If you just walked into the kitchen to start dinner, only to realize you never took the fish out of the freezer, don’t worry. I’m here to help! Today we’re going to talk about how to defrost fish in the microwave for a quick and easy method that’s anything but fishy!
In just a couple of minutes, you’ll have your fish ready to be seasoned and cooked just to your liking. Try out this tasty Mahi Mahi in the air fryer for example!
Can You Use a Microwave to Defrost Fish?
Yes, you can use a microwave to defrost fish. It’s one of the best ways to defrost frozen fish quickly.
That’s especially handy if you forgot to take it out last night for dinner today, like I always do.
Just like defrosting chicken breast in the microwave, it’s a safe, effective way to get your protein to a workable state for cooking in just a few minutes.
How Long to Defrost Fish in the Microwave
It generally takes between 2-4 minutes to defrost fish in the microwave. This is going to vary based on the size of the piece of fish and the wattage of your microwave.
Always start with a couple minutes and then add time as needed in small (30-60 second) increments. Just like when defrosting bread in the microwave, this will prevent it from drying out or overcooking.
Fish is fully defrosted when it’s pliable (bendable) but still cold to the touch.
How to Defrost Fish in the Microwave: Step By Step
- Remove from fish from all packaging
- Place your fish on a microwave safe plate or bowl
- Cover with a vented lid
- Select the Defrost setting, or change your power level to 30% if your microwave doesn’t have a dedicated defrost function
- Cook for 2 minutes on the defrost or reduced power setting, pausing to flip fish halfway through
- Check the fish after 2 minutes, and add additional time in 10-30 second increments as needed
- Fish is defrosted when it is bendable, but still feels cold
These Mahi filets took about 2 ¼ minutes in my 1000W microwave on the defrost setting for reference. Learn more about how to use this function in the Whirlpool microwave how to defrost guide (and yes, it works for other brands as well).
If the edges begin to cook, you’ve over-cooked your fish for the purposes of defrosting. The flipping step is very important as well as your microwave spinning to prevent uneven heating which will result in partial cooking.
Larger pieces of fish are tricky to get fully defrosted in the microwave. I recommend cutting them into smaller chunks if possible (even if that’s after a minute or so to make that possible). It’s the same concept as starting to pull away slices as you defrost bacon in the microwave.
Note that some water will end up on your plate or bowl from the melting ice. I suggest using a plate with a bit of a lip to prevent spillage.
If your microwave doesn’t have a turntable, make sure to pause and rotate the fish every 30 seconds to promote more even heating.
Is it Safe to Defrost Frozen Fish in the Microwave?
It is safe to defrost frozen fish in the microwave, so long as you’re going to cook the fish immediately afterwards.
Microwaves tend to heat unevenly, so you’ll end up with some pockets of varying temperatures across the fish.
As long as you cook it to a safe temperature and eat it immediately after defrosting, it won’t have time to build up anything bad.
This is true of most proteins, and the same thing you’ll see advised when defrosting ground beef in the microwave.
That said, definitely don’t defrost fish in the microwave if you’re planning to eat it without cooking it.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve got some frozen fish you need to thaw quickly, then defrosting your fish in the microwave is a quick and easy answer. In just a few minutes, your fish will be easy enough to work with so that you can cook it up for a great meal.
For another method of defrosting, learn about how to defrost a bagel in the air fryer.
How to Defrost Fish in the Microwave – Quick & Easy Method
Equipment
- Microwave
- Plate or bowl safe for microwave use
- Cover or vented lid
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen fish filet (approx 4 ounces)
Instructions
- Remove from fish from all packaging1 Frozen fish filet
- Place your frozen fish on a microwave safe plate or bowl
- Cover with a vented lid
- Select the Defrost setting, or change your power level to 30% if your microwave doesn’t have a dedicated defrost function
- Cook frozen fish for 2 minutes on the defrost or reduced power setting, flipping halfway through
- Check fish, adding additional time in 10-30 second increments as needed
- Fish is defrosted when it is bendable, but still feels cold to the touch
Notes
- This method works with any type of fish, and regardless of whether it has skin on or not
- It took me about 2 ¼ minutes in a 1000W microwave on the defrost setting here. However, different wattage microwaves and thickness of fish may vary times
- If you are defrosting more than one piece of fish, add about 1-1 ½ minutes for the additional piece
- Cut larger pieces of fish into smaller chunks if possible to promote even heating
- Make sure to flip fish over midway through cooking for even heating
- Use a lipped plate or bowl, as water will accumulate as ice in fish melts
- If edges of fish begin to cook, you have over-cooked for a defrost
- Nutrition values will vary based on type of fish and actual weight, so please consider this a rough estimate only
Nutrition
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
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