How to Thaw Frozen Food Safely: 4 USDA-Recommended Methods

If you cook meat, poultry, or seafood at home, you will face the same question most evenings: how do you get dinner from frozen to ready without inviting bacteria along? The safest default is the refrigerator, and the backups are cold water, the microwave, and cooking straight from frozen.

In this guide: - Why the counter and hot water are never safe - The four USDA methods, with timing for each - What to do after food thaws, including refreezing

Why the Counter Is Off Limits

Raw or cooked meat, poultry, and egg products must stay at a safe temperature during thawing. They are safe indefinitely while frozen, but as soon as food begins to thaw and becomes warmer than 40°F, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply.

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter or in hot water, and they must not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The outer layer of a counter-thawed package can sit in the danger zone, between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria multiply rapidly, even while the center is still frozen.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also warns against thawing in the garage, basement, car, dishwasher, or plastic garbage bag, and outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave food unsafe to eat.

Method 1: Thaw in the Refrigerator

This is the method to build your routine around. Food thaws at a safe, constant temperature of 40°F or below, so it stays out of the danger zone the whole time.

Timing: a large frozen item like a turkey needs at least a day, which is 24 hours, for every 5 pounds. Even small amounts, such as a pound of ground meat or boneless chicken breasts, need a full day to thaw.

After refrigerator thawing, ground meat, stew meat, poultry, and seafood stay safe for another 1 to 2 days before cooking. Red meat cuts such as beef, pork, or lamb roasts, chops, and steaks stay safe for 3 to 5 days. Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality.

Note: the larger rows apply the FSIS rule of at least 24 hours for every 5 pounds, so they are estimates. Your refrigerator runs colder or warmer depending on its settings, and some spots in the appliance keep food colder than others.

Planning ahead is the key to this method because of the lengthy time involved. If you forget, the cold water method covers most packages in 1 to 3 hours, so a forgotten dinner is not a lost cause. Just never let the counter be the backup plan.

Method 2: Thaw in Cold Water

This method is faster than refrigerator thawing, but it needs your attention. Follow these three steps in order.

1. Seal the food in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding water could reach the food, and the meat tissue may absorb water and turn out watery.
2. Submerge the bag in cold tap water. Never use hot water, which pushes the outer layer into the danger zone.
3. Change the water every 30 minutes so the food keeps thawing, and cook the food immediately after it is fully thawed. Foods thawed this way should be cooked before refreezing.

Timing: a package of about 1 pound thaws in an hour or less, a 3 to 4 pound package takes 2 to 3 hours, and a whole turkey needs about 30 minutes per pound.

Method 3: Thaw in the Microwave

The microwave is the fastest method, and it is the one that needs the most care. Some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process, which brings them into danger zone temperatures.

Plan to cook the food immediately after thawing, whether by microwave, conventional oven, or grilling. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended, because bacteria present would not have been destroyed, and the food may have reached temperatures where bacteria grow quickly. As with cold water thawing, cook the food before refreezing.

Method 4: Cook Straight From Frozen

In a hurry? It is safe to cook foods from the frozen state, so this is the true fourth method. Expect cooking to take about 50% longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry.

This works well for roasts, steaks, and chicken pieces that go into a hot oven or a pan with enough time. For whole frozen poultry, remove the giblet pack from the cavity as soon as you can loosen it, and cook the giblets separately.

How the four methods compare:

Sources

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, The Big Thaw: Safe Defrosting Methods
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Freezing and Food Safety