If you have more cooked breaded chicken, you might be probably thinking about whether it is safe to freeze them.
So, can you freeze cooked breaded chicken? The answer is yes, you can freeze cooked breaded chicken. Frozen cooked breaded chicken will keep indefinitely as long as it’s tightly wrapped and stored away from moisture and ice crystals.
The trickiest part about this process is to prevent freezer burn. Therefore, you should wrap your cooked breaded chicken in an airtight or moisture-vapor-proof wrapper, such as heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic bag.
You can also use resealable bags for this matter. If you decide to freeze the cooked breaded chicken in a large flat shape (e.g., whole breasts, cutlets), make sure to lay them on their sides so they do not stick together after being frozen and thawing out.
Butterflied breaded chicken is the only exception that you don’t have to be concerned about because it can be wrapped around the meat with shrink wrap and still stay protected from any damage during the freezing process.
In general, keeping all these tips in mind means that you can freeze cooked breaded chicken for an indefinite period of time without any problem.
Also, you need to be aware that once frozen, your frozen cooked breaded chicken will last longer if kept in the freezer at a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Freezing at higher temperatures will shorten the storage life.
How to freeze cooked breaded chicken properly?
I know I have mentioned some tips above about how to freeze breaded chicken. But I want to give you some in-depth tips.
The first thing that you need to remember is that you need to make sure that all parts of them are covered by an airtight or moisture-vapor-proof wrapper.
Even though it might seem a bit inconvenient at the beginning, you will get used to it after several times and this extra work will save your time when retrieving frozen cooked breaded chicken from the freezer later on.
To prevent moisture evaporation during prolonged storage, wrap each piece with heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper.
And then place them in an airtight container such as a large plastic resealable bag. You can also use vacuum packing machines for this purpose as well (check my recommended vacuum sealer on Amazon).
There is very little difference between them except they can freeze food faster and more efficiently.
But please be aware that vacuum packing won’t work for all types of food and ingredients.
Thus, it might not be a good idea to use this method if you want to freeze raw chicken breasts or cooked breaded chicken pieces together with other foods in the same bag.
If you choose to use vacuum freezer bags to freeze your treated chicken, make sure that the seal is watertight before removing as much air from the bag as possible (according to the manufacturer’s instructions).
Some of them also have a nifty valve on the side which will help you remove extra air in the bag without opening it.
After using these methods, I recommend sealing your packed frozen cooked breaded chicken tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap and labeling them with the content and date.
Thanks for reading this article, hope it was useful. Try to freeze some chicken in your next cooking session. It works great!
What should be done after freezing cooked breaded chicken?
As mentioned before, the frozen cooked breaded chicken will keep indefinitely as long as they are tightly wrapped and stored away from moisture and ice crystals.
You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, or you can opt for a faster method of defrosting such as microwaving or thawing at room temperature in a shallow pan (it is safer not to use running water, however).
Remember that you need to cook any portion of frozen cooked breaded chicken that you intend to eat immediately. Before you cook it, make sure that you don’t forget to drain off the excess moisture.
Because even though the meat is completely cooked, all those tiny ice crystals that will appear inside will affect the taste and texture of your chicken.
So when cooking frozen cooked breaded chicken items such as fried chicken pieces or breaded chicken cutlets:
- After removing them from the freezer, put them on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture and then pat them dry with additional sheets of paper towel. Alternatively, use another option I mentioned above to microwave them for 5-7 minutes before adding oil and frying/baking again at 350F. It is the fastest and easiest way to do it.
- You can also brown the frozen cooked breaded chicken in a pan before freezing them, but make sure that you don’t overcook them or they will become tough if you decide to fry or bake them later.
- A third option is to pat away the moisture after thawing your chicken pieces and then add some flour on top of it for an extra crispy taste. Then just bake the chicken at 350F for 10-15 minutes until its crust turns golden brown. The last one is my favorite method so far!
Finally, I recommend storing your frozen cooked breaded chicken in the freezer on a flat surface that is not touching other pieces.
This will help them freeze faster and prevents moisture from escaping.
If you end up using vacuum sealing machines for freezing your prepared foods, then away to prolong their lifespan is by placing them inside resealable plastic bags.
Can you freeze cooked breaded chicken breast?
Yes, you can freeze cooked breaded chicken breast. I’ve tried it and it is quite convenient to have around for whenever you need a quick bite.
How can I freeze cooked breaded chicken breast?
If the cooked breaded chicken breasts are in single-serve sizes, put them on a plate that will fit into your freezer.
Then wrap them using heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap before placing them inside a freezer bag or container together with the air removed as much as possible.
And if they are not individually wrapped, place raw chicken breasts in a baking dish lined with parchment paper and then layer sauce over top of it (bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 minutes).
Cool and then cover tightly with plastic wrap before transferring to storage.
What should be done after freezing cooked breaded chicken breast?
You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, or you can opt for a faster method of defrosting such as microwaving or thawing at room temperature in a shallow pan.
Because even though the meat is completely cooked, all those tiny ice crystals that will appear inside will affect its taste and texture.
So cooking any portion of frozen cooked breaded chicken that you intend to eat immediately, drain off any excess moisture.
And don’t forget to pat your chicken breasts dry before frying or baking them again!
Can you freeze cooked breaded chicken thighs?
Yes, you sure can. In fact, it can be frozen for up to 9 months if you are not going to cook any portion of it.
To freeze cooked breaded chicken thighs, you can follow the steps below:
- After draining off the excess moisture after cooking them, wrap the chicken pieces in plastic and then aluminum foil or put them inside a resealable freezer bag. I recommend putting several layers so that they don’t stick together while thawing.
- Then place your frozen cooked breaded chicken thighs in the bottom of your refrigerator’s freezer where they will last longer without spoiling before moving on to your freezer bag where they will stay good for 6-9 months at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
- You can also use vacuum sealing machines such as the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System (check FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System on Amazon) to freeze your cooked chicken thighs if you don’t have room in your refrigerator’s freezer.
You can also freeze them without breading as well if you want, but I prefer breaded ones because it is much easier to handle and cook.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, cooked breaded chicken breast, thighs or wings can be frozen before or after cooking.
It is best if you par-cook them first to ensure that they don’t overcook when reheating and become tough.
The reheated breast meat should have a medium-rare texture with its juices fully intact in the center.
If you are going to freeze uncooked flour-coated chicken breasts, I recommend putting them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with at least 1 inch of space between each other so that it will freeze faster and be easier for them not to stick together while freezing.
And when thawing any portion of your frozen cooked breaded chicken pieces, make sure that it doesn’t come in contact with other food items that will be placed in the refrigerator.
And don’t forget to label all your frozen cooked breaded chicken pieces to avoid confusion.
I hope these help. Thank you for reading.
