Can cooked chicken be refrozen? - It is safe?

You may have leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breasts from dinner that you want to freeze to save for later.

There’s no problem freezing cooked chicken once it’s cooled, but if you thaw cooked chicken, eat some of it, and still have some left over, can you refreeze leftover cooked chicken?

There is no direct answer to this, and it all depends on how the chicken was frozen and how it was thawed.

So why do you have to be careful when refreezing cooked chicken?

Refreezing not only risks increasing the number of bacteria, but freezing and refreezing chicken, or any food, can greatly destroy the quality of the meat.

The reason the quality is reduced is that ice crystals form during the freezing process, which breaks down the cell walls of the frozen items, ultimately making them soft and not as edible.

So if you’re not sure whether or not it’s okay to refreeze chicken, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know.

Why refreezing chicken isn’t always a good idea

One of the main reasons refreezing chicken is not recommended is that it will greatly ruin the texture and quality of the chicken.

Cooked chicken that has been frozen, thawed, and refrozen is more than likely going to be very tough, chewy, and not quite as flavorful as it was before.

This makes it unappetizing to most people, who prefer their chicken to be soft and succulent. However, this does not necessarily pose a health risk, and if you don’t mind the chicken being taffy, then under the right circumstances and with proper storage, the chicken can be refrozen.

Another major concern with refreezing chicken is increased bacterial growth . Freezing helps stop bacterial growth, but it does not kill the bacteria.

When cooked chicken is thawed and heated above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria are allowed to grow on the chicken and spread, potentially causing foodborne illness.

Bacteria are always present in food , but if kept under the right conditions, the number of bacteria present in chicken can be kept below a dangerous threshold, and low enough that the body can fight it off.

refreeze cooked chicken

If you want to refreeze cooked chicken, you’ll need to make sure you follow the correct procedure when thawing cooked chicken for the first time, to ensure it’s safe to refreeze.

When you thaw cooked chicken for the first time, you need to let it thaw in the fridge.  This involves taking the chicken out of the freezer the night or day before and placing it in the fridge to thaw slowly and to a safe temperature.

When defrosting the chicken this way, it will not reach more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, if your fridge is running at or below this temperature, which means it will be safe to refreeze if it stays at this temperature and does not reach a higher temperature.

Do not refreeze cooked chicken that has been thawed in hot water or in the microwave defrost function. There is too high a risk that the chicken has been exposed to heat that has allowed bacterial growth, and therefore a greater chance that you can get sick from eating the refrozen chicken.

While it’s not entirely certain that you’ll get sick from thawing chicken by soaking it in hot running water or thawing it in the microwave and refreezing it, there is an increased risk of getting sick, and whether or not it’s worth the risk is up to you.

Cooking the refrozen chicken

You don’t need to throw away leftover cooked chicken that has already been frozen. If it stays below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the chicken will be fine to use again.

Here’s how to use leftover frozen chicken to make sure it’s okay to freeze and eat again.

• Leave the chicken in the refrigerator until you are ready to freeze it again, but do not leave it more than a day.
• Divide leftover chicken into smaller portions to make it easier to freeze and eat again.
• Thaw refrozen chicken slowly in the fridge overnight, to ensure it doesn’t reach a temperature conducive to bacterial growth before cooking.
• When reheating food, make sure it is allowed to reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 2 minutes, to ensure that it is hot through, and that any bacteria that can be killed by heat is killed.
• When the chicken is thawed in the fridge, it only needs to be reheated once. Reheating and cooling it more than once allows for a higher risk of foodborne illness.
• Chicken that has been thawed and refrozen should be removed from the freezer and eaten within 24 hours of thawing.
• Only take cooked chicken out of the freezer if you plan to use it within the next 24 hours.

How to Safely Refreeze Cooked Chicken

Care should be taken when refreezing cooked chicken to ensure that it stays safe and secure in the freezer.

Opt to freeze it in airtight plastic freezer bags, or in airtight freezer containers that can be closed tightly.

Leftover chicken should be immediately placed in the freezer if it has thawed in the fridge, and do not leave it out at room temperature. By placing cooked chicken in the freezer immediately, you quickly lower the temperature and therefore reduce the risk of contamination.

Cooked chicken, if stored properly, can keep in the freezer for four months.  After this, the texture, quality and flavor of the chicken will start to deteriorate and it could get freezer burn. Although after this time it will be fine to eat, it won’t be as good to eat.

Here are some cooked chicken dishes that can be frozen, and some that shouldn’t:

• Chicken Noodle Soup - Chicken noodle soup is fine to freeze, soups made without cream or potatoes freeze well.
• Chicken Salad - It is not a good idea to freeze chicken salad, especially if it has a mayonnaise dressing. The mayonnaise will separate and have a gross texture. Salad ingredients also turn to mush when stored in the freezer, and will be unappetizing.
• Chicken and Meatballs - Chicken and meatballs can be placed in freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze well. You will need to leave some space in the bags or containers, as the food will expand slightly. If you want to keep the shape of the meatballs, you should freeze them separately.
• Fried Chicken - Fried chicken can be frozen, but you must place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. If you want to know more about how to preserve fried chicken, check out this article .
• Chicken Breasts - Chicken breasts are great to freeze. You can put a few together in a freezer container or bag, or freeze them individually for smaller servings.

Related questions

Can chicken be defrosted and put back in the fridge?

Chicken that has been defrosted by leaving it in the fridge can keep for another day or two before it needs to be cooked.

However, if you thaw the chicken in the microwave or in water, it should be cooked immediately.

How many times can you reheat chicken?

Once the chicken is cooked, the ideal is to reheat it only once. Although it can be reheated once more, it is not advisable.

This increases the risk of food poisoning, since the more you cool and reheat the chicken, the greater the chance that bacteria will grow that can cause illness.

Can chicken be thawed in the sink?

It’s okay to thaw the chicken in the fridge if you’re going to use it right away and discard the remains.

To thaw chicken in the sink, fill the sink with cold water and submerge the chicken in the water, encased in a tightly sealed plastic bag.  You can leave it in the water until it has thawed.

You cannot refreeze chicken that has been thawed this way, as you again risk the growth of bacteria that can cause disease.

Refreeze cooked chicken

It’s perfectly possible to refreeze cooked chicken, as long as you store and handle it properly. Cooked chicken can only be refrozen if it has been thawed in the refrigerator and has not been allowed to warm above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Letting cooked chicken reach a temperature higher than this increases the chance that more bacteria will grow on the chicken, and freezing does not kill these bacteria, so they will be around when the chicken has thawed again, possibly making you sick. .

Make the most of leftover chicken by safely storing, handling, and refreezing chicken.