Chicken is one of the most versatile and available meats for any home cook. From a delicious, whole roast chook that can feed the entire family to lip-smackingly good fried chicken pieces, there’s just so much you can do with the humble hen. We love our poultry so much that we’ve put together a whole article on how to cook chicken and we have a whole section just dedicated to chicken recipes.
But if you’re putting together budget meal plans and looking to save on food, one of our best tips for buying meat is to select your chicken from the frozen aisle. By shopping smart, you can bag yourself a real bargain if you don’t mind cooking chicken from frozen (or cooking any other meats from frozen, for that matter!).
We know that cooking from frozen can be a bit daunting, so we’ve put together a how-to guide on cooking frozen chicken. Read on to find out how to get tasty chicken meals from the freezer to your table.
Types of frozen chicken you can buy
When you’re at the grocery store looking to snaffle a bargain on frozen chicken, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is what kind of chicken you want to cook. Are you looking for a whole chicken cooked in the oven to feed a family? Or maybe you’re looking for some juicy chicken thighs to cook up a comforting chicken pie. Here’s a quick guide on what cuts of chicken work best for different recipes.
Whole chicken
A whole chicken can be a wonderful family dinner – or it can be a meal for just a few with plenty of leftovers! You can roast or poach, or flatten (butterflied) and barbecued whole on the BBQ. See our whole chicken recipes.
Chicken breast and tenderloin
Chicken breast is the most popular and versatile of all of the chicken cuts. It’s a white meat with very little fat and is perfect to marinate and grill, slice up in a stir-fry, pan-fry, poach or oven roast, and even stuff with your favourite filling. They can also be used in salad, sandwiches or soups. The options are endless when cooking frozen chicken breasts.
Tenderloins are also great in stir-fries, pan-fried, or can be crumbed and baked.
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See our chicken breast recipes here.
Chicken thighs
Chicken thigh meat is brown and is slightly fattier and more flavourful than breast meat. Thighs are great sliced in stir-fries, curries, pies or casseroles, baked in the oven, or done in the slow cooker. Chicken thighs can be bought either with skin and bone on or removed. If purchased with skin or bone-in, they tend to take a little longer to cook.
Chicken drumsticks and wings
Chicken wings and drumsticks are often cheaper cuts of chicken. They are great glazed or marinated, then baked, barbecued, or made into casseroles or curries.
Try our chicken drumstick recipes and find out how to cook the perfect chicken drumstick.
Defrosting chicken
So, you’ve purchased your chicken and you’ve popped it in your freezer, ready to use once you’re ready.
The next big question is, can you cook frozen chicken without thawing it?
Whenever you’re handling raw meat, whether fresh or frozen, it’s important that safety is top of mind. Luckily, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because it’s fine to cook chicken from frozen using many methods according to food safety standards. Your cooking time will be about 50% longer, but as long as you’re happy to be patient, you’ll still be able to serve up a delicious meal.
However, whilst you can cook a chicken from frozen in a slow cooker (crock pot) or microwave, it's generally recommended that you don't.
The slow cooker cooks too slowly at a low temperature, allowing your frozen chicken to spend too much time in the temperature danger zone in which bacteria is most likely to grow.
And the microwave cooks your chicken too quickly at a high temperature, meaning the middle of your chicken may not have enough time to reach the safe minimum internal temperature of 74°C before the outer parts of the chicken are done. Chicken can be defrosted in the microwave but needs to be cooked immediately after, so it doesn’t spend too much time in the temperature danger zone.
You should also avoid adding frozen chicken to a pan of hot fat or oil. The water from the thawing chicken will make the hot oil spit which could cause burns.
How to defrost chicken
Of course, if you’re super organised and remember to defrost your chicken the night before, you can skip the 50% extra cooking time altogether. Thawed chicken can be a real time saver if you’re looking to get dinner on the table in a hurry.
How to defrost chicken in the refrigerator
To defrost frozen chicken in the fridge, move it from the freezer into the fridge and leave it overnight. By the time the next evening rolls around and you’re ready to cook, your chicken will be fully thawed. This method requires the most preparation, but it’s the most highly recommended.
How to defrost chicken using cold water
It takes takes two to three hours to defrost chicken using cold water. So, it’s a good option if you’ve remembered your frozen chicken in the middle of the afternoon! To defrost chicken in water, place your chicken in an airtight plastic bag, fill a large bowl or your kitchen sink with cold water, then submerge the bagged chicken. Change the cold water out every 30 minutes.
How to defrost chicken in the microwave
This is the fastest method but requires you to cook your chicken immediately after you thaw it. Defrosting in the microwave will heat the chicken to a temperature at which bacteria thrive, so you need to keep cooking it to the proper temperature to kill any potentially bad bacteria immediately. If you’re not sure you can commit to cooking straight away, it’s probably best to avoid this method. Taking risks with chicken is always a bad idea.
Alternatively, if you’ve remembered your frozen chicken at the eleventh hour, it’s easy enough to skip defrosting and cook straight from the freezer. Let’s look at how.
How to cook chicken from frozen
Now we know it’s safe to cook chicken from frozen, we can look at a few methods to safely cook chicken without any thawing needed. Keep in mind that the cooking time will be about 50 percent longer than if cooked from fresh. And most importantly, always use an instant read thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of 74°C.
How to roast chicken chicken from frozen
Aside from the 50 percent longer cooking time, there is very little difference between roasting a whole chicken from fresh and frozen.
To balance the extended cooking time, we suggest roasting at a slightly lower temperature when cooking from frozen in your oven (about 180°C). On the other hand, you should increase oven temperature if cooking from fresh (preheat oven to 220°C).
Either way, within a few hours, you will have a delicious roast chicken on your table – a great option if you’re entertaining on a budget.
The same method above also works for roasting frozen chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, chicken wings and chicken drumsticks –. Keep in mind that the cooking times will be much shorter than for the whole frozen chicken.
How long to cook frozen chicken in the oven
Oven baking tip: If you’re oven roasting frozen chicken breasts or tenders, try coating them in a breading or crumb with plenty of salt and pepper, then cooking them on a sheet pan with a little olive oil. There are plenty of delicious recipes to try, like Chicken Parmigiana (grated parmesan and marinara sauce needed!) or chicken cordon bleu. Use the same method above, just crumb and sauce before putting them into the oven.
Keep in mind that this will make the cooking time a little longer. Make sure there is no pink or red meat and that the juices run clear before serving.
How to cook frozen chicken on the stovetop
If turning on the oven doesn’t sound appealing, you can also try cooking your frozen chicken by simmering it on the stovetop. Using a nice moist sauce or base will give you a delicious and juicy result.How long to cook frozen chicken on the stovetop
How to cook frozen chicken in the air fryer
The air fryer is growing in popularity over Aotearoa, with many households now wondering how they ever coped without them. If you’re one of the home cooks who adores your air fryer, we have good news – it does a great job of cooking chicken from frozen!
The air fryer acts as a mini convection oven, circulating hot air around the food until it’s cooked through and crisp on the outside. Bonus – it is super quick and easy!
Air frying tip: Make sure you stack your chicken in a single layer for it to cook properly.
How long to cook frozen chicken in the air fryer or instant Pot
How to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot
Another super quick and simple way to cook chicken from frozen is in the Instant Pot. A pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, quickly brings food to a safe temperature. Not to mention it always gives you a juicy and moist result.
How long to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot
Feeling inspired? If you’re thinking of cooking frozen chicken for dinner, check out the great range in store and online.