Uh oh; it’s dinnertime and — yet again — you forgot to pull the chicken from the freezer before you left for work. While it is safe to cook chicken from frozen without thawing it first, you might be wondering if boiling it is an acceptable cooking method for your frozen bird. After all, no one wants to make careless mistakes when defrosting meat, whether that be through rushed heating or the wrong approach entirely.
Food Republic spoke with Sarah Hill, MPH (Master of Public Health), recipe developer, and food photographer, and she had this crucial information to impart: “Yes, it’s safe to boil chicken from frozen as long as the internal temperature reaches [165 degrees Fahrenheit]. From a food safety perspective, there’s no issue.”
There are some caveats, however. “The texture often suffers,” Hill explained. “Boiling from frozen can lead to rubbery or dry spots and uneven cooking.” This is especially true when attempting to boil whole frozen chickens or large pieces; it’s better to take on smaller pieces, especially those made of dark meat, like the thigh and drumsticks. If you have the time, Hill recommended thawing your chicken before boiling it “for more even results and better flavor absorption from seasonings.”
More reliable methods for cooking chicken from frozen
Because of the drawbacks of boiling chicken from frozen — namely the uneven and rubbery texture it can take on if it gets overboiled — Sarah Hill suggested a few other methods instead, and they’re terrific when you’re in a hurry. “If you’re in a time crunch, the air fryer or Instant Pot are great alternatives,” she said. “The air fryer helps crisp the outside, while heating through evenly.”
If you have an Instant Pot, this is also a convenient tool for quick chicken cooking, and bonus — if you happen to be using bone-in bird, you’re going to naturally end up with some pretty solid homemade chicken broth (since you need to use some degree of liquid in your Pot). If you really want to add flavor to both your chicken and the liquid gold at the end, add seasonings and herbs, as well as vegetables like carrot, celery, or onion.
“You can also start to defrost the chicken in a microwave, and finish cooking on the stove,” Hill said, “or in the oven.” However, you will want the chicken to go directly from the microwave to the cooking method you’re using, because partially thawed or partially cooked meat can reach unsafe temperatures where bacteria might begin to thrive.
