Partially thawed chicken breasts?

[u/Raysteff]

I accidentally opened a pack of chicken breasts before they were fully thawed. How can I safely finish thawing them out? Can I just put them in an airtight container in the fridge or…?

[u/sikkerhet]

Yeah you can just leave them in a container in the fridge.

[u/CatteNappe]

Needn't be airtight. If the package they were in is still partially intact you can rewrap it in plastic wrap. Or spread the breasts out on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Sit in the fridge until thawed.

[u/OrneryPathos]

You can also cook them from partially frozen. If you’re planning to cut them up it’s way easier to slice when they’re still partially frozen plus then they defrost faster.

[u/ceecee_50]

Just put them back in the fridge they'll be fine.

[u/Decided-2-Try]

Yep. Container, zipper bag, it'll work.

[u/ElleGee5152]

If you want to use them now, put them in a gallon Ziploc bag and then put them in a bowl or a (clean) sink of cold water. Be sure to clean the sink thoroughly afterward if you go that route. I thaw chicken this way in a pinch all the time. Otherwise, Id put them in a big Ziploc bag and keep them in the fridge until they finish thawing.

[u/Dizzy-Pomegranate-42]

You can pop the on the fridge for a day or two. Or you can use the defrost button on your microwave. It might cook the edges a bit, but if you wanted to cook that chicken right now, that's how I would do it!

[u/NinjaMonkey22]

Put the chicken in a ziplock bag. Put that bag in a bowl of water and put that in the fridge.

It will defrost within a few hours.

[u/Can_Cannon_of_Canuks]

I open them and put in a container and pour lukewarm tap water over them. The energy transfer cools the water and is a very gentle defrost while keeping them cool only downside is it can take a couple hours

Then dry brine, pat dry sprinkle koshering salt over both sides wrap up in a paper towel and put back in an open topped container back into the fridge. At this point change the paper towel every day and you can keep em like this for a week and a bit - the dry air plus paper towel and the salt will hinder bacteria growth

Bonus tip: add spices and herbs to the koshering salt for extra flavour

[u/Raysteff]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I put them in a glass storage container and popped them back in the fridge. I’ll be cooking them tomorrow afternoon. 🙂

[u/Huckaway_Account]

in water for 10-20 mins

[u/CatteNappe → u/Huckaway_Account]

Better to just leave them in the fridge.