Have a frozen package of ch breasts, still frozen solid...

[applecrisp]

I have an almost two pound package of boneless chicken breasts (wrapped in the WFoods butcher paper) that I took out of the freezer yesterday morning. Still feels real frozen (ETA, just checked it out, so not frozen solid like a brick anymore but certainly still frozen)..

I usually split up the package and freeze in smaller portions.... so then of course defrosts quicker. And, I don't normally freeze right in the butcher paper wrapping but they said it was fine (I did toss in a ziploc).

So when defrosting packages of meat/poultry, I just defrost it on a plate, right in whatever its packaged in. Should I be doing something else for larger amounts, unwrapping etc? I don't typically defrost large qtys of meat/poulty since I typically cook for one or two. I didn't think it would be fully defrosted. I'm not looking to spead up things, just more curious about defrosting larger qtys of meat/poultry.

Oh, and I am sooooo definitely a defrost in the fridge person.

Thanks,

[oct2189]

I will admit that I defrost in the original package(in the fridge) if it's completely sealed plastic, even if the instructions say to unwrap first. Noone has died yet

[rb192519]

If you want to defrost in a hurry without compromising the meat you could soak it in warm water.

[RedKelly]

I had a "special plate" once that was used for defrosting. All you had to do was turn on the hot water, hold it underneath and then put the frozen meat on it. That worked really well.

[erin elizabeth]

Did a quick check of some food safety sites and I have to disagree with rb192519--it's cold water. Usually I put the meat or meat package in a zipper bag, close it, and immerse it in the sink filled with cold water. You're supposed to change the water every 30 minutes or so to keep it cold. This does quick work of defrosting.

[Leebot]

Yes, the cold water immersion trick works a treat. You don't want to use hot water because the meat can start cooking in spots.