The Best Way to Freeze Fried Chicken (Easy Freezing) is a practical method to extend chickens shelf life while preserving its flavor and texture for the next time you have a deep chicken craving!
The idea of freezing fried chicken may raise some eyebrows, but when done properly, it can be an effective way to enjoy this crispy delight at a later time.
What I'll show you today involves a few considerations such as protecting against freezer burn, maintaining the chickens moisture and ensuring it reheats well.
Follow these simple steps and you'll be avoiding food waste and your fried chicken will be tasting as delicious as the day it was made!
What You'll Need
1. Room temperature or refrigerated fried chicken pieces (this can be single pieces like chicken breasts, chicken wings or a whole chicken that has been fried in pieces).
2. Plastic wrap, resealable freezer safe ziploc bag or aluminum foil.
3. A baking sheet.
4. It's a good idea to consider a vacuum sealer if you are working with a big batch of extra chicken
5. Enough space in your freezer to space the chicken out for the freezing process.
Here's How You Do It
Smaller Portions of Chicken
If you only have a few pieces of leftover fried chicken, the process is a bit different than if you have a huge quantity of leftover chicken.
1. Place the few pieces of fried chicken into a freezer safe ziplock bag.
2. Remove as much air from the bag as possible.
3. Place into the freezer.
A Larger Quantity of Chicken
The good news is that there are several different methods of saving pieces of chicken in a large batch!
The biggest concern is keeping the frozen chicken so that you don't end up with a slimy texture and instead have juicy meat and a good chicken dinner at the end!
The best and right way to do this is to ...
1. Lay the chicken meat in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Allow space between each piece of chicken so that they freeze without touching.
2. Place the baking sheet into the freezer and allow the chicken to completely freeze.
3. Mark the plastic freezer bags with a use-by date and place the frozen small pieces into the bags (alternatively, you could wrap each piece well in freezer wrap or use a vacuum sealer to seal several pieces together).
PRO NOTE: Once the chicken is frozen, it is fine if the frozen fried chicken is touching in the freezer bag. Pre freezing individually allows for the best quality of the reheated frozen cooked chicken.
PRO NOTE 2: Remove as much excess air from the bag as possible as this reduces the chance of freezer burn. Freezer burn happens when ice crystals form on your frozen food thus drying out the meat and making it inedible.
How to Thaw and Reheat Frozen Fried Chicken
Thawing
There are several ways to defrost the frozen chicken!
1. Place the frozen chicken into the refrigerator a day or two before you plan to use. (Place a paper towel beneath the chicken to catch any dripping that may occur)
2. Use the defrost setting on your microwave and slowly defrost the fried chicken.
3. A great way to quickly thaw fried chicken is if the fried chicken is sealed well in a ziploc style bag, you can fill a large bowl with cold water and place the bag into the bowl until the chicken is defrosted.
Best Reheating Method
To reheat the defrosted chicken, you have the choice of several cooking method. I
It's easiest and best to use the oven or an air fryer.
Oven Method
Simply lay the thawed cold chicken out on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and either bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes
Air Fryer Method
Place into the airfryer and spray with a small amounts of non stick spray and cook at 400 for 15 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- Be safe when handling raw chicken. Wash your hands well and keep temperatures out of the danger zone.
- The warning signs of raw meat that have gone bad include a sour smell and could contain harmful bacteria.
- For best taste, you want a crispy skin and that is done by preserving the chicken as outlined, even if this takes a little bit of extra time.
- You'll find that chicken thighs usually have the best moisture and more flavor.
- You can also use shallow airtight containers or other types of plastic bag (as long as it is an airtight bag) for preserving your fried chicken.
- Using a food thermometer is the best way to know if your chicken is cooked to an appropriate temperature. I always recommend thermometers by Thermoworks, they are the best affordable option available.
- Once your chicken has been fried, it is safe to eat, even if it is cold and has been frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
If kept covered in the fridge, about 5 days.
Up to 3 months.
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The Best Way to Freeze Fried Chicken (Easy Freezing)
Ingredients
- 2 pieces fried chicken left over
Instructions
Prep
- Choose an appropriate size FREEZER safe ziptop style plastic bag for the number of pieces of chicken you have. Label the bag with a sharpie marker for the date and what will be in the bag.
2 Pieces of Chicken or Less
- If you have 2 pieces of chicken or less, place them into the bag, squeeze out the extra air, seal the bag and place the chicken into the freezer.
3 Pieces of Chicken or More
- If you have more than 2 pieces of chicken, lay the pieces of chicken out on a parchment lined baking sheet so that they do not touch and place into the freezer. Leave there until completely frozen (4 hours).
- Remove from the freezer and quickly place the chicken into the freezer bag. Squeeze out the extra air, Seal the top and place into the freezer.
Notes
- Be safe when handling raw chicken. Wash your hands well and keep temperatures out of the danger zone.
- The warning signs of raw meat that have gone bad include a sour smell and could contain harmful bacteria.
- For best taste, you want a crispy skin and that is done by preserving the chicken as outlined, even if this takes a little bit of extra time.
- You'll find that chicken thighs usually have the best moisture and more flavor.
- You can also use shallow airtight containers or other types of plastic bag (as long as it is an airtight bag) for preserving your fried chicken.
- Using a food thermometer is the best way to know if your chicken is cooked to an appropriate temperature. I always recommend thermometers by Thermoworks, they are the best affordable option available.
- Once your chicken has been fried, it is safe to eat, even if it is cold and has been frozen.
Nutrition
Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors and everyone asked why. Because that is who needs to be saved.
Luke 6:27-28
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Cindy says
I’m always getting the best tips on this site! Thanks, Wendi, for always being there with the easiest directions
Judy says
I have a container of cooked fried chicken leftover from a party. Should I flash freeze first or just set in a freezer bag? Also, what's the best way to recook from frozen? I'm thinking the air fryer? Thanks, Judy
Wendi says
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