You only need two simple ingredients that every household already has to thaw frozen meat easily in just 5 minutes.

Nowadays, many families store frozen meat and fish in the refrigerator to save time going to the market. When needed, they simply defrost the meat before cooking. However, defrosting a piece of meat often takes quite a bit of time. Letting it thaw slowly in the fridge can take an entire day. Leaving it out at room temperature is unsafe, and soaking it in water isn’t necessarily the fastest option either.

To defrost meat quickly while keeping it fresh and tender, try the following simple methods:

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🧂 Thawing meat with salt

Prepare a bowl of water (enough to cover the piece of meat). Add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir well. Place the meat in the saltwater and let it soak. After about 10 minutes, you’ll notice the meat starting to soften.

You don’t need to wait until the meat is completely soft — it’s best when it’s just slightly firm, as it will be easier to slice thinly and neatly.

If you want the meat to soften more, cut it in half and continue soaking for a few more minutes.

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🍶 Thawing meat with white vinegar

To keep the meat fresh and speed up thawing, you can use white vinegar. Mix some white vinegar into a bowl of water and soak the meat for 5–10 minutes.
White vinegar contains acetic acid, which lowers the freezing point of water and helps the ice crystals in the meat melt faster.

For best results, you can combine both salt and vinegar in the water to accelerate the thawing process.

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🍬 Thawing meat with sugar water

Add warm water (about 40°C / 104°F) to a bowl (mix boiling water with cold water at a 1:5 ratio). Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir well. Place the frozen meat in the sugar water.
The sugar molecules help break down the ice crystals in the meat more quickly. After 7–10 minutes, your meat will be soft and ready to cook.

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🌿 Thawing meat with ginger

Adding ginger to the water helps the meat retain its natural red color and enhances its flavor.

Prepare a bowl of warm water (around 40°C / 104°F), crush some fresh ginger, and add it to the water. Then soak the meat in this ginger water. Ginger generates warmth, which helps the meat thaw faster.

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⚠️ Tips

When buying meat, divide large pieces into smaller portions suitable for one meal. When you need to cook, only thaw one portion.
Never thaw a large piece of meat just to cut off a small part and then refreeze the rest — this can affect the quality and safety of the meat.