Dummy left some chickens out - what to do?

[JonM]

So last night I put a couple partially frozen chickens on the counter while I prepared a brine. After the brine was dissolved, I put the pot in the sink with cool water to cool down. Then I fell asleep on the couch.

Chickens were out for about three hours. When I woke up, I put them into the room-temp brine and added two trays of ice cubes then put the whole thing into the fridge.

Still good ya think?

 

[kh54s10]

I don't know? If they were still cold maybe. I might give them a sniff test then cook well done. Any questions on them being safe - throw them away!

 

[Pappers_]

If they were frozen and left out for three hours, I think they are likely fine. Of course, the microbiologists and food scientists would disagree, because you're not supposed to thaw meat at room temperature at all.

 

[headbanger]

If they were frozen and left out for three hours, I think they are likely fine. Of course, the microbiologists and food scientists would disagree, because you're not supposed to thaw meat at room temperature at all.

+1, I would cook them and test a leg or wing myself before feeding to anybody else.

 

[Ravenshead]

Three hours, meh. I've done worse lots of times without any issue.

 

[jungatheart]

OP needs to take a trip to Mexico and watch them prepare food. No one gets sick but you'd swear they would. Butcher is open air stall near town square. First thing you see is a huge piece of very black meat. Moving closer scares the flies off to reveal a half of beef.

 

[Brewskii]

I recommend cooking this chicken thoroughly before eating it.

Don't use cavity fillers like stuffing.

Don't undercook it.

If your thinking about it, your not going to be able to enjoy it though, will you?

 

[JonM]

Well it passed the sniff test and, more importantly, passed SWMBO's sniff test. Smoked them to a little beyond my usual done temp, and we ate them last night. We're doin' fine this morning.

It probably helped that I got the chickens from a local ranch so they were nice and fresh - probably were walking around on Friday morning.

 

[LouHale80]

Well it passed the sniff test and, more importantly, passed SWMBO's sniff test. Smoked them to a little beyond my usual done temp, and we ate them last night. We're doin' fine this morning.

It probably helped that I got the chickens from a local ranch so they were nice and fresh - probably were walking around on Friday morning.

3 hours on a fresh chicken is nothing, I wouldn't have thought twice.
Now a store bought chicken of unknown age and origin is a slightly different matter.

We took one chicken tonight from walking to oven in 20 minutes now that's fresh...