Fill a large bowl with hot water. Take a large glass or ceramic bowl out of the cabinet. Turn the water to your tap on the hottest setting and give it 1-2 minutes to heat up all the way. Fill the bowl with your water and use a thermometer to see if it’s hotter than 125 °F (52 °C). If it is, you’re good to go. If it isn’t, put the water in a pot and heat it on your stove until it’s hotter than 125 °F (52 °C) before putting it back in the bowl.
This method is the riskiest of all possible options, since bacteria can grow on the outer surfaces of your meat as the water cools. If done properly, it’s perfectly safe though. To keep your meat safe, the water must stay above 100 °F (38 °C), so you’ll need to stir the water to avoid pockets of cooler water and replace the water as it cools.
Warning: This method only works with thinner cuts of meat that are less than 2–3 pounds (0.91–1.36 kg) and take 15 minutes or less to thaw. Thicker meats will take too long to thaw using this method and you may end up giving bacteria time to grow on the outer layers of your meat.
Put your meat in a leak-proof plastic bag. If you stored your meat in a leak-proof plastic bag, you don’t need to worry about changing the packaging as long as it’s airtight. If you stored in foil or wax paper though, take a large plastic bag to your freezer and open the door. In the freezer, place your meat in the plastic bag and seal it.
Putting the meat in your bag while it’s still in the freezer will ensure that no room-temperature air from your room gets into the bag.
Try to force as much of the air out of the bag as possible before sealing it. You need to submerge the meat, and if you leave a bunch of air inside, the meat will float to the top.
Submerge your meat in the water and weigh it down with a slotted spoon. Place your plastic bag in the water. Use a slotted spoon to push it to the bottom of the bowl. If the bag floats to the surface of the water, open the bag a little at the top. Squeeze the bottom of the bag to force the excess air out and then seal the bag.
Stir the water with your spoon and monitor the water temperature. Use your slotted spoon to gently stir the water right above your meat. The cold cut of meat will make the water surrounding it colder than the water in the other parts of the bowl, so stirring lightly keeps the hot water circulating around the meat. Use your thermometer to check the temperature of the water once every 1-2 minutes.
Stirring also speeds up the thawing process, which is important since you’re warming the meat to thaw it.
Refill the water as needed to keep it above 100 °F (38 °C). As you stir, continue to monitor the temperature. If the water falls below 100 °F (38 °C), add more hot water to the bowl after putting it in the sink. Continue filling the bowl until you’ve replaced most of the water and moved the temperature back up beyond 125 °F (52 °C). This will ensure that the water doesn’t get cool enough to promote bacteria growth.
You may need to replace the water 2-3 times depending on how thick your meat is, and how hot your tap water is.
Remove your meat after 10-15 minutes and cook it immediately. As soon as your meat appears to be thawed, remove it from the bowl. Work quickly to get it in the oven, microwave, or on the stove before any bacteria can start growing. For most filet, wing, or breast cuts, your meat should be thawed after 10-15 minutes.
You can touch the meat by lifting it out of the bowl with your slotted spoon and pressing it lightly. If it’s soft and seems like it’s no longer frozen, it’s ready to be cooked.