Thawing raw chicken in cold water?

Question: How long can chicken stay in cold water after thawing before going bad?

Answer:
After two hours at room temperature you'd need to throw your raw chicken away. So technically it depends on the temperature of the water.

If the water stays cold then you could keep the chicken there a long time, however, once the water is above 40 F (4.4 C) then limit the time. I'd suggest less than an hour before you start to cook your thawed chicken from this point.

Also, if the center is still frozen, the outside can still be warm enough for bacteria to multiple.

If you're concerned about leaving the chicken too long than simply thaw it in the fridge where you know it will be safe.

Otherwise change your water every 30 minutes and use the coldest water you can.

You can read more about thawing frozen food.