DCB for Frozen Foods: Tips and Tricks for Cooking Delicious Meals on the Fly

[Tams]

Has anyone used the DCB to cook frozen foods (i.e. chicken, ground beef, etc.)? I have someone who is single and usually cooks on the fly which means a lot of fast food. She is thinking of buying a DCB, but only if she can use it to cook (microwave) with frozen foods. I have not tried any of my DCB recipes with frozen items. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[JennLizFran]

I have cooked frozen chicken breasts many many times in the DCB and they always come out perfect!

 

[skaugchef]

I have cooked frozen chicken breasts many many times in the DCB and they always come out perfect!

How long does it take to cook a frozen chicken?

 

[Tams]

Thanks Jenn! How much additional cooking time do you add to the recipe?

 

[pamperedlinda]

I cooked frozen hamburger in it and it was fine - just took a few extra minutes.

 

[nikkies]

How long does it take to cook a frozen chicken?

I'm going to guess there is a big difference between cooking a whole frozen chicken and a couple frozen chicken breasts.

I'm going to be attempting white chicken chili with frozen breasts tonight Not thighs and no time to thaw them.

 

[Tams]

Nikkies - I love the chicken chili. Please let me know how it comes out with frozen chicken.

Thanks!

 

[NooraK]

I would email the Test Kitchens about a frozen chicken before trying it. I know the microwave works differently, but the U&CG says we shouldn't put frozen food on the stones to avoid thermal shock.

 

[JennLizFran]

For the frozen chicken breast:
A Small one only about 8 minutes
For a med Size one about 11 minutes
For a large one about 14 minutes

I've never done a whole chicken frozen, but I'm guessing a single girl cooking for herself would probably do individual breasts.

I buy the individually frozen ones by Perdue.

 

[JennLizFran]

Also a tip, I usually start with the smallest amount of time and then check it, it doesn't take much for the frozen breasts to dry out from overcooking!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

I do this all the time...I never know what I want to eat the following day. For the fajitas, using 3-4 chcken breasts, it's about 18 minutes. Typically add an additional 5 minutes to the recipe. You can do the same with frozen ground beef, but I tend to pull out my micro-cooker so I can drain it. Now that we have the scoop n drain, I may be reaching for my dcb as the clean up might be easier.