Where Should A Food Worker Thaw Frozen Chicken. Ideally, you should thaw frozen foods—particularly proteins like shrimp, poultry, or beef—in the fridge overnight because the refrigerator. If you can, keep your food in its original container or in a plastic, resealable bag to protect your kitchen sink and counter from germs.

Stir soups, sauces, gravies and chilies while the container is in an ice water bath. Small packages of meat — like a pound of beef or chicken — might thaw in an hour or less. But there’s an even speedier method: