AIBU To cook the chicken?

[Thatusernameisalreadytaken]

I took the chicken out of the freezer this morning, It's a whole chicken, fresh when frozen, ( I don't normally freeze a chicken, but I didn't check the date when I got it. and was out of date Friday, so popped it in the freezer Thursday night) Its been out for about 7 hours, it's not frozen, but it also hasn't defrosted completely, It's almost "icy"
Should I leave it for a few more hours and cook it later and have cold tomorrow, or will it be ok to cook now?

Have you left it out on the worktop to defrost or do you mean out of the freezer but in the fridge?

@HazelandChacha - I've left it out on the worktop, still in the packaging it came in.

I'd make sure it's thoroughly defrosted before you cook it

My mum once cooked a chicken that just had one tiny piece of ice in.

My dad vomited for days afterwards.

I'd finish defrosting it in the fridge now, then cook tomorrow. I wouldn't cook it on the bone when it isnt fully defrosted.

I doubt this is recommended but I've done it several times no problem, pop the chicken in a big bowl of cool water for maybe 10 mins or so then check again, fully submerged, it helps it finish thawing out. Just be careful with cross contamination obviously.

I wouldn't eat a chicken that had been defrosted at room temperature 🤢

I know you’re not supposed to cook a whole chicken from frozen but I do it all the time and we have never been ill as a result. I think you’d be fine to cook it today.

I’d be more concerned about defrosting an, almost out of date, chicken at room temp than cooking it from frozen tbh. Freezing & defrosting in the fridge is to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Food poisoning bacteria will not grow in the freezer, or at temperatures above 60°C. The optimum temperature for the growth of food-poisoning bacteria is 20°C to 45°C. Outside these temperatures growth slows and at refrigeration temperatures (-2°C to +4°C), most dangerous bacteria do not grow at all
britishpoultry.org.uk/introduction-to-campylobacter/

I wouldn't cook a chicken that's defrosted at room temperature at all, tbh. They're supposed to be defrosted in the fridge, aren't they?

I would just cook it from frozen. I've probably cooked a chicken from frozen or left chicken out to defrost at least once a wk for the last 20 odd years. Never caused any problems

If you happen to have a pressure cooker just use that from frozen

@icedcoffees I've defrosted meat in room temperature for decades. Fridge takes too long. I just make sure it's still cold to touch before cooking or putting in the fridge until ready for it.

[quote name532]@icedcoffees I've defrosted meat in room temperature for decades. Fridge takes too long. I just make sure it's still cold to touch before cooking or putting in the fridge until ready for it.[/quote]
I mean, I'm not saying it's guaranteed to cause you food poisoning, but defrosting chicken at room temperature isn't what's recommended when it comes to bacteria growth and food poisoning.

Personally it's just not a risk I'd take.

Hmmmm, mixed advice. I think I will leave it till tomorrow, best to be safe than sorry. Beans on toast for tea then....(at least the kids will be happy

@icedcoffees I get that, believe it or not I'm actually paranoid about food poisoning, but I do it several times a week and have done for years as I say, the meat doesn't sit there warm, it goes from frozen, to very cold, to in the fridge. The meat doesn't get to room temperature itself. I'm sure we'd have gotten ill at least once in the thousands of times I've done it if I was doing it badly.

I literally never defrost in the fridge. I have neither the time nor the space. The only time I’ve had food poisoning was from a restaurant meal.

I (might) submerge it in water in the sink for half an hour and then cook as normal. I might be tempted to add another ten or so minutes to the cooking time. I might just put it in though.

[quote name532]@icedcoffees I've defrosted meat in room temperature for decades. Fridge takes too long. I just make sure it's still cold to touch before cooking or putting in the fridge until ready for it.[/quote]
It takes days to defrost in my fridge too. I always defrost at room temperature and then cook until piping hot

I am a bit cavalier with food safety as it's just me here, but I would re- fridge and cook tomorrow. But take off the plastic so the air can get to it. Bacteria apparently proliferate under plastic, as I discovered last Christmas - unwrapped the Christmas chicken on Christmas Day and it was off. Very off.

Fill the sink up with cold water put the chicken in there it will finish defrosting in no time.

I always cook chickens from fully frozen, as long as it's thoroughly cooked it'll be fine

@BrisbaneandGone

I always cook chickens from fully frozen, as long as it's thoroughly cooked it'll be fine

How? I get that the obvious answer is ‘in the oven’ but for how long and at what temperature?

I use a meat thermometer