Can You Freeze Cooked Chicken? – Best Storage Tips

One of the most prevalent meats in our diet is chicken. Chicken meat is always the star of the dinner, whether it’s boiled, stewed, souped, grilled, or roasted. We enjoyed making various recipes with it, and it never fails to satisfy our appetites and stomachs.

Yes, cooked chicken may be securely frozen in the freezer when we over-prepare and have many leftovers or want to keep the chicken for the season. To ensure adequate storage and food safety, a sequence of actions must be performed. It’s not as simple as putting it in the freezer and forgetting about it.

The Right Way to Freeze Cooked Chicken

Here’s how to store your cooked chicken in the freezer.

1. Check to see if it’s freshly cooked

Freshly cooked chicken can only be frozen to stay fresh while being frozen inside. Leftover chicken that has been reheated multiple times cannot be frozen. The food’s quality has already been contaminated if it is heated multiple times. It’s because temperature fluctuations could have attracted bacteria.

Please choose your favorite chicken dish and make it the day before you plan to freeze it. To avoid bacteria getting inside the food, always use extreme caution when handling it.

2. Get an airtight container ready

Make sure the airtight container you’re going to use to preserve your cooked chicken is big enough and spotless. You can adequately clean the container before sterilizing it with hot water to ensure that it remains bacteria-free while in the freezer.

Depending on what you have on hand, you can use a jar container or a plastic ziplock bag as long as the freezer container can fully seal the cooked chicken within.

3. Allow the cooked chicken to cool completely before storing it

It’s also important to cool down your chicken after cooking it according to your recipe before keeping it in the container. Allow it to cool for at least an hour before putting it in the container. Cover it with a lid to prevent bacteria from entering when cooling it down.

When the chicken is done and cooled, carefully scoop out the contents and pour them into the airtight container. When handling food, put on gloves or thoroughly wash your hands. Then, make sure there are no leaks or cracks in the container’s cover by sealing it.

4. Write an expiration date on the container to keep track of it

It’s critical to track when food was prepared and when it will expire before storing it. You don’t want to eat or serve expired food because it could be harmful to your health and the health of your loved ones. Place a label on the container with the date the chicken was cooked and the expiration date before storing it.

Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to six months. Keep the meats and items in the fridge fresh and safe to ingest; keep the temperature below 5 degrees Celsius.

Frozen Cooked Chicken Defrosting

If you want to reheat the frozen cooked chicken, it must first be defrosted before heating and serving. Here are a few alternative methods for defrosting cooked chicken

1. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator

Transferring cooked chicken from the freezer to the fridge is best to thaw it. This will allow the chicken to thaw appropriately without experiencing any drastic temperature swings. The quality of the food while defrosting is affected as the temperature drops.

Plan ahead of time for supper prep, so you have enough time to defrost the chicken. Defrosting the chicken for around 24-48 hours after removing it from the freezer is best. You must prepare the chicken right away after it has been defrosted. You must never return any leftovers to the freezer.

2. Make use of a microwave

Most modern microwave ovens offer a setting for defrosting frozen meats and meals. Thaw the frozen chicken in the microwave if you don’t have much time and need to have dinner on the table quickly. Just keep an eye on the temperature, and don’t leave the meat in the microwave for an extended period.

Defrost your meats in batches and do this for no more than 5 minutes. The meat will most likely lose moisture when defrosting in the microwave and may cook slowly. Keep it in “defrost” mode and never change the settings.

FAQs

Is it possible to freeze the raw chicken in addition to cooked chicken?

Yes, raw chicken can be frozen the same way as cooked chicken can. When freezing, please don’t remove the contents from their original packing to prevent cold air from seeping into the meat and drying it out.

To seal the chicken, cover it in saran wrap or move it to an airtight container if it was accidentally taken off. Remember to label the chicken with the date of storage and expiration to track when it’s best to eat it.

Is it better to freeze cooked or raw chicken?

Any approach is a better alternative. The length of time you want to keep the chicken in the freezer will determine this. If you want to keep your chicken flesh in the freezer for an extended period, it’s best to freeze it uncooked, as it can last up to 9 months. While freezing, make sure the meat is tightly packed to prevent it from drying out.

If you only have a small amount of cooked chicken leftover, you can freeze it rather than store it in the refrigerator. If you keep leftover cooked chicken in the fridge, you can only eat it after four days at the most before it begins to become inedible. But, if you freeze it, you can eat it after two to six months.

Is it possible to re-freeze defrosted cooked chicken?

You can’t do it anymore. According to USDA guidelines, as it comes from a freezer and has been wholly defrosted, it should be cooked and eaten as soon as possible. Keep in mind that the quality of the meat changes as the temperature changes while it is defrosted. When the temperature drops, germs are more likely to multiply.

Cooking and eating defrosted cooked chicken within a day is the safest option. Don’t put them back in the fridge if you have any leftovers. To avoid defrosting too much-cooked chicken at once, divide it into separate containers before freezing it so that you can defrost it in phases.

How long may thawed chicken be kept in the fridge?

It should take between 24-48 hours to prepare and be cooked straight away. However, you can only keep it for a maximum of three days before discarding it. If you keep thawed meat or veggies longer than three days, the taste and quality will suffer, and the food will become unfit to eat.

Is there a difference in taste between a frozen and unfrozen chicken?

Yes, especially if the meat was not correctly wrapped while stored. As the cold air reaches the meat, it dries it up and removes its natural moisture. So it’s no wonder that your frozen chicken tends to be dry when cooked. When frozen for an extended period, the flavor changes.

Is it possible to cook the frozen chicken right away?

According to the USDA, it is safe to cook the frozen chicken right away without thawing it first. However, when cooking the chicken, remember to follow the proper process and always check the internal temperature of the meat before serving. The cooking period may take some time, and you must keep an eye on the temperature while the chicken is cooking.

If you want to preserve leftover cooked chicken in the freezer in the future, follow the simple procedures we mentioned above. When it comes to food, always think about safety and correct handling to avoid future issues.