Food and Recipes Meat Chicken The Best Way To Freeze Chicken Two easy techniques for freezing cooked and raw chicken By Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 23, 2023 Medically reviewed by Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RDN Fact checked by Jillian Dara Fact checked by Jillian Dara Jillian is a freelance writer, editor and fact-checker with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. In addition to fact-checking for Southern Living, Jillian works on multiple verticals across Dotdash-Meredith, including TripSavvy, The Spruce, and Travel + Leisure. brand's fact checking process Share Tweet Pin Email Whether it's cooked or raw, extra chicken in your freezer is always a good thing. (Especially if there was a two-for-one special on drumsticks at the grocery store). Chicken is easy to freeze and defrosts beautifully... if stored properly. Here's the best way to do it. Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox How to Freeze Raw Chicken Even though most raw chicken is sold in plastic-wrapped containers, this packaging isn't great for the freezer and can cause freezer burn. Wrap the packaged chicken with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, or remove it from the packaging (don't wash it!), and place the raw chicken in ziplock plastic freezer bags. Press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. Raw chicken can last indefinitely in the freezer, if stored properly, but the USDA suggests using it within a year if the chicken is whole, and within nine months if the chicken has been cut into parts. Caitlin Bensel Never put frozen meat on the kitchen counter to thaw. Instead, try one of these methods for thawing frozen chicken. How to Thaw Frozen Raw Chicken Refrigerator method The safest way to defrost frozen raw chicken is to transfer your frozen poultry to the refrigerator. Place the package of raw chicken in a rimmed container or bowl to catch any drips. Depending on the size, you may need at least 24 hours to fully thaw, so plan ahead and factor in thawing time to your meal prep. If juices from the thawing raw chicken drip on to surfaces in the refrigerator make sure to clean thoroughly with hot soapy water. Cold-water method If you only have a few hours to thaw your chicken, you can use the cold-water method for same-day defrosting. Even though the frozen chicken is wrapped, place it in a leak-proof zip-top plastic bag, and submerge it in a large bowl filled with cold (never hot) tap water. The chicken should always be sealed well before coming into contact with water. Replace the water every 30 minutes until your chicken is thawed. Microwave method Defrosting foods in the microwave may be the quickest way, but it isn't necessarily the best. Microwaving food tends to create hot spots, so your raw meat might be thawed in some parts and still frozen in others. Make sure to cook it immediately after thawing in the microwave and to only refreeze once it has been fully cooked. How to Freeze Cooked Chicken Sergio Mendoza Hochmann/Getty Images Cooked chicken can safely be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. After that, it's best to freeze it. Shredded chicken defrosts much faster than whole pieces of the bird, but you can freeze whole pieces if you prefer. Either way, make sure to place the chicken in zip-top plastic freezer bags and press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. It's a good idea to divide the cooked chicken up into smaller portions instead of freezing a large amount in a single bag. That way, you can defrost exactly as much chicken as you need for a particular meal. Thaw the cooked chicken (in the plastic freezer bag) overnight in the refrigerator. According to the USDA, frozen cooked chicken (and meat) can last up to three months in the freezer, so be sure to write the use-by date on the bag with a freezer-proof marker. Frequently Asked Questions Is freezer-burn chicken safe to eat? Yes. Freezer-burn chicken is still safe to eat, but the meat may be dry in some places, according to the USDA. Freezer-burn chicken may appear discolored or a little pale. Don't consume frozen meat that shows signs of spoiling. How long can you freeze chicken? For good texture and flavoring, only consume frozen chicken for up to one year. Different chicken pieces and preparations will freeze for different amounts of time. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. USDA. The poultry label says "fresh". USDA. The big thaw — Safe defrosting methods. USDA. Freezing and food safety.