How Long Are Frozen Chicken Breast Good For?

Toilet paper, diapers, chicken. sometimes it just makes sense to buy in bulk. The latter two are eternal, but poultry? Not so much. Friends, we have the answer to that question—and it’s good news for you and your “family pack” of chicken thighs—so let’s get that out of the way before you bring home a large haul of this dinner staple.

How Long Can You Keep Chicken In Your Fridge?

Storing chicken in your refrigerator helps slow bacterial growth, but a fridge cant keep chicken good for as long as you may think. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), raw chicken should be kept in your fridge for no more than two days. The same rule applies for fresh turkey or other poultry. Cooked poultry, however, can last in your fridge for three to four days. If you need to store raw chicken for more than two days (or leftover chicken for more than four days), then its best to keep it in your freezer.

How To Tell If Your Chicken Is Still Good?

There are a few ways to tell that your chicken should be tossed rather than eaten. Whether raw or cooked, chicken that has passed its expiration date is likely no longer safe to eat. Changes in color, smell, or texture also indicate spoiled meat, though a change in color alone doesnt necessarily mean your meat has gone bad. Its when your chicken starts to turn a gray-green color that you know its past its prime. Poultry that has an acidic smell or a slimy texture should also be discarded.

Do you have to package chicken a specific way to prevent freezer burn?

“The best method would be to vacuum-seal, as this removes air from the packaging and seals the bag,” says Sidoti. “If you dont have the right equipment for this method, you can also place the chicken breasts in freezer bags and manually push out as much air as possible before zipping them shut.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

If you’re not confident using your hands, Chef White suggests another approach.

White advises that all the air must be expelled before sealing, either manually or using the water displacement method, for the best outcomes. In order to use the water displacement method, you must put the chicken in a freezer bag, submerge the bag up to the seal, expel all air, and then seal the bag. “.

However, he also agrees with Sidoti and says that vacuum-sealing the chicken is your best bet at preventing freezer burn. Do you know why freezer burn happens? Sidoti explains that its the process that occurs when the chicken is exposed to air, undergoing dehydration. Foods that have experienced freezer burn are safe to eat, but they likely wont taste as good.

White continues, “Freezer bags would be another way to store chicken in the freezer.” Chicken can also be frozen in its original grocery store packaging. I advise you to wrap the package in aluminum foil to add an additional layer of security. “.

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How Long Can You Freeze Raw Chicken?

You may be surprised to learn that you can store raw chicken in the freezer forever, according to the USDA. Even when the frozen chicken has passed the best-by date on its packaging, it is still deemed safe to eat when thawed.

While this is the case, you may not want to eat chicken thats been stored in the freezer for ages—for quality reasons. Frozen chicken that has been stowed beyond the recommended times may lose its texture and flavor, according to FoodSafety.gov, a USDA consumer food safety app.

Whether the chicken is a whole bird, cut into pieces, raw, or cooked affects how long it keeps in the freezer:

  • Whole chicken: up to 1 year
  • Chicken pieces, such as chicken cutlets: up to 9 months
  • Ground chicken: 3 to 4 months
  • Fully cooked chicken sausage: 1 to 2 months
  • Chicken sausage purchased frozen: 1 to 2 months
  • Cooked chicken: 2 to 6 months
  • Your raw chicken can be frozen in a number of different ways.

    FAQ

    Can you eat chicken breast that has been frozen for a year?

    Are they still safe to eat? A. Yes, the chicken would be safe to eat as long as it was fresh when it was frozen and has stayed completely frozen ever since. However, it may not be very tasty. After being frozen for so long, chicken may develop freezer burn or dryness.

    Does chicken breast in the freezer go bad?

    Chicken breasts will remain safe for as long as they are frozen at or below 0°F. They won’t taste (or look) great indefinitely, though. For optimum quality and flavor, the USDA advises keeping chicken breasts in the freezer for no more than nine months.

    How long can frozen chicken breasts be in freezer?

    Whole chickens can be frozen for up to a year after being initially stored, and individual pieces of raw chicken can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months.

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