Grilled chicken is one of the most delicious recipes you can make of chicken. There are many varieties of grilled chicken as well including tangerine chicken and so on. You can also make these recipes relatively quickly. But – what if you want to grill the chicken that has been in the freezer for days? You must be wondering can I grill frozen chicken or not. The good news is you can grill chicken directly from frozen.
It is difficult to find fresh chicken at the market. You have to buy frozen chicken and defrost it before using it in different dishes. However, it can take a lot of time. Sometimes, you simply don’t have time or patience for the chicken to defrost. You can grill chicken directly from frozen in this case but with some conditions.
How to Grill the Frozen Chicken the Right Way?
You have to cook the frozen chicken 50% longer than thawed chicken. Similarly, it is advisable to partially defrost the chicken before grilling using methods like water baths, refrigeration, and microwave.
Although grilling frozen chicken directly is safe yet it releases a lot of moisture while defrosting. As a result, it can lose some of its texture and flavor. Furthermore, cooking chicken directly from frozen also increases the chances of bacterial growth. Therefore, it is better to cook the chicken as early as possible after you bring it home from the market.
Tips for Grilling Frozen Chicken
The following lines present some great tips to successfully and safely grill frozen chicken. Implementing these tips will not only help you make a delicious chicken recipe but also meet all the food safety standards.
To begin with, you must defrost your chicken a little before putting it on a grill. This is how you can perfectly grill a frozen chicken.
Defrost
You have forgotten to defrost the chicken in time. Now, you are thinking can I cook frozen chicken on the grill? The simple answer is yes. However, you need more time to cook it perfectly and safely compared to defrosted chicken.
Cooking frozen chicken can also result in undercooked or overcooked meat. Therefore, you must thaw it a little to get a perfect and safe dish. Defrosting does not take much time. Meanwhile, you can prepare other ingredients or do household stuff.
You can defrost the chicken using the three main methods that are as below.
Refrigerate the Meat
The best way of defrosting the meat is to put it in the fridge. Thawing the meat in the fridge will provide you with a nice and tender chicken to grill. Beware that refrigerating frozen meat for more than 24 hours can result in bacterial growth. In this case, you have to defrost the chicken just for a while anyway.
Create a Water Bath
It is another easy and relatively quicker method of thawing meat. Fill the sink or a larger bowl with water and put the chicken in it. Leave it for an hour. Using this method ensures your chicken is nicely cooked.
Remember that you must use cold water for water baths only. Bacteria can grow considerably quickly if you use warm water.
Microwave
Finally, you can also use a microwave to thaw chicken or any meat. It takes even less time than a water bath. However, you need to keep an eye on your chicken. Just microwave the chicken for a couple of minutes in the defrost mode. Flip the chicken and defrost it for another minute.
Keeping it in the microwave for longer can burn it. Similarly, you must also cook the chicken immediately after microwaving it. The bacteria will proliferate if you leave the meat at room temperature.
How Do You Grill Frozen Chicken on the Grill?
Once you have defrosted your chicken, it is time to grill it. Defrosting the chicken a bit is important as it reduces the cooking time by 50%. Otherwise, cooking frozen chicken directly takes 20 additional minutes or 50% extra time.
This is because meat has to defrost before it actually starts cooking. Defrosting can take at least half an hour. Similarly, ensure that meat pieces are not under direct heat for them to thaw properly while being grilled.
You should never grill or cook frozen chicken in slow cookers as well. They cook your meat painfully slowly. It also provides bacteria with a favorable temperature range to grow. However, you can cook meat in a slow cooker if you have defrosted it beforehand.
Improperly grilled meat can also become rubbery. Try to cook the middle part properly and the meat should be tender in general.
Easy Grilled Frozen Chicken Recipe
All the above tips are for slightly defrosted chicken. However, we have also provided you with an excellent recipe if you want to put the frozen chicken directly on the grill.
First of all, put the required amount of oil in the pan followed by the chicken, salt, and all the seasonings you want to use. Keep the mixture for at least half an hour before you start grilling. Maintain medium heat for at least 15 minutes before grilling. Once the chicken is added, you can increase the heat.
Grilling can result in undercooked or overcooked meat if you have no means to check the temperature. Therefore, it is recommended to have a thermometer nearby.
The meat should have a brown color with a tender texture instead of rubbery. You can dip the chicken in your favorite dipping or eat it with some dressing.
Can You Grill Frozen Chicken Wings?
It is perfectly safe to grill frozen chicken wings just like all other parts of the chicken. You don’t need to defrost it after you remove it from the bag. Just cook them for 40 minutes on medium heat. Don’t forget to flip the wings halfway through. The cooking time also depends on the size of the wings as well as the type and heat of your grill.
Can You Grill Partially Frozen Chicken?
As mentioned, above, it is better to slightly defrost frozen chicken before you grill it. It will not only keep bacteria at bay but will also result in more tender and juicy chicken after being cooked. Cooking fully frozen chicken will take 50% longer. Similarly, it can also lose its quality and flavor.
Also Read: Are Pizza Hut Wings Gluten Free? Let’s Find Out
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it bad to grill frozen chicken?
You can safely cook frozen chicken without any side effects. It can offer you a delicious and mouthwatering dish. Just ensure that you cook the chicken properly and it is not overcooked or undercooked.
How long do you grill frozen chicken?
Generally, you should cook frozen chicken for 50% longer than defrosted chicken. For instance, it should be grilled for 20-30 minutes if it takes 10-15 minutes to cook normal chicken. Similarly, use indirect heat to cook the frozen chicken as it will help it to thaw properly.
How can you defrost chicken instantly?
You can defrost chicken instantly by creating a cold water bath. Put the chicken in a bowl of cold water and leave it for a while. It is the quickest method to thaw a chicken in our opinion. You have to keep a few things in mind. Never use warm water because it can expedite the growth of bacteria. Secondly, put the chicken in a sealed bag otherwise, water will sneak in and contaminate the meat.
Final Thoughts
Concluding, you can safely grill frozen chicken. It does not involve any risk and the taste is more or less the same. However, it is better to slightly thaw chicken before cooking if you want to enjoy tenderer and perfectly cooked meat.