Quick Ways to Cook Frozen Chicken

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So you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer and it's almost dinnertime. You could put the frozen meat in cold water or in the refrigerator, but both of those thawing methods take time and your family is hungry. Defrost the chicken in the microwave or use several other methods to get a delicious chicken dinner on the table fast.

Pressure Cooker

If you have a pressure cooker, you can quickly cook frozen boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Set on high, the pressure cooker will take about seven to 10 minutes to cook the meat. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your model. It's not a good idea to try to cook a whole frozen chicken in a pressure cooker because you'll have to cook it longer, and the quality won't be as good as if you'd prepared it another way.

Stewing

Cook frozen chicken on your stove top in a pan of water or chicken broth. If you're cooking a whole chicken, remove it when it's completely thawed and cut the meat off the bones. Return the meat to the pan and continue cooking until it's tender, adding seasonings to taste. Try adding a dry ranch seasoning mix for kid-friendly flavor. For chicken stewed in broth, remove the cooked meat and make gravy. Serve the stewed chicken over rice, mashed potatoes or biscuits. You can also use stewed chicken in soup or casseroles.

Baking

Baking is one of the easiest ways to cook frozen chicken. Lightly grease a baking pan or roaster, or spray it with cooking spray. Set the frozen chicken in the pan, cover it and bake. Check the doneness of the meat after 45 minutes to an hour using a meat thermometer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that poultry should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When the chicken is partially baked, add potatoes and vegetables to make a casserole, or continue baking and serve it as is.

Grilling

Thaw frozen chicken in the microwave and immediately finish cooking it on the grill. Take the chicken out of its foam tray and remove plastic wrapping before thawing it. To avoid partially cooking the meat while microwaving it, set the power to 50 percent or lower and turn it frequently while it defrosts. Brush the thawed chicken with butter, olive oil or vegetable oil, season it to taste and put it on the grill.