Is a partially frozen chicken safe if not immediately cooked at the proper temperature?
I put a partially frozen (inside) chicken in my convection oven, set it to what I thought was 400ºF (200ºC) and left the room with a timer on. An hour later it was discovered the temperature was only 150-200ºF (65-93ºC). It was in the convection oven an hour! I quickly set the correct temperature and finished cooking it. I just don't know if the hour it spent in the convection oven on the lower temperature did something with bacteria. I cooked it to an internal temperature of 180ºF (80ºC) degrees. Is it safe to eat this chicken?
Best Answer
Assuming you thawed the chicken (to the extent that you did) in the refrigerator, and further assuming that it took less than an hour to reach a safe internal temperature, I would say you are fine. An internal temperature of 180ºF (80ºC) is safe by quite a margin.
The USDA recommends that home cooks do not keep food within the "Danger Zone" of 40-140ºF (4-60ºC) for more than 2 hours. This includes preparation and cooking time. If you thawed the bird on the kitchen counter, or if your chicken accompanied you on a long journey from the supermarket in an unfrozen state, you'll have to factor that time in.
As @Jefromi's comment on another answer notes, simply reaching a high enough internal temperature is not a guarantee of safety since some microbes produce toxins that are heat-stable.
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Is it OK to cook partially frozen chicken?
Cooking Partially Frozen ChickenYou can bake your partially frozen chicken as planned, but you may need to increase the cooking time. The USDA suggests when cooking frozen meats to increase cooking by 1.5 times the original cooking time.What happens if chicken is not fully defrosted before cooking?
If food is still frozen or partially frozen, it will take longer to cook. The outside of the food could be cooked, but the centre might not be, which means it could contain harmful bacteria.How to Quickly Defrost Frozen Meat In Under 5 Minutes | Step by Step Instructions | The simple way
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Answer 2
No, do not eat food that has slowly passed through the danger zone.
In my food handler classes I learned that any food that quickly moves from HOT --> Cold is safe, and visa versa. However, it is un-safe to eat food that has slowly moved through the temperature zones.
IMO eat at your own risk.
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