For many recipes, especially stir fry recipes, meat needs to be pre-cut into bite sized pieces prior to cooking and the recipe will usually suggest that the cook freeze meat until firm in order to promote easier slicing. For various thicknesses, how long should it take for a piece of meat to become firm? Conversely, for a piece of meat that is frozen, how long of a thaw in the fridge should it take for the meat to become firm but not so thawed that cutting is difficult? I have some frozen chicken breasts that I hope to stir fry tomorrow.
There is no set time. It matters how frozen the meat is, how warm your house is, how cold your refrigerator is, how big a piece of meat you’re trying to (de)frost, what your idea of ‘firm’ is. . . lots of variables.
If your breasts are frozen rock solid, I’d put them in the fridge tonight. If they’re just frozen I’d put them in the fridge in the morning. If your fridge is very cold and your chicken is rock solid, it may still be too frozen to slice the next day.
This is really a case by case kind of thing. Maybe someone else has rules of thumb that will be helpful.
Yes, it depends on the type of meat, thickness, and ambient temps. My freezers are at about zero F. I put chicken breasts, thighs, or pork loin in the freezer half an hour to an hour if I want to slice very thin. Otherwise I find it unnecessary. I can cut a soft piece of meat easily with a sharp knife and who wants to wait another hour for food?
ETA: I do like this method for steak used in stir fry or stroganoff.
Usually if I thaw boneless meat in the fridge all day when I’m at work, about 10 hours, it’s not fully thawed but easily sliced or diced. I have cut up fully frozen chicken breasts without much difficulty but it wasn’t the safest thing I could do. Too many slips and someone could lose a finger that way.