Cooking frozen meat is a time-saving method, especially if you need to prepare a meal without too much notice. Frozen chicken breast can be baked in the oven or even in a pan without losing its good flavor.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Baked
Step 1. Get a baking sheet with internal grill
You can also put a normal grill inside a pan.
This pan and grill combination allows you to cook the chicken without it being soaked in its own juices
Step 2. Cover the pan with aluminum foil
This way you avoid getting the dish too dirty and the chicken will cook faster.
Step 3. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C and place the grill on the middle shelf
- Make sure the cooking temperature is always 180 ° C or higher. This ensures the elimination of bacteria that instead proliferate at lower temperatures.
- If you don't want the chicken to dry out, place the breasts in a non-stick pan. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C; this higher temperature is necessary if you plan to cook covered meat. Cooking times are mostly similar.
Step 4. Remove 1 to 6 chicken breasts from the freezer
It is not necessary to wash them before cooking.
Step 5. Arrange them in a pan lined with foil
Try to distance them from each other.
Step 6. Make a spice blend according to your taste
15 to 90g of spices will be needed depending on the amount of meat you need to cook.
- Try a combination of salt, pepper, and lemon juice if you want a mildly flavored dish. You can also find specific flavors for chicken meat on the market.
- If you prefer a more decisive dish, pour some barbecue sauce or another type of sauce over the meat inside the non-stick pan.
Step 7. Remember to sprinkle flavorings on both sides of the breasts
After seasoning one part, turn the meat with the kitchen tongs and proceed to the second side.
Avoid touching raw, frozen chicken with your bare hands. Use a pastry brush to spread the sauce and tongs to turn the meat
Step 8. Place the pan in the oven
Set the timer for 30 minutes or 45 minutes if you plan not to add the sauces.
Since the chicken breast is frozen, you will need to increase the cooking time by about 50%. So, if you usually cook chicken breast for 20-30 minutes, you will need to set the timer for 30-45 minutes with the frozen one
Step 9. After half an hour, remove the pan from the oven
Spread the meat with the barbecue sauce or marinade.
Step 10. Return the pan to the oven
Set the timer for 15 minutes.
Step 11. Check the core temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer
This step is essential, since cooking time alone is not a sufficient indicator to determine if the meat is ready or not.
After the time has elapsed, when the chicken has been in the oven for 45 minutes, insert the probe of the thermometer into the meat. If the reading is 74 ° C then you can serve the chicken
Method 2 of 2: Pan-fried
Step 1. Cut the chicken into cubes
You can also sauté it whole, but if you have cut it into strips and / or cubes you will reduce cooking times.
You can use the microwave to slightly defrost the chicken, making it easier to cut it up. Remember to immediately use the meat you defrosted with this technique
Step 2. Season it
You can have added some spices, a sauce, or even just salt and pepper before you freeze the chicken, or you can add them while it is defrosting in cooking.
- You can also boil it in the broth to enrich the flavor and prevent it from drying out.
- Remember that if you try to season the meat while it is still frozen, the flavorings will not penetrate the fibers.
Step 3. Put a tablespoon of oil in the pan
It would be better to use olive oil, but you can opt for seed or butter.
- Put the pan on high heat and wait for the oil to heat up (or for the butter to melt).
- If you have decided to use broth, chicken or vegetables, add it at this time.
Step 4. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan
Lower the heat to medium heat and place the lid on the pan. Let the meat cook.
Step 5. Cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes
Do not lift the lid to check the cooking, so the heat is trapped.
- Just like cooking in the oven, cooking in a pan also takes longer to prepare frozen food (about 50% more than non-frozen meat).
- After 2-4 minutes, add the spices and seasonings you have decided to use.
Step 6. Turn the meat
Use kitchen tongs for this.
Step 7. Lower the heat and cover the pan
Set a timer for 15 minutes and let the chicken simmer. Do not lift the lid to check the doneness.
Step 8. Turn off the stove and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes
Once it has been cooked for a quarter of an hour, allow it to rest for the same amount of time.
Step 9. Check the internal temperature
Remove the lid from the pan and check the cooking with the meat thermometer, you should see a reading of about 74 ° C.
Check that the meat inside is not pink
Step 10. Finished
Advice
- Don't use a slow cooker to make frozen chicken. This appliance, as the name implies, cooks at low temperatures and for a long time, creating an environment conducive to bacterial proliferation, even if set at maximum power. For this reason, always defrost the chicken you plan to cook with the slow cooker.
- Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave. It is very difficult to maintain a constant temperature inside this type of oven, so bacterial colonies can develop.
- If you need to prepare frozen chicken quickly, defrost it in the microwave with the “defrost” function and then cook it in the oven or pan.
- Don't leave defrosted meat in the microwave at room temperature to avoid food poisoning.
