Defrosting steak may seem unnecessary, but it’s the step that ensures your meat cooks evenly. The steak in the refrigerator is below room temperature, making it difficult to cook at once.
Even worse, cooking steak straight from the freezer can cause overheating in your microwave. So you must defrost your steak before cooking – it’s the fastest method.
In this short article, we’ll look at how to defrost steak in the microwave and much more.
Can You Defrost Steak in the Microwave?
Yes, it is okay to defrost steak in the microwave. This gives you an easy task when you want to cook the steaks right away.
While it is possible to defrost steak in the microwave, it is less effective than using a refrigerator. In the latter option, you only need to store your steaks frozen in the refrigerator for 24 hours before nuking them.
When defrosting, one key consideration is to keep your steak at safe temperatures to prevent the growth of bacteria. There is no way bacteria will survive the temperatures in your refrigerator, so your steak will thaw safely.
But you may have to consider a quicker method if you don’t want to wait long for your steak to thaw.
On that note, your go-to option is to defrost your steak in a microwave to save you time and get excellent results.
Unlike the refrigerator method, which requires you to wait at least 24 hours for your steak to thaw, the microwave method is quicker and more convenient.
Wondering how to do this?
Most microwaves have a defrost setting; I hope yours has this setting. If it does, you’re set to defrost your steak in a pinch – if you need to eat it right away!
If the setting isn’t there, just set your heat setting at 30%.
One drawback of defrosting your steak in the microwave is drying off its juices. In this case, your steak will be much tougher and less mouth-watering.
But your steak won’t dry out if you keep checking frequently. You should also not keep it too long in the microwave because that can make it cook.
After thawing, you can proceed with your favorite cooking method and enjoy your delicious steak with family and friends.
Related: How to defrost ground beef in the microwave
How to Quickly Defrost Steak in the Microwave
Using cold water, you can defrost your steak quickly and safely in 30 minutes. Defrosting steak in the microwave is the quickest and most convenient option when you’re short on time.
You’ll realize that steak becomes juicier and mouth-watering when you defrost it. Sometimes you don’t have time to wait a whole day for the steak to thaw in the refrigerator.
That time when you’re starving from work, you need to make your dinner faster. After a week of work, I experience the abrupt need for steak on Friday evening, so I opt for the microwaving method.
The good news, defrosting your steak becomes hassle-free and very quick when you use your microwave. Besides being fast and effective, the microwaving method enables you to prepare a crusty and juicy steak that makes you salivate when cooking it.
Defrosting your steaks in the microwave works best when you cook them right away. Never keep steak after defrosting in the microwave because it may trap bacteria.
But defrosting your steaks in the microwave has some drawbacks, despite being the quickest. After defrosting in the microwave, your steaks may have a different texture and color.
So defrosting your steak in the microwave should be your last resort.
In the worst cases, you’ll find that some parts of your steak are cooked when defrosting. But the microwave method may only take you 5 minutes to finish defrosting one pound of steak.
You can defrost your steak in the microwave quickly through the following steps:
- Remove your steaks from the freezer.
- Take your steaks out of their plastic or Styrofoam packaging because they’re not microwavable, and place them in a glass or ceramic plate.
- Turn on the defrost setting on your microwave, or set the power level to 30%.
- Set the microwave time to defrost your steak at 2-5 minutes. One pound of steak may take up to 5 minutes to be done.
- To improve your defrosting, turn on the auto defrost option.
- Ensure your steaks are heating evenly by flipping them every 30 seconds. If you leave them unattended, they may take longer and overcook.
- After defrosting your steaks, immediately take them out of the microwave to cook them. Leaving them to sit after defrosting may allow bacteria to spread and cause foodborne disorders.
How to Defrost Steak in the Microwave without ruining it
Although microwaving is the quickest method to defrost your steaks, getting perfect results may take a lot of work.
When cooking food in the microwave, you may have noticed that the appliance may burn your food if you’re not careful.
There’s no exception to this when it comes to defrosting. One minute without focusing on your steak can cost you your meal.
I know you like your steak to be crusty, evenly cooked, and juicy. The good news is that you can achieve all these using your microwave.
But how you do the defrosting dictates the results you get. Some mistakes that may prevent you from getting these results include:
- Using extreme temperatures.
- Using containers that aren’t microwave-safe.
You don’t want to risk destroying your steak by setting the heat level above 30%. Neither do you want to put a container that is not microwave-safe in your appliance because that may ruin your machine in addition to spoiling your meal.
So, the first step to ensure your steak is not ruined when defrosting is to look for a microwavable plate or dish. You’ll place your steak in this container when placing it into the microwave.
The next key thing is to turn on the defrosting setting on your microwave. If yours doesn’t have this setting, please set your power level at 30%.
Using the correct heat setting and type of microwaving material you use only saves you from half the trouble – there are more risks to look out for when defrosting in the microwave. These dangers include overheating and heating unevenly and may cause as much trouble as using a container that is not microwavable or heating at a high power setting.
To ensure your steak heats evenly, you must flip the pounds over after 30 seconds. While flipping, keep checking whether your steak is ready.
One pound will take up to 5 minutes to be ready for cooking.
After defrosting, you must ensure your steak doesn’t catch bacteria. To achieve this, cook the steaks immediately after you defrost them in the microwave.
How Long Does it Take to Defrost Steak Tips?
Defrosting steak tips can take hours or minutes, depending on the method you decide to use. You may use water, a freezer, or a microwave to defrost your steak.
A refrigerator can take 7 hours to 24 hours to get your steak ready for cooking. But you may not have many hours to wait for the steak to thaw, especially when you’re running for a short time or starving after work.
That’s where the microwave comes in. With just 5 minutes of your time, you can prepare one pound for cooking.
The time will increase with the number of steaks you add to the menu. But as you can see, this method is quicker than the others and easy to carry through.
But despite being easy and quick, the microwave method can be quite destructive. You shouldn’t defrost your steak in a hurry.
If you rush, you may cause your steak to cook rather than defrost. In other cases, your meal may be overcooked. So you must be strategic and patient to make it work perfectly.
To be sure, find a microwave-safe plate and use it to defrost your steak. You must also check after every 30 seconds while flipping your steaks to cook evenly.
Your steak should be ready for cooking after 5 minutes if you defrost it with the microwave.
Can You Defrost Steak Without a Microwave?
Yes, it’s not mandatory to use a microwave to defrost steak. There are several other methods to defrost steak, such as:
- Using the refrigerator
- Using cold water
These options are vital if you don’t have a microwave. You may also opt to use them if you have enough time to wait for your meat to get ready for cooking.
These alternative methods take from 7 to 24 hours to get your steak ready for cooking.
That means these methods may not be convenient if you’re short on time. In such a case, you may want to consider the microwaving method, which only takes 5 minutes to get your steak ready for cooking.
Bottom Line
Defrosting your steak with the microwave is the quickest yet riskiest method. If you’re not keen, you can easily cause your meat to dry off and lose its juicy and crusty properties.
But following the guidelines in this article will enable you to defrost your steak faster and safely with the microwave.