For many years it was considered unsafe to try and cook meat from frozen. However, times have changed and it is now a safe and convenient way to prepare your meal.
So how do you cook meat from frozen? Provided you follow some simple rules and ensure that the internal temperature of your food reaches 160ºF, high enough to kill any bacteria, cooking your meat from frozen is perfectly safe. You will need to allow an extra half to twice the normal cooking time to ensure the food is fully cooked through.
There are some things you need to consider when choosing to cook your meat straight from the freezer, and we will now use this article to explain what those are.
Cooking a Roast From Frozen
Cooking a roast from frozen is perfectly safe, however you are going to want to allow close to double the normal cooking time to ensure that the meat is cooked all the way through to a high enough temperature to kill any harmful bacteria.
Now you may be thinking that the title of this article said cooking from frozen was a “quick” option, and yet the cooking time is doubled? Well, yes, technically the cooking time is twice a long, however had you decided to thaw the roast prior to cooking, you would have to wait approx 24hrs to get it into the oven.
Any roast can be cooked from frozen safely, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey etc. Just be sure to allow an extra half to twice the cooking time than you would for cooking a fresh roast.
Roasts with bones will take longer to cook than boneless!
So here are some tips for cooking a roast from frozen*
- Preheat your oven to 325 ºF
- Wash the roast under cold running water to remove surface ice and pat dry with paper towels, then season with desired rub.
- Place the roast in the oven covered for the first half of the extended cooking time
- Increase the heat to 350 – 400 ºF and uncover for the remainder of the cooking time
- About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, check the internal temperature of the meat with an instant read thermometer and guage the remaining cooking time required.
- Remove from the oven when the temeperature reaches a minimum of 145 ºF when measured in the thickest part of the roast.
- Allow to stand for 20 – 30 minutes before carving
* With the variences of appliances, these are just general guidelines for cooking. You are free to experiment with timings and oven temperatures to suit your own cooking style and tastes. Higher temperatures, lower temperatures, covered, uncovered, sear first, cook in liquid…… you get the idea, the possibiliteis are endless!
TOP TIP
If buying the meat fresh with the intention of freezing, season the meat prior to putting it into the freezer!
Cooking Whole Chickens & Poultry From Frozen
Whole chicken, turkeys and other birds can be safely cooked from frozen in a similar manner to those of pork or beef roasts.
As these meats are cooked with the bones, it is adviseable to allow twice the normal cooking time and an internal temperature of 160ºF in the thickest part to be reached before removing from the oven.
Allow the bird to rest for 20 – 30 mins prior to carving to complete the cooking process and allow the juices to settle back into the meat.
The same process should be followed if cooking poultry portions from frozen, although boneless chicken breasts will cook a little quicker than the bone in portions.
Cooking Steaks From Frozen
Cooking steaks and chops from frozen is actually considered a better way of cooking than thawing.
How can that be I here you ask?
When you sear the steak at a very high heat, preferably in a cast iron pan, to get the brown crust known as the maillard reaction, the frozen meat inside will not cook or turn grey at the edges, as often happens with thawed steaks.
Once seared, you will want to add your salt and pepper seasoning to the steak and place the cast iron pan into a low heat oven (275ºF) until the desired doneness is reached.
Be sure to monitor your steak closely during the oven cook process and use an instant read thermometer* to get an accurate temperature read.
Once the temperature gets to about 5º below the doneness you like, remove the steak and allow to stand for 5 – 10 minutes. During this resting time, the steak will continue to cook by another 5 – 10º and the juices will settle within the steak bringing you perfect succulent results.
* Some people are against the use of using a probe thermometer on steak for fear of letting all the juices leave the steak. Whilst there is no doubt that some juices may run, it is better to use the thermometer to ensure a perfectly cooked steak, rather than risk an under or overcooked ruined piece of meat.
Once you get to know the timings for cooking your steaks, you will rely less on the need for the thermometer as you will get to know what works best for you. Until you get to that point, use the thermometer, please!
Here is a chart that will allow you to take the steak out at the right temperature for the doneness you desire:
Rare
Medium Rare
Medium
Medium Well
Well Done
115 ºF – 120 ºF
120 ºF – 125 ºF
130 ºF – 135 ºF
140 ºF – 145 ºF
150 ºF or Higher
“Allowing your steak to rest for at least 5 minutes produces a juicy succulent steak”
Cooking Chops From Frozen
Cooking frozen pork chops follows a similar process to that of cooking frozen steaks.
You will want to get a cast iron or oven proof pan nice and hot and brown the chops on both sides prior to seasoning.
Once browned, you can top the chops with any other ingredients you wish to cook with them such as apples, onions, liquid etc and bake in the oven at 350 – 375 ºF until an internal temperature of 145 – 160ºF is achieved.*
Let the chops rest for an additional 5 – 10 minutes to finish the cooking process prior to serving.
* It is now safe to eat pork medium rare if you desire. So long as the internal temperature has reached a minimum of 145ºF and rested for a minimum of 3 minutes. You can read our article about cooking ‘Pink’ pork here
Slow Cooker Warning!
Frozen meat should not be cooked in a slow cooker!
Cooking Stewing or Diced Meat from Frozen
When cooking diced chunks of meat from frozen, you can follow the same recipe as for fresh, however be sure to increase the cooking time by at least 50%.
You can flour and brown the meat in a skillet prior to placing in the oven, or you can continue to cook on the hob if desired.
Be sure to check that the meat has reached a safe temperature of 150 – 160ºF before serving.
Slow Cooker Caution!
A slow cooker should not be used for cooking frozen meats of any kind, even smaller pieces such as diced. The long cooking process in a slow cooker means that the meat spends too long in the ‘danger zone’ before it reaches a temperature high enough to kill any bacteria. This could allow bacteria to multiply and cause illness. If you wish to use a slow cooker then it is advisable to thaw the meat beforehand!
Bonus Tip!
Fish Can Also Be Cooked From Frozen!
Following the same principles above, you can also cook fish from frozen.
For whole larger fish you will want to do in the oven.
For smaller whole fish or fish portions, you can do on the stove top.
Like with the meat, you want to increase the cooking times by 50 – 100% more than if you were cooking fresh fish, and use an instant read thermometer to ensure it has reached a temperature above 145 ºF
And Relax…..
So as you can see. If you get to dinner time and you realise you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer, you don’t have to change your whole menu.
Simply allow yourself a little longer prep time and go ahead and cook that frozen bird.
As long as you follow the safe practices of timings and temperature, nobody at the dinner table will be any wiser that you cooked your meat from frozen.
