Freezing meat is a good way to keep a good amount on hand and use whatever you need for your meal planning as you need it. The key to bringing your meat products back from the big chill is following the tips below.
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Refrigerator |
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Place unopened bag or portions needed (covered with plastic wrap or in a leakproof bag) in a large bowl or pan, and refrigerate overnight. |
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Thaw covered uncooked foods on a plate on the lowest shelf to prevent them from dripping on prepared foods. |
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Allow a day or more for large items to thaw. |
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Microwave |
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Following your microwave manual's defrost instructions, thaw only a few portions at a time on a microwaveable plate covered with plastic wrap. Rotate the plate one-quarter turn 4 times during the defrost cycle, checking portions before each rotation. Turn portions over and re-cover with plastic wrap halfway through the defrost cycle. |
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Microwave ovens vary. Defrosting times are approximate. Some microwaves may thaw foods faster than others. Follow your microwave manual's defrost instructions.
This method is not effective for large items. |
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After thawing, cook immediately. Use this method only if you are going to use the item immediately in another cooking process, or to continue cooking immediately in the microwave. |
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Cold Water |
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Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leakproof bag. Submerge the cut-up portions in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cold. Most products will be thawed within two hours.
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Put the wrapped product in a sink full of cold tap water. |
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Remove the food from the sink right after thawing. Then, sanitize the sink and other utensils used in the process. |
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Use a large sink dedicated to the thawing process during the thaw. |
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Do not let water used for thawing splash on food preparation surfaces. |
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After thawing, cook immediately or refreeze. Chicken defrosted by any method is best cooked before refreezing.
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Tyson Individually Fresh Frozen® (IFF) Chicken |
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There is no need to thaw Tyson IFF Chicken, because it is recipe ready straight from the freezer. Just follow the instructions on the bag. Tyson IFF Chicken is covered with a thin ice glaze that protects the chicken from freezer burn. Including defrosting (not thawing), there are a couple tips you can follow in handling IFF and IQF meats: |
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For best results when breading or marinating frozen Tyson IFF Chicken, the protective ice glaze should first be removed. Simply hold the individual portions under lukewarm running water for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let water splash on other food or food-contact surfaces. Sanitize all surfaces that came into contact with the water splash. Wash your hands with warm soapy water. |
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Although Tyson IFF Chicken is covered with a thin ice glaze that protects the chicken from freezer burn, you should follow many of the same procedures as you do when handling fresh chicken. |
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Take out only the portions you need and quickly place the remaining product back in the freezer.
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Thawing Uncooked Beef and Pork > back to top
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Refrigerator |
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To thaw fresh beef and pork safely, meat should be placed in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before needed. |
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Meat should be covered with plastic wrap or placed in a leak-proof bag in a large bowl or pan on the lowest shelf to prevent it from dripping on prepared foods. |
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For best results and taste, allow meat to thaw thoroughly before cooking. |
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Microwave |
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Following your microwave manual's defrost instructions, thaw on a microwaveable plate covered with plastic wrap. Rotate plate one-quarter turn 4 times during the defrost cycle, checking portions before each rotation. Turn portions over and re-cover with plastic wrap halfway through the defrost cycle. |
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Microwave ovens vary. Defrosting times are approximate. Some microwaves may thaw foods faster than others. Follow your microwave manual's defrost instructions. |
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This method is not effective for large items.
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Thawing Fully Cooked Chicken, Beef and Pork |
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Do not thaw Fully Cooked frozen products. Instead, cook product from a frozen state and follow the cooking instructions accordingly. |
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All Tyson Fully Cooked products are individually frozen during the production process to ensure freshness and prevent freezer burn.
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