How to Freeze Cooked Chicken

Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the world, and it’s tough to argue with that given how delicious those little birds are. Whether curried, roasted, broiled or barbecued chicken has an uncanny ability to absorb flavours while still remaining a lean and moist meat. Problems can arise however, when there are leftovers that must be frozen. Often times people find that chicken can be subjected to freezer burn or become stringy after spending some time in the freezer.

Things Required:

plastic cling wrap
freezer bag
the cooked chicken
a freezer
a marker or pen (optional)

Instructions

  • 1

    What You Got?

    Once you have finished as much of your delicious chicken as you can, determine how much of the remainder requires freezing.

  • 2

    Wrap Tight

    It is idea to wrap individual pieces or a small portion of shredded meat rather than larger groupings. Using a good amount of plastic wrap, wrap the chicken as tightly as possible without damaging it.

    This allows as little air as possible to surround the meat as the extra air leaves it susceptible to freezer burn.

  • 3

    Bag and Close

    Place the wrapped chicken into a freezer bag. Try to push as much air out of the bag as possible. The best thing to do is seal the bag halfway and use the palm of your hand to push air out of the remaining opening. Seal the bag fully once you have done this.

  • 4

    Freeze

    Place the bags in the freezer. Before doing so, feel free to mark the bag with a pen or marker to indicate the date it was frozen. The frozen meat can remain in the freezer for weeks, and if well wrapped and bagged will remain fresh.

  • 5

    Defrost and Use

    When you decide to use the meat, begin defrosting it well in advance. Ideally, place the freezer bag in the fridge in the morning and allow it to thaw slowly over the course of the day.

    As the meat has already been cooked, the less time it spends heating or cooking this time around, the better. If you are adding it to pasta sauce, do so as late as possible in the process. If you are heating pieces, do so over low heat checking every few minutes to ensure the desired temperature.

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