If you can’t find your user manual, try finding your microwave’s “defrost” button instead. If you don’t have a copy of your user manual, check online to see if there’s a digital one you can look at.
If your chicken is covered in plastic or some kind of wrapping, be sure to remove it before using the microwave.
Don’t use your regular microwave settings for this! If you’re working with raw meat, this may cause your chicken to start cooking. Some microwaves may not have a defrost button. Just do the best that you can with whatever settings your microwave has!
Always wash your hands after handling any kind of raw meat.
The bag prevents any bacteria from getting into the chicken while it soaks. As an extra safety precaution, you may want to use gloves when handling any raw meat. If you touch the raw chicken directly, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Since your chicken is in a bag, you don’t need to worry about washing out your sink beforehand.
The chicken may float a bit—just do the best you can to keep the bird submerged while it’s soaking! If you want to accelerate the process, try placing it under running water.
For instance, if you’re working with a 10 lb (4,500 g) chicken, it’ll take 5 hours of soaking for your bird to thaw out. To be extra sanitary, wash out your sink or bowl once you’re done soaking the chicken.
Make sure your refrigerator isn’t set to anything higher than 40 °F (4 °C). Between 40 to 140 °F (4 to 60 °C), bad bacteria will start to grow. If your refrigerator is already set to 40 °F (4 °C), you don’t have to worry about this.
If you’re not using a sealed plastic bag or leaving the chicken in its original packaging, then be sure to line the bowl or plate with paper towels first, then add the chicken, then cover with food-safe plastic wrap.
For instance, a 10 lb (4,500 g) chicken would take 2 days, or 48 hours, to defrost completely.
Try not to leave your thawed chicken in the refrigerator for longer than 2 days. Instead, thaw your chicken when you plan on cooking it.
