Keep Your Chicken Fresh, Flavorful, and Safe

Freezing and defrosting chicken properly is essential to maintaining its taste, texture, and safety. Whether you're meal prepping, buying in bulk, or just ensuring you always have quality chicken on hand, following the right techniques can prevent freezer burn, bacterial growth, and unnecessary food waste. In this guide, we’ll cover the best ways to freeze and thaw chicken while preserving its freshness and flavor.

How to Properly Freeze Chicken

To extend the shelf life of your chicken and avoid unwanted freezer burn, proper storage is key. Here’s how to prepare chicken before freezing:

• Remove excess packaging – Store-bought packaging is not always airtight, leading to potential freezer burn.
• Use freezer-safe bags or vacuum-sealed pouches – These help lock in freshness and keep moisture out.
• Portion your chicken – If freezing multiple pieces, separate them into meal-sized portions to make thawing easier.
• Label and date your packages – Always mark the storage date to ensure you use the oldest chicken first.
• Lay pieces flat – This allows for quicker freezing and better storage organization.

How Long Can You Freeze Chicken?

Per FSIS-USDA guidelines, if kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire.

For best quality, taste and texture:

• Raw whole chicken: Up to 1 year
• Raw chicken pieces: 9 months
• Giblets & Ground Chicken: 3-4 months
• Cooked chicken: up to 4 months/6 months if covered in broth/sauce
• Breaded or pre-seasoned chicken: 1-3 months

Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If you plan to freeze chicken longer than 2 months, overwrap the wrapped plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag or use a vacuum sealer. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to freeze the chicken from opened packages or repackage family packs of chicken into smaller amounts.

Use a permanent marker and masking tape to note the "frozen on" date on package before freezing.

If purchasing already frozen chicken products, they can also remain good indefinitely if kept properly frozen, but follow the “Best Use By” date on the packaging for optimal quality and taste.

What Causes Freezer Burn?

Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn," which appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of food while in the freezer. While this may be unappealing, it is safe to eat chicken after this occurs. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the chicken. If the chicken is heavily freezer-burned, it may have to be discarded , because the meat will possibly be tough and/or tasteless.

To keep your chicken fresh, repackage or follow tip above for adding additional packaging to add a barrier between the chicken and air in your freezer.

Depending on how long you plan to store your chicken, choose the best method for freezing:

• Vacuum Sealing (Best for Long-Term Storage) – Removes air completely, preserving chicken for up to a year.
• Freezer Bags with Air Removal – Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing to prevent ice crystals.
• Flash Freezing for Individual Pieces – Lay chicken pieces flat on a baking sheet, freeze them solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. This prevents sticking together.

How to Safely Defrost Chicken

Improper thawing can lead to bacteria growth, which poses a food safety risk. Here’s how to safely defrost chicken:

🚫 What NOT to Do: Never thaw chicken at room temperature or in warm water—bacteria multiply quickly in unsafe temperatures.

Safe Thawing Methods

• Refrigerator Thawing (Best & Safest) – Place chicken in the fridge 24 hours before cooking. This method keeps the meat at a safe temperature while thawing gradually.
• Cold Water Bath (Faster Option) – Submerge chicken in a sealed bag in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. This typically takes 1-3 hours depending on portion size. Whole chickens (3-4 lbs.) or a tray pack of parts will most likely take 2-3 hours to thaw with this method. A 1 lb. package of boneless skinless chicken should thaw within an hour.
• Microwave Thawing (For Immediate Cooking) – Use the defrost setting, checking every few minutes. Be sure to cook immediately after thawing, because parts of the chicken may have become warm and started to cook.

What to Do After Defrosting

• Pat chicken dry before cooking to prevent excess moisture from interfering with seasoning and searing.
• If you forget to thaw, you can cook frozen chicken—just increase the cooking time by about 50% and ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
• Never refreeze raw chicken that has been thawed unless it was defrosted in the fridge and remained below 40°F.

Properly freezing and defrosting chicken ensures that every bite is safe, delicious, and packed with quality. By following these best practices, you can minimize food waste, save time, and always have fresh chicken ready to cook.

Looking for high-quality, antibiotic-free chicken? Stock up on Springer Mountain Farms Chicken products and use these expert-approved storage tips to keep every meal fresh and flavorful!

Updated 2/26/25 from original article published on 2/23/21

Sources:

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/chicken-farm-table#10

https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--149/chicken-handling-safety-storage.asp

https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-store-chicken-breasts-in-the-freezer-246372

https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/defrosting-chicken