Can You Grill Frozen Chicken Without Thawing It? – You’ll Be Surprised!

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Is chicken on the menu this evening? Did you suddenly remember that it’s still sitting in the freezer? Damn!

Don’t worry you can grill your chicken from frozen. I will outline below how to do it. Just remember it will taste better if you defrost it first!

So below, you see several ways to get your chicken thawed in time for dinner! Whether it be frozen chicken thighs or breast or any part of the chicken, including the wings

Can You Grill Frozen Chicken?

You certainly can. The CDC has outlined that you can grill frozen chicken. However, it will taste better (we think) if you defrost it first.

We will detail several methods for you to get your chicken on the table for a delicious meal even if starts frozen.

It’s a safety issue when it comes to chicken. There are higher risks when this particular meat is not handled correctly when it comes out of the freezer.

5 Methods for Defrosting Your Chicken

There are methods for defrosting chickens.

Note: It doesn’t matter if you are defrosting skinless chicken breasts, boneless chicken breasts, chicken wings, or frozen chicken thighs; just make sure that you are cautious when handling raw chicken!

 Defrosting Tray

Using a defrosting tray is a very popular choice. It usually takes around 30 minutes to defrost your chicken pieces on this metal tray. Its grooves help speed up the defrosting process.  

Place the frozen chicken on the plate, which will be thawed and covered. Around 60 minutes later, you are ready to go.

Microwave

Your frozen chicken can be defrosted in the microwave by putting it on a defrost setting. If your microwave does not have a defrost setting, 30 seconds on a low setting often will work.

If it’s frozen in the middle, another 30 seconds should do the job. Some people find that the microwave method of defrosting causes the chicken to be a little ‘rubbery,’ while others find it a fast, effective way to defrost their chicken.

Refrigerator

If you have the time, take your frozen meat out of the freezer, put it on a plate, and put it in the refrigerator section. It will slowly defrost overnight but stay cool and fresh the next day.

Water Bath

Some people see this as the emergency method for defrosting chicken. It usually involves placing the frozen meat in a sealed plastic bag in a single layer and then placing it into a container of cool water.

Please do not be tempted to use warm water, as this is not good for the chickens or your health.

The risk of salmonella increases with temperature. Many like this method but the downside is the chicken may get wet and also thaw unevenly.

Our Hot Tips on Preparing Frozen Chicken on the Grill

• When cooking chicken, the cooking time doesn’t matter! You must ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
  
• If you grill it frozen, you might find some chicken parts get overcooked before the thicker parts are cooked. We always recommend defrosting your chicken first.
  
• Always use an instant-read thermometer when cooking chicken. You can also check the color by cutting it into it. You don’t want people eating uncooked chicken.
  
• The best thing to do is either plan ahead, buy fresh chicken, or use one of the defrosting methods above.
  
• If you want to elevate your grilled chicken, try smoking it instead. We love smoked chicken at our house! Smoking uses indirect heat, which is excellent for chicken as it can dry out when grilling. Plus, it is super healthy. There is no need to add any oil, just a little bit of our top-secret chicken rub.

So, to wrap it up, according to the CDC, it’s possible to grill your chicken frozen. But—and it’s a big but! We think it will taste way better if you defrost it first.

We recommend going one step further and defrosting it and throwing it the smoker!

Another big but! Just make sure whatever cooking method you choose, you use a meat thermometer to check is it safe to eat!

Smoke On!

Charlie

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