How to Defrost Meat: 6 Ways to Thaw Meat

There are many methods to defrost meat, but some are safer than others. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), an organization providing guidance on food safety, notes the “danger zone” temperature range for meat to be forty degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This means raw meat between those temperatures for an extended period of time is more likely to grow harmful bacteria, leading to food poisoning or other foodborne illnesses. However, there are safe ways to defrost meat and keep it out of the danger zone.

Safe thawing methods—like thawing meat in the refrigerator or in cold water—allow the meat to come up to temperature without the meat becoming warm enough for harmful bacteria to form. There are methods that are quicker; however, faster methods are riskier—such as using the microwave or thawing meat in hot water—because there is a greater chance of the meat lingering within the danger zone, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Methods of thawing meat vary in terms of how much time they require and how safe they are since certain methods might involve exposing the meat to unsafe temperatures for longer than others. Take care to always limit uncooked meat’s exposure to temperatures within the danger zone range of forty degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Here are six ways to defrost meat:

1. 1. Refrigerator method: The safest way to defrost meat is to practice refrigerator thawing. As long as the refrigerator is functioning properly, the temperature will never exceed forty degrees Fahrenheit. Note that the meat defrosts at a slow rate, especially for bigger cuts of meat like a whole turkey, whole chicken, or big roast. The total thawing time for this thawing method could be ten hours up to forty-eight hours or longer.
2. 2. Cold water method: For this safe thawing method, begin by filling a large bowl with cold tap water. With the meat still in its original packaging or another type of leak-proof packaging, submerge the package into the cold water. Use a plate or another heavy object to weigh down the meat to keep it fully submerged. Cold water thawing works better for some cuts of meat than it does for others—use this method to thaw frozen meat like boneless chicken breasts, pork chops, ground beef, or other small packages of boneless meat.
3. 3. Room temperature method: Room temperature generally falls between sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit and seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit—within the danger zone range of temperatures most likely to produce harmful bacteria growth. Therefore, you should check the temperature of the defrosting meat often. Start this defrosting method on the countertop at room temperature and then move it to the refrigerator once the temperature of the meat hovers around forty degrees Fahrenheit.
4. 4. Pounding method: The thinner the meat, the faster it will defrost. Remove the block of ground beef from its original packaging and place it between two pieces of parchment paper or in a plastic bag. Set the meat out on a cutting board or countertop. With a rolling pin, pound the meat into a thinner square or rectangle. This method can work well when the meat has just about thawed—or at least the outer layer has thawed—and you need to finish the job quickly.
5. 5. Microwave method: For a quick weeknight dinner, you can thaw frozen meat in the microwave on the defrost setting. The microwave should defrost the food quickly enough that the meat will not linger in the danger zone range long enough for harmful bacteria to grow. One caveat to microwave thawing is that if the meat pieces are different sizes or an uneven size, some parts will defrost, or even cook, before other parts.
6. 6. Hot water method: Instead of thawing chicken breasts or ground meat in a bowl of cold water, you can keep the meat in its original packaging or in another leak-proof bag and submerge the meat in a bowl of hot water. This method works quickly, so even if the meat reaches the danger zone temperatures, it doesn’t linger there long enough for harmful bacteria to grow. It’s good practice to immediately submerge the meat in a bowl of ice water after it thaws in the hot water—this will quickly bring the temperature back down below forty degrees Fahrenheit. There is no risk of freezing again at that temperature, but the meat will be cold enough to remain outside the danger zone.

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