Only defrost meat in the microwave if you're going to cook and eat it straight away. The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed. Try to cook the raw meat within 24 hours of defrosting. As a rule of thumb, allow 24 hours to defrost each 2.5kg/5lbs of meat or chicken. If you defrost raw meat and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again, but remember never to reheat foods more than once.