Home » Can frozen chicken be marinated?

Can frozen chicken be marinated?

Can frozen chicken be marinated?

Chicken is a dinner menu staple in many homes as it is cost effective and versatile. You can do just about anything you want with chicken, whether it’s adding it to a casserole, marinating and baking it, or roasting it with your favorite garnishes.

We like to marinate chicken because you can change up the marinade and get some amazing flavors in the process.

But how many times do you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer until the last minute and then have to figure out how to do it?

Can frozen chicken be marinated? Yes, you can technically marinate frozen chicken, but it doesn’t really work well. It is much better to defrost the chicken and then proceed to marinate it for the best results. 

In this guide, we will share with you what happens if you marinate frozen chicken.

Remember that while you can do it, it’s not the best option if you want a flavorful chicken in the end. Of course, you will not have the same results.

We have several tips related to the best ways to get your chicken on its way to a delicious dinner.

Marinate Frozen Chicken

While it’s certainly possible to marinate frozen chicken without ruining it, it’s not advisable. The reasons mainly revolve around quality and how the frozen meat will interact with your marinade.

In the end, your marinade will be much less effective. The flavor you expect from your tasted marinade will not live up to your expectations.

We are going to delve a little deeper into this topic and give you some useful tips so that you can marinate the chicken when you forget to defrost it.

What to expect if you marinate frozen chicken

The purpose of a marinade is to infuse the meat and infuse it with a flavorful, juicy flavor. But if your chicken is frozen, the flavors can’t permeate the meat.

We know what you’re thinking right now: can you marinate it twice as long so it thaws and marinates simultaneously?

This idea sounds good in theory, and it may work a little, but not very well.

You see, what happens when you do this is that the ice and water that the chicken retained while it was frozen will mix with your marinade and thin it out. This will drastically reduce the flavor that your marinade relies on.

Plus, the marinade does more than just enhance the flavor of your chicken. That marinade soak is also a great way to make your chicken juicy and tender and prevent it from drying out without much effort.

If you choose to marinate frozen chicken, keep in mind that the meat will not be anywhere near as tender or juicy as a traditional marinade for raw chicken would provide.

Ideally, you’ll get much better results if you thaw the chicken first.

If you marinate the chicken while it’s frozen, you should let it thaw before cooking, and then you could add some additional marinade before attempting to cook it.

Can you marinate frozen chicken overnight?

If you’ve made it a point to marinate frozen chicken, we recommend a lengthy process. Allowing the frozen chicken to marinate overnight will give it more time to defrost and absorb all the flavor.

Just remember that as the chicken thaws, the frozen items will water down the marinade and it won’t be as effective. 

In this case, however, you’ll probably want to let the chicken thaw overnight and add the marinade in the morning.

You most likely won’t be making that chicken first thing in the morning, so your marinade will be much more effective using this method.

Is it unsafe to marinate frozen chicken?

If you choose to marinate frozen chicken, the good news is that it’s safe to do so.

We are all in a hurry and forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer in advance. There are processes that can help defrost chicken more quickly so you can marinate it more effectively.

If you are short on time and just need to marinate the chicken, you can do it frozen. Although we do not recommend it, there is nothing unsafe about doing so.

Before cooking the meat, you will need to let it thaw. This allows the chicken to cook better while still being tender and juicy through the process. It also makes the marinade more likely to work.

If you use this process, be sure to discard any excess marinade to prevent bacterial contamination as well.

Tips for Marinating Frozen Chicken

The best way to flavor frozen chicken is to thaw it first. Later in this article, we will share with you some defrosting methods that can help you enjoy the best of both worlds. We will get to them shortly.

If not, your alternative is to marinate the frozen meat and ultimately take what you can flavor wise.

If you go this route, plan to add more marinade and massage it into the chicken as it thaws.

If you are going to use a marinade on frozen meat, there are some mixes that work better than others.

Using an acidic ingredient in the mix makes all the difference. This is because the acid helps to tenderize the meat during the marinating process.

If you’re marinating frozen chicken, be sure to use an acidic ingredient and some type of oil so that the meat has the best chance of being flavorful and tender when you cook it.

Another tip that you can use here would be to prepare the chicken with the marinade before freezing it. We recommend that you cut it into smaller pieces so that when you thaw it, not as much meat leaks out.

When you bring the chicken home from the store, cut it up and then prepare the marinade. You can do this and then freeze the chicken until you are ready to use it.

This will allow the marinade to soak in as it freezes initially and won’t be as affected by the natural water when it comes time to thaw and cook it.

The marinade and chicken will thaw together before you cook it and will be more effective overall.

Thaw Chicken Before Marinating

There is more than one way to defrost your chicken if you forget to remove it earlier for the defrosting process.

Some of the options we share below will work much faster and allow you to defrost your chicken and then marinate it for optimal results.

How to defrost chicken with hot water

A good way to defrost chicken that is much faster than letting it sit for several hours is to use hot water.

This is a normal defrosting process. It still takes some time, but it will take a lot less than doing nothing.

  1. Grab a large saucepan or bucket. You can even use the sink if it’s big enough.
  2. Run enough hot water to submerge the chicken package. Let the hot water do its job. This process will probably take 30-60 minutes to actually defrost the chicken, but it’s a faster way to get the job done.

If you decide to use the hot water process, you will need to leave the chicken packaged or wrapped during the process. You will also need to change the water regularly during the process.

When the water cools, drain it or throw it away and start over with fresh, hot water. You can also stir the water every few minutes to prevent cold pockets from forming in the water.

The trick is to use very hot water and to keep the hot water as replenished as possible. If you do it right, you can have defrosted chicken in just 30 minutes of your time.

This is a bit of work, as you have to monitor the water and replenish it often, but in the end it will be much better than trying to marinate frozen chicken.

How to defrost chicken in the fridge

Another way to defrost chicken is in the fridge. This process takes longer than the previous method. This is the traditional defrosting process and it works great if you have a little more time.

Thawing chicken in the fridge requires planning and, of course, remembering to take the chicken out of the freezer to begin with. The best way to defrost chicken in the fridge is to take it out of the freezer the night before and place it in the fridge.

When you put the chicken in the fridge, we recommend that you find the warmest place. This varies from fridge to fridge, but ultimately you should avoid placing it next to the fan or near the ice maker in the door.

If you remember to take the chicken out of the freezer, thawing it in the fridge overnight is the ideal process, and it’s pretty straightforward.

Your chicken will be ready to marinate in the morning.

How to defrost chicken in the microwave

Depending on your chicken, you can use the microwave to make the defrosting process easier. This process is best for small amounts of chicken and pieces that aren’t really thick.

We do not recommend using this process for a whole chicken.

Most microwaves have a defrost option and this is what you should use. Your intention is not to cook the meat, but to help speed up the defrosting process, so the microwave is a good option, especially if you’re short on time.

Program your microwave to defrost. It is recommended to use 2 minutes each time for chicken. Every 2 minutes, check the chicken and turn or move it so it doesn’t dry out.

You will most likely notice that as this process unfolds, the chicken turns a color around the edges that looks like it is cooking. Don’t worry, this is simply a reaction to the chicken heating up so quickly.

Use this defrosting process until the chicken is almost tender and thawed. You will probably be able to use the chicken in less than 10 minutes using this process.

Once you have defrosted it in the microwave, you can continue the process as normal and we are sure that your marinade will work wonders.

We hope you find this guide to marinating frozen chicken a valuable resource. Although it’s not an easy answer, there are many ways to marinate chicken so you can enjoy a juicy, tender flavor.

Take a look at our Q&A section below for some additional details that might be helpful to you.

What is the fastest way to defrost chicken?

The fastest defrosting method when you’re in a pinch is the microwave. You can usually have thawed chicken in 5-10 minutes. You just have to pay attention to know that the chicken is not cooking in the microwave.

How long can you marinate chicken?

The USDA indicates that you can marinate chicken in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Then it’s time to cook it so you don’t have to worry about it going bad.

This does not include thawing time in the fridge, but rather marinating time after the chicken is thawed.