Is it Safe to Cook Food Without Thawing?

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Is it Safe to Cook Foods Without Thawing?

Question:

Is it safe to cook foods without thawing?

Answer:

Yes, it is 100% safe to cook foods without thawing.
Foods can safely go from the freezer to the oven.
The best results may or may not be reached, depending on the food involved, but it is safe.

Is it Safe to Cook Foods Without Thawing?

Concerns When Cooking Foods Without Defrosting

According to the USFDA, it is safe to cook foods from the frozen state. [1]

Although safe, there are a few things that should be mentioned on the topic of cooking foods from their frozen state:

Multiply the cooking time needed by 1.5 if starting from frozen.
Cooking food from the frozen state will require approximately 50% more time to cook than if the food had been thawed first.

Some foods will come out just fine, whereas others will not have such stellar results.
Take for instance a turkey. Cooking it from frozen will take half again as long, which is already a long time from the thawed state. It will take longer for the center to cook and reach a safe internal temperature and by that time the outer portions of the bird will be either dry, burned or both.

Any edges that are not the same thickness as the centermost part may burn.
For instance, a frozen pie needs extra protection around its crust or the crust will become much too dark by the time the center of the pie is done.

Beware that any food containers used for this process must also be freezer to oven safe, as some may begin melting with high heat.

Most pre-made or pre-cooked foods come with directions for cooking from frozen.
If these products are thawed prior to cooking, then remember to decrease the listed cooking time by 33% (one-third) to achieve the proper results.

Is it Safe to Cook Foods Without Thawing?

Additional Information

If the food does thaw, is it safe to refreeze that food?

For more on frozen turkeys, see our post on cooking a frozen turkey.

To find out the best way to purchase shrimp, see our shrimp shopping tip. Shrimp can also be defrosted and then refrozen, but again only if it was frozen and defrosted properly according to the above rules.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.

SEARCH Eat By Date

By Ann| March 1st, 2019|Blog, FAQ|

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