How To Thaw Meat Safely

When you were a child, were you ever tasked with taking the meat for dinner from the fridge and tossing it in the sink to defrost before your parents arrived home? Or more recently, have you arrived home from work and forgotten to take the meat out of the freezer, so you have filled the sink with hot water to speed along the defrosting process? In both of these cases, there are alternatives that are much safer and will help you to avoid foodborne illnesses.

Perishable foods including meat, dairy and eggs should always be treated carefully and should always be kept at a safe temperature. These foods should never be thawed on the counter, in hot water, and should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours.

Here’s how to thaw meat safely.

Thaw Your Meat In The Fridge

This is one of the best ways to thaw meat safely, but of course it takes a bit of time and forward planning. It can be good to get into the practice of moving frozen meat for tomorrow night’s dinner from the freezer to the fridge while cooking tonight’s dinner, as this can give you a full 24 hours of thawing time. This depends on the weight of the meat however – a substantial turkey for instance may need longer to completely thaw in the fridge.

If you choose the refrigerator method, keep in mind that some parts of the fridge are colder than others, and this can also affect thawing time.

Once completely thawed, meat such as mince, poultry and seafood can last in the fridge for a day or two. Red meat, including steaks, chops and roasts, can last a bit longer – between two and five days.

Thaw Your Meat In Cold Water

While faster than the refrigerator method, cold water thawing needs a little more attention paid to it to ensure your meat is good to cook and eat. If you choose to use the cold water method, ensure that your meat is in a leak-proof package or plastic bag to avoid any contact with the water, since this can introduce bacteria to your food. You will also want to change the water every thirty minutes or so throughout the entire defrosting process until your meat is ready.

Meat that is thawed in this way should always be cooked before refreezing – don’t put it back in the freezer unthawed and raw if you don’t plan to use it after all.

Thaw Your Meat In The Microwave

One of the fastest ways to thaw meat is to do it in the microwave. Keep in mind that this can leave pockets of cooked or warm meat, meaning that once the food has been thawed, it should be cooked immediately (whether that be in the microwave, on a pan, etc.) in order to avoid bacteria growth.

Thaw Your Meat In The Oven

If you plan to cook your meat immediately after thawing, you can thaw your meat in the oven on a low temperature and raise the temperature and begin to cook once it has defrosted. Keep in mind however that this can stretch out your cooking time significantly, especially if you’re planning on cooking a roast chicken, leg or lamb, or other large cut of meat.

Cook Your Meat From Frozen

While this may not seem practical, cooking meat from a completely frozen state is entirely safe. It may take longer, but it can be a better option if you don’t have time to allow meat to thaw in the fridge or in cold water. This method is not recommended for large cuts of meat, but is fine for smaller cuts, mince and so forth, and can take away textures such as a delicious crispy skin due to the release of extra water.

For more tips on how to store, cook and enjoy meat, check out more on our blog.