How do I defrost a frozen rotisserie chicken that’s already been cooked? How long does it need to defrost? Do I leave it out on the counter at all?

[WhiteBoyChill]

So basically I bought this chicken from a grocery store “hot and ready to eat” (it was on a heating plate) except I just brought it home and froze it instead of eating it.

Anyway, I’m curious how long it needs to defrost, and whether I need it to sit on the counter or in cold water for some time, or if just leaving it in the refrigerator for however long is all I would need to do until I’m ready to cook it.

The product label itself gives both microwave and oven instructions saying how long to cook it for.

It says nothing at all about how to defrost, or how long to defrost for though

Anyway, for cooking instructions the product label clearly says “remove from packaging” for both, implying that you don’t want to remove the chicken from its packaging while it is defrosting.

Is this correct?

And, for meat in general, how long does it take to defrost?

How do you decide the manner in which to defrost it?

And how do you decide whether or not meat needs to spend any time on the counter, in the refrigerator or a combination of both?

Also, after I cook the meat, how would I store it in the refrigerator? (Because I’m definitely going to have some leftovers)

[MrChinaski]

The fastest and hence safest way to defrost meat is inside a watertight bag with as little air as possible sitting in cold water in your sink.

But... I would never eat defrosted chicken without cooking it again. And I eat blue steaks, steak tartare, quivering salmon fillets and raw oysters. Defrosted chicken is too big a risk for me to take. You could reheat pieces to cooked temperature wrapped in foil in an oven without it drying too much.

[MrChinaski]

Also, AI is wrong.

[WhiteBoyChill]

So is it bad/unsafe to let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours?

[MrChinaski]

You can probably do it in the sink in 2-3 hours instead of 24 to 36 hours. So yes it's at a higher temperature but it's for a far shorter period. As soon as it is defrosted you can recook it immediately, or put in the fridge briefly.

[MrChinaski]

If you have a frozen chicken added to water that starts cold it's going to be pretty darn cold anyway. The main difference is that it that the chicken is exchanging energy with water... a heat conductor... instead of air... a heat insulator.

[DryGermanGuy]

You should not repeatedly frost/reheat meat products. The contained nitrate will turn into nitrosamines, which carry an increased cancer risk.

[WhiteBoyChill]

Oh shit

[AI Opinion]

For a cooked rotisserie chicken, the safest, easiest way is the refrigerator 🐔

Keep it in its packaging, set it on a plate or tray, and let it defrost in the fridge. A whole chicken usually needs about 24 hours, sometimes up to 36 if it’s large and tightly wrapped. No counter time is needed and leaving it out is unsafe.

If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost it in its packaging in cold water, fully submerged, changing the water every 30 minutes. That usually takes 1–3 hours depending on size.

After reheating (oven is best for keeping it juicy), store leftovers in shallow airtight containers in the fridge, and eat within 3–4 days. I often strip the meat from the bones, save the bones for broth, and use the meat for sandwiches or rice bowls, a trick I picked up after many late-night chicken runs in Tokyo and Rome 😄

[Iron_Man]

I wouldn’t do that anymore if you’re gonna eat it the next day just put it in the refrigerator. One time I froze steak and had frostbite on it white marks when I was a teenager, I had to throw it out. Just take the chicken back to the store and get a replacement chicken and eat it this time