Whole chickens can be very versatile, and can save you some money at the grocery store. Get our best tips and safest ways to thaw a whole chicken.
Why Buy a Whole Chicken?
{Referral links are used in this post.}
It’s easy to find pre-cut, pre-packaged chicken in your grocery store. And if all you are looking for is boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or if you want to cook up a big batch of wings, that’s the way to go. But if you’re looking for a way to save a bit of money on your grocery bill and you don’t have a strong preference for white or dark meat, then a whole chicken is a great option.
Don’t be intimidated by a whole chicken! They are easy to store in your freezer, easy to cook whole, and easy to cut into pieces. And you can use the parts you don’t eat to make homemade chicken broth. So stock up when whole chickens are on sale at your grocery store, and get ready to freeze some chicken.
How to Freeze a Chicken
You can put a whole chicken into the freezer in its original packaging. Grocery store packages aren’t always air-tight, so if you’re not planning on using the chicken within the next few months, you might want to double-wrap it in a large Ziploc freezer bag, or tightly wrap it in freezer paper or heavy-duty plastic wrap. A whole chicken can be frozen for up to 1 year before it starts to lose quality.
You can also cut the chicken up into pieces before freezing. Wrap the pieces in Ziploc freezer bags however you will use them. If you want to freeze the thighs and drumsticks together but the breasts separate, do that! If you think you’ll use all the parts at the same time, then freeze them together.
How to Thaw a Whole Chicken
Thawing a chicken is easier than thawing a turkey – if only because chickens are smaller and take up less space in your refrigerator.
In the Refrigerator
A whole chicken will still take quite a while to thaw. You should plan on at least 24 hours for every 5 pounds. So a 6-pound chicken will take a bit longer than 24 hours to thaw, and a 9-pound chicken will take two full days to thaw.
The best way to thaw a whole chicken is in your refrigerator. The chicken should go inside a pan with a lip, to avoid any spills. As always, when you’re thawing raw meat, keep it on the lowest shelf of your refrigerator. This will help to keep any leaks contained and reduce the risk of cross-contamination of other fresh foods in the refrigerator.
If you don’t have enough space in your refrigerator, you can also use a cooler. We use a large 5-gallon drink cooler to thaw turkeys, but chickens don’t need quite as much space. You can still use that drink cooler, or a smaller cooler that you have on hand, or a Styrofoam cooler.
I like using Styrofoam coolers to thaw large pieces of meat (like chicken, ham, and roasts). When thawing meat, the temperature needs to stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius). With a Styrofoam cooler, I punch the end of my probe thermometer through the side of the cooler. The display sits on top of the cooler. I set the alarm to go off if the temperature reaches 39 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 degrees Celsius), and then I know that I need to add ce packs to keep the thawing chicken cool enough.
After thawing in the refrigerator, the chicken should be cooked within 1-2 days.
In a Cold Water Bath
If you are running short on time and need your chicken thawed in a hurry, you can also thaw it in a cold water bath. This way is faster than thawing in the refrigerator (or cooler), but takes more attention from you. Place the chicken (still tightly wrapped) in your sink, and fill the sink with cold water. Every 30 minutes, drain the sink and replace with fresh water. In a cold water bath, plan for about 30 minutes for every pound. (So an 8-pound chicken would take at least 4 hours to thaw.)
After thawing in a cold water bath, the chicken should be cooked immediately.
Enjoy!
Printable for Is This Chicken Done?
You can’t tell by looking at the outside of your chicken if it’s fully cooked or not. You need a meat thermometer. Here are our best tips to tell when your chicken is done, and a free printable cheat sheet for your kitchen!
How to Safely Thaw Meat
If you’re looking for tips on how to thaw different types of meats, you’ll want to check out these posts:
4 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen
- How to Store a Whole Chicken
- How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken
- Don’t Wash Your Chicken
- Can I Refreeze Food After It Was Thawed?
3 Recipes to Try
Shared on:
I had always put my frozen bird. ( chicken or turkey ) in a sink of cold water. NOT in a bag but I add salt to the water. ( Lots of salt ). I change the water every hour or less. We had never gotten ill. I have been doing this for 30 years.
We raise and butcher our own chickens and glad I am doing the thawing part correctly. Found you on Homestead blog Hop.
Thanks for stopping by, Candy!