How To Thaw Pork Chops And More The Right Way - Prairie Fresh

How to Thaw Pork Chops and More the Right Way

There are right and wrong ways to get your pork from frozen to recipe-ready. Below, you’ll find some tips, tricks and steps to take when you’re asking how to thaw pork chops, and more cuts, the right way. Thawing pork responsibly will give you peace of mind when it comes to putting a tasty, safe entrée on your dinner table.

How to Thaw Pork Chops: General Cooking Tips

1. Cook meat immediately after microwave thawing. Meat should not be thawed and then refrozen.
2. Cooking partially frozen pork in the oven is safe but will increase cooking time.
3. Do not cook frozen pork in a slow cooker.

Pork Defrosting Methods

• The best way to defrost pork is in the refrigerator in its wrapping.
• When defrosting in the microwave, follow the microwave manufacturer’s guidelines for defrosting meat. Cook meat immediately after microwave thawing.
• ​It’s safe to cook frozen or partially frozen pork in the oven, on the stove or grill without defrosting it first. The cooking time may be about 50% longer. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. It is best if frozen pork roasts are cooked at an oven temperature of 325 degrees F. Do not cook frozen pork in a slow cooker.

Pork Thawing Times to Know

It may go without saying, but the time a piece of pork needs to thaw is directly related to the size of that piece of pork. For example, a small cut like a pork chop will only require about 12 to 14 hours in the refrigerator before it is ready to cook.

A small roast will take three to five hours per pound, while a large roast will take four to seven hours per pound.

Things to Never Do When Thawing Pork

Now that you know the right way to thaw your pork, it’s important to be aware of the methods you should avoid. Food safety should be your number one concern when preparing meat.

• Never thaw on the kitchen counter.
• Never thaw in hot water.
• Don’t leave meat at room temperature for more than two hours.

See more pork tips.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance your site experience.Cookie SettingsAccept AllManage consent Close

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary Always Enabled Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional Functional Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Performance Performance Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Analytics Analytics Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Others Others Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. SAVE & ACCEPT