Q: After Thanksgiving, my family and I always split the leftovers. Well, this year, we had a lot of leftover turkey, and so I froze half of mine. I forgot to lay it out to thaw, and now it’s rock hard and I can’t make dinner. Can you defrost turkey in the microwave?
A: Leftovers are some of the best dinner starters, yet when frozen, they require a bit of planning ahead of time. Thankfully, meat is one of the easiest to defrost in a hurry. The most important thing to remember is that you must defrost the item evenly. Otherwise, it poses a health risk.
Defrosting turkey pieces may seem like a daunting task, but with the help of your microwave, it goes by quite quickly while you get the rest of dinner together. To defrost in the microwave, simply place the turkey in a microwave-safe container, depending on if the bird was dry or moist, you may want to drizzle it with water to help it keep its juices, or soak some up.
Using the defrost setting, typically 1 pound of meat will defrost in about four minutes. You want the meat to still be chilled. To achieve consistent warming, be sure to flip the pieces halfway through cooking.
If your microwave does not have a defrost setting, follow the above steps, but simply use the power selection and set it to 50%.
Because microwaves vary, be sure to check the meat. Do not let the meat “cook” in some sections, as it quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. You must use the meat you microwave immediately; you cannot put it back in the fridge until it is thoroughly cooked.
Leftovers are quick, go-to meals when you are tight on time, or you are sticking to a budget. In today’s day and age, the microwave has made this a simple task. Defrost anything you need, even turkey, in just minutes.