How to Defrost Meat: Expert Advice on the Correct Method, Even When You’re Short on Time

It is generally not recommended to cook meat directly from frozen, depending on the cut, because the inside may remain frozen or undercooked. For thinner cuts, the risk of bacterial growth is minimal, but the meat may be unevenly cooked.

It is also important not to refreeze something that has just been thawed. Even if defrosting occurs in the fridge, some bacteria can still proliferate. As mentioned earlier, freezing temperatures don’t kill bacteria, they simply stop them. So if you refreeze food, the bacteria will multiply again, but in larger numbers, as if they’re starting from the middle of the race track.

Is There a Way to Refreeze Thawed Food?

The only way to safely refreeze something is by cooking it first. For example: if you have raw meat that was frozen, you let it thaw, cook it, and if there are leftovers, you can refreeze it, because cooking kills the bacteria present.

We know that some people may say, “Who cares about the cold chain? If I cook the meat, everything will be fine.” Well, not really. While cooking kills some bacteria, the changes in taste and texture caused by bacterial growth remain. And cooking doesn’t work miracles—bacteria could still survive the cooking process, or they might migrate deeper into the meat, making it harder to destroy them during cooking.

Conclusion

In the end, the best thing to do is set a reminder to take the meat out of the freezer in time and place it in the fridge to thaw.