thawing
Cold water thawing occurs in the process where a frozen piece of chicken is put in the bowl filled with ice cold water. The chicken is then left in the water that is ice cold until the chicken is able to thaw. After it has thawed, it can be removed and then cooked.
The time that chicken breasts can take to thaw is a range of 1 to 2 hours in cold, ice-cold water. Larger pieces of meat will require more than two hours to defrost within cold, icy water.
It might be difficult to make this work to thaw a whole bird because the whole body must be submerged in the water.
Microwave Thawing
The microwave is the most efficient method of defrosting chicken. It’s done by placing the bird in the microwave while paying close attention to it. You should utilize the defrost feature in your microwave if it has one.
For this to be done at home, you should read the manual of your microwave to know precisely how it operates. The majority of them include a defrost button you to press and then add an amount of weight for your food items.
Then, you’ll have to flip your food over following a certain period of time. It is not the only method of thawing microwaves any meat that has been frozen using this method must be cooked and prepared within a matter of minutes.
Food that is frozen in the microwave shouldn’t be left in the refrigerator uncooked.
How to freeze chicken?
For a successful freezing of your chicken, follow these easy steps. If you follow these steps you will see your chicken have the best results.
Use a freezer bag that seals, or an airtight container, to place the chicken inside the freezer. I highly recommend freezer bags as I’ve always been able to get the best results from freezer bags.
Write the description for example “raw chicken” on your container, and then mark it with a date.
Release all air. If you’re able to seal it by vacuum then this can help. If not, you may want to put everything, including the zipper, in water to remove all air.
Be sure your storage unit is securely sealed. After that, place it in your freezer.
Chicken Can Be Cooked While Frozen
It is also possible to cook chicken when it’s frozen. It is not widely known however it is cooked.
The most important thing to consider when doing the process is it might take up to 50% longer in cooking than it would if it had been frozen.
It is also important to make sure that it reaches temperatures of 160F. In the event you take these points in mind, there’s no requirement for the chicken to be completely chilled before cooking it.
How Long Is thawed Chicken Good?
The chicken you keep in your freezer also comes with the time limit it’s good for. The duration of the time is contingent on the kind of form it’s in.
Chicken pieces that are raw must be stored in your freezer for no more than six months prior to when they are needed. Whole chickens, on the contrary hand can be frozen for up to one year.
The chicken that is cooked and frozen will yield the most effective results if it is consumed before having been frozen for 4 months. Otherwise, it’s going to be dry and taste a little freezer burned. The pieces of chicken that have been cooked can be heated up in the freezer or thawed by another method.
Best Practice For Keeping Thawed Chicken In Fridge
To get the best results, store chilled chicken that is thawed in the refrigerator. The following is our recommendation for best practices.
If your chicken is frozen move it straight from the freezer into the refrigerator and let it stay in the fridge for a couple of days until it has thawed. Submerge it in ice cold water and allow it to defrost for a couple of hours.
When your meat is frozen, let it sit in the refrigerator for an additional one or a couple of days. Be aware that the time you spend in the refrigerator will not start before the meat has been defrosted.
Be aware it is important to note that all meat that has been defrosted using the microwave shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator. It must be cooked once it is defrosted.
The length of time that chicken thawed can remain in the refrigerator varies in accordance with the method used for thawing. Once the chicken is thawed it is able to remain in the refrigerator for up for two to three days.
Related Faqs
Why can’t you refreeze the thawed chicken?
From a safety point from a safety standpoint, it is fine to freeze defrosted meat, chicken, or any frozen food so long it was defrosted within an appliance that is running at 5 degrees Celsius or lower. There is a possibility of losing some quality in the process of defrosting food and then refreezing it since the cells begin to break down and food may be somewhat liquid.
Can you refreeze chicken that has been frozen at room temp?
Refreeze any type of meat, as you can thaw it within the fridge. It is not recommended to refreeze meat that has been frozen at ambient temperatures or even in the microwave!
What happens to chicken if it is frozen for too long?
Chicken will remain safe indefinitely if it is kept frozen. Whole chicken can be kept in the freezer for up to one year. Parts, however, should be kept frozen for 9 months. Giblets and ground chicken should last 3 to 4 months.
Wrapping up
How Long Does Thawed Chicken Last In The Fridge?
I am sure you have got your answer to the question you asked primarily: “how long does thawed chicken last in the fridge?’
To mention once again, normal raw chicken thawed will last for a day or two. But thawed chicken will last for around 2-3 days if quickly frozen and then defrosted in the refrigerator. If you thawed it with cold water or your microwave and it was already a few days old at the time it was put in the freezer, it’s best to cook it when it is ready. It’s possible to cook it before it has been completely thawed, but the cooking process may take a longer time.
