How long to defrost 11 1bs. of chicken in the fridge?

We made 11 1bs. of chicken breast into kebobs and then froze it. How long will it take to defrost in the fridge?
Best Answer
To a first approximation, heat exchange occurs on the surface of an object, and then the heat must conduct through the object. So, again, continuing the approximation, the time for something to heat (or cool) completely depends on how thick it is.
Other things that matter a good deal are: the temperature difference (the colder your fridge, the longer it'll take); the amount of airflow (moving = faster); and finally how fast the air gives up heat. (You can't change how fast the air does, but you can defrost under cold running water instead, water gives up heat much better than air).
How cold your freezer is doesn't actually matter that much. This is because water's transition from solid to liquid actually takes a lot of energy; it dwarfs any difference from a -5F freezer v. a +5F freezer. (Also why ice cools so well.)
So, if you have frozen them in a thin layer, and your fridge is close to 40F (the hottest it should be, for safety reasons), it'll defrost fairly quickly. Probably within an hour or two.
If you have a 11 lb block of chicken, it'll take a long time, I'd suggest looking up turkey defrosting times for comparison. 11 lb block of chicken in a 34F fridge would take days.
Remember that since defrosting in the fridge keeps the kebobs out of the "danger zone" for the entire time, you can safely hold the defrosted kebobs in the fridge for a day or two. So if they defrost a day before you need them, it's not a problem.
Pictures about "How long to defrost 11 1bs. of chicken in the fridge?"



Quick Answer about "How long to defrost 11 1bs. of chicken in the fridge?"
Even a pound of ground chicken or a couple of pounds of boneless chicken breasts will probably take up to a day to fully thaw in the fridge, and a a bunch of bone-in pieces or a five pound bird might take two days. You can leave refrigerator-thawed chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.How long does chicken take to defrost in the fridge?
Chicken breasts, bone-in chicken, and whole chickens can take 1\u20132 days to thaw in the refrigerator.How long does it take to defrost 10 pounds of chicken?
Chicken thawing in the refrigerator should be wrapped and placed on a large plate in the bottom of the fridge to avoid dripping on other food when thawing. For this method, you should plan on approximately 10 hours per kilogram of chicken or 5 hours per pound.How long does it take to defrost 1.5 lbs of chicken?
Thawing Chicken in the Refrigerator Allow up to 24 hours per 1 to 5 pounds of frozen meat.How to Thaw Chicken Safely | 3 Easy Methods
More answers regarding how long to defrost 11 1bs. of chicken in the fridge?
Answer 2
I'm going to disagree with a couple of points here, sorry, new here, don't want to cause trouble.
I've never had even the smallest bits of meat defrost in the fridge in an hour or two. You're almost always looking at 24 hours. One lb of cubed stew meat takes a day.
Also, I wouldn't take a chance with chicken, ever. I wouldn't assume that the outer layers of a huge block of chicken thawing on Tuesday are as safe as the core which eventually will thaw out on Friday or Saturday. Every bit of raw chicken goes bad fast, even in the fridge.
Whenever in doubt, I thaw out my meats in ice baths. That's a big bunch of chicken, so I would half fill my sink with ice water and set the bag or bags in. They'll float, don't worry, as the they thaw they will sink. Put something heavy on top to hold it down, like a pot or roasting pan, but a little float-age isn't a big deal. Keep adding ice every hour, drain some water if you need to. You should have it all completely thawed in 3-6 hours, depending on how densely it's packed. This is how I do my whole chickens and 15 lb turkeys.
Thus it all thaws out in a short interval of time and then yes, you can totally keep in the fridge cold for a day or two till you need it.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Curtis Adams, laurent planson crequer, Mikhail Nilov, 경북 김