How long to keep defrosted chicken?

[Merlin5]

I normally buy a supermarket pack of chicken thighs and legs (on the bone), stick it in the fridge and cook them before the use by date. But now that I have a shiny new fridge freezer I decided to freeze an unopened pack on the day of purchase. I've now moved it to the fridge to defrost overnight.

I've been reading that once chicken is defrosted it should be cooked no later than 2 days. What if the use by date is longer than 2 days? Or does freezing and defrosting shorten the safety period?

Also, I was considering defrosting them in the microwave but changed my mind. I've read that defrosting chicken in the microwave is dodgy because if it's warm to the touch after defrosting it's dangerous because of bacteria at certain warm temperatures? Or if it's in the microwave but not completely defrosted it would be dangerous to cook? I defrosted sausages in the microwave, perhaps a bit too long as they came out a little warm but then oven cooked them immediately and everything was fine.

 

[Freakbro]

I've been reading that once chicken is defrosted it should be cooked no later than 2 days. What if the use by date is longer than 2 days? Or does freezing and defrosting shorten the safety period?

I would imagine because usually you would keep it in the freezer for longer than the use by date, hence once thawed use within 2 days.

But if it's in it's unopen pack and still say 3 or 4 days to use by date then I would say it's fine to keep that long, especially since it is still in it's protective atmosphere. Different if the pack was opened of course.

Also, I was considering defrosting them in the microwave but changed my mind. I've read that defrosting chicken in the microwave is dodgy because if it's warm to the touch after defrosting it's dangerous because of bacteria at certain warm temperatures? Or if it's in the microwave but not completely defrosted it would be dangerous to cook? I defrosted sausages in the microwave, perhaps a bit too long as they came out a little warm but then oven cooked them immediately and everything was fine.

Yea, I don't like defrosting chicken in a microwave, but then again I always leave it out on the side to defrost during the day (cling film cover of course) which they say you shouldn't do either.

 

[Steampunk]

I found the best way to defrost chicken is to put it into the fridge (ideally in the meat drawer if you have one). It can easily take twenty-four hours, especially if it is a big chunk of meat, but it means your meat isn't sitting around at room temp growing bacteria for hours. If you do have to microwave, then low and slow is the way to do it, moving things around periodically, as otherwise you'll cook the edges and it will get rubbery.

There's also the option of cooking from freezing, just like you do with anything that comes with "cook from frozen" instructions. Something like chicken just needs to be cooked longer, often at a slightly lower temperature. You want it cooked all the way through without burning/drying out the outside.

 

[inogen]

The reason why it shortens BB is because freezing damages the meat. The expanding water into sharp ice crystals makes microscopic tears and cuts to the meat itself, so it will decompose more quickly than meat that hasn't been frozen. I just cook and eat frozen meat as quickly as I can after it's been thawed. From the moment it's cookable it's not going to get any fresher! I'd be wary of cooking chicken whilst it's still frozen though.

Same with veg. I sometimes freeze veg I'm going to stew or make into sauces as it then cooks and breaks down quicker.

 

[M1k3H]

I've always used the 3 day rule for any meat. 3 days post thawing max to cook it.

In any case however, use common sense. If the meat is sticky or smells then it's probably best to throw it out.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks for the replies. So let's say after say 3 or 4 days it didn't smell or wasn't sticky, would that mean it's still fine?
And what is the danger of cooking chicken that's still frozen?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Cooking frozen chicken is fine. Its just that you need to check its properly cooked. Cooking from frozen is a little more variable than from fresh.
If your going to regularly cook from frozen get yourself one of the meat prob thermometers so you can check its cooked

Cooking from frozen is lower and slower ideally. You can always crank the heat up right at the end if your trying to brown something

 

[Scam]

Thanks for the replies. So let's say after say 3 or 4 days it didn't smell or wasn't sticky, would that mean it's still fine?

Honestly with chicken I wouldn't bother. Not worth the pain. If we defrost chicken it's usually defrosted from the evening before in the fridge (so 24hrs in the fridge) then cooked in a curry or something so it gets heated well-through. I wouldn't risk leaving defrosted chicken longer than 2 days at the very most.

And what is the danger of cooking chicken that's still frozen?

The only danger is if you don't cook it all the way through. If it goes into a curry for a long >2hrs simmer you'll be fine. It's all about making sure the internals get heated to the correct temperature to kill off the bacteria -- in laymen's terms.

 

[lookitsjonno]

For breasts, If I'm in a rush I put the oven on high for 5 minutes, turn off and leave chicken to defrost with the oven cooling. You can also put the breasts in a water tight bag and leave it submerged for 30 mins or so. I find nuking tends to partially cook the meat so I don't bother, and I'm far too disorganised to properly defrost in the fridge.

Another option is to slow cook from frozen

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks chaps. I defrosted it overnight and even after 24 hours although it was basically soft to touch it still wasn't completely defrosted. So I cooked the whole lot (about a dozen pieces of legs and thighs) in the oven for much longer to be on the safe side. Normally I cook chicken that hasn't been frozen at 200c for 40 minutes. Tonight I cooked it at 180c for about an hour and a quarter, which is almost twice as long, possibly even overkill. Tasted fine, seemed to be properly cooked right through to the bone. So fingers crossed I'll be alive tomorrow.

 

[jpaul]

probably neede to acclimatize to new fridge .. or, maybe, get a temp monitor.
24 hours and partially thawed, sounds like it is too cold at level where you placed item. (apparently meat tray might be 1-2C)
.. but otherwise that's cold& maybe damaging on delicate vegetables / dairy(cream/cheese)

(some troll comment, nearly bit on, in another thread, about setting their new fridge to 1C - lol )

 

[Merlin5]

probably neede to acclimatize to new fridge .. or, maybe, get a temp monitor.
24 hours and partially thawed, sounds like it is too cold at level where you placed item. (apparently meat tray might be 1-2C)
.. but otherwise that's cold& maybe damaging on delicate vegetables / dairy(cream/cheese)

(some troll comment, nearly bit on, in another thread, about setting their new fridge to 1C - lol )

You might be onto something though. Yes I did initially place it at the bottom, sitting over the veg crisper so I moved it further up to the next shelf.

My new fridge defaults at 4c for the fridge and -18c for the freezer. An engineer came round under warranty to replace a part and changed it to 2c and -19c. Milk I used to throw away is certainly keeping super fresh now even over a week after the use by date. And unfrozen chicken that used to smell after 2 or 3 days is staying odourless now for much longer.

But I think everything is maybe a bit too cold now? I took a bowl of petit pois out of the fridge and the liquid the peas were in was icy cold. Perhaps I should bring the temps up again?

 

[Efour]

3 or 4 degrees for a fridge.

All our work ones are between that.

Freezers are variable but all under -20.

I go to the freezers in winter to keep warm

 

[jpaul]

I thought required temp was confusing, after looking at a couple of links
(had reduced my 'dial' a few weeks back on trial, some cream went off, and then found stuff freezing, so reverted )

4°C is common as it preserves milk well, but vegetables can suffer this low
...
Fish should be close to 0ºC for two reasons. 1. The enzymes of the fish will keep working (even when frozen) and 2. The bacteria of fish will be less affected by lower temperatures. The reason being that fish are cold blooded animals that live in a cold environment.

had not thought about fish ... but mostly eat that immediately anyway (it should be in lowest vegetable tray ?)

But https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4135e/
suggests near freezing/1C for vegetables, with varying levels of humidity,
however, for sure , if you touch freezing lettuce gets damaged.

so what is best. ?

If you open fridge regularly, having it lower might be good, so average temp is lower, need a smart fridge that boosts cold after door is opened, during THE summer especially .. but that's rare

 

[Steampunk]

Most people don't know how fridges work. The have a range of temperatures (warmer in the door, main fridge, then vegetable/fruit drawer, then cooler again in the meat/fish drawer). They tend to be cooler from bottom to top. When you open a fridge, all the cold air falls out, but actual food stays cold longer than that.

Really the only way to understand what your fridge is doing is to put a proper fridge temperature probe in there and see what the temperature is despite the settings. I did that and decided that although my fridge was set to four degrees, it needed to go down to three degrees to keep the insides where I wanted it to be, ie everything colder than five degrees, nothing frozen.