Freezing chicken

Shewhomustbe...

How dangerous is it to freeze cooked chicken?

trotter_inc

I might be wrong but I dont think you're supposed - dont ask me why though!

daymobrew

It's not dangerous. I frequently freeze cooked food, including chicken.
It's the thawing that requires care - defrost overnight in the fridge (top shelf is warmest btw).
Ask the experts: call a local butcher - they'll know all about meat safety.

Borzoi

Shewhomustbe... wrote:

How dangerous is it to freeze cooked chicken?

Em, not dangerous at all, because cooking the meat kills most bacteria in it. But freeze your food as soon as possible after cooking. Bacteria breeds and multiplies most quickly at 20-40C temperatures, so you want to get the food through that temperature zone as quickly as possible - by bunging it in a sealed container into your freezer, and small portions will freeze more quickly.

And never thaw and refreeze food.

Shewhomustbe...

Thanks for your replies, it helped settle an arguement regarding freezing unfinished chinese dinners.

Blisterman

Freezing chicken makes it taste like crap imo.

Tiriel

Shewhomustbe... wrote:

Thanks for your replies, it helped settle an arguement regarding freezing unfinished chinese dinners.

ok this is just my opinion but...

I wouldn't freeze Chinese dinners as you don't know how fresh the chicken was when it was first cooked.. whereas chicken you bought yourself and cooked at least you know how fresh it actually is.. now I'm not saying meat in the Chinese isn't fresh.. you just don't know how fresh that's all.

Borzoi

Shewhomustbe... wrote:

Thanks for your replies, it helped settle an arguement regarding freezing unfinished chinese dinners.

OK - that I wouldn't do. As Cork_girl points out you no idea how fresh it is. But more importantly you no idea whether it's being frozen before, and then just warmed up for your takeaway. Given the regular reports from Health Inspectors in takeaways I'd say it's a no no.

rubadub

You can buy fresh, freeze, thaw, cook, freeze, thaw.
But dont buy fresh, freeze, thaw, freeze
or cook, freeze, thaw, freeze.

As said, you don't know if the chinese froze the cooked food before.
I have also gotten "fresh" fillets from a butchers which were a bit frozen, it was a huge pile on a metal plate which was chilled, the ones at the bottom were slightly frozen.

Block (8

Strictly speaking you can freeze and then thaw food (meat) only once whether it has been cooked or not. So if your takeaway chicken has been cooked from fresh (never been frozen) the chicken itself will be ok to freeze again but not if it was a chicken that has been defrosted. Did one of those hygiene courses once :rolleyes:

lorraine 2

Bought fresh chicken wings today to make chicken soup. Made the soup at around 11.30am and did not have enough time to let it cool and put in freezer. Can I freeze it now at 8.30pm and reheat it whenever I need it or do you think the fact I did not get it into the freezer straight away will make me sick. ( I do intend to thoroughly thaw and serve pipping hot).

MissFlitworth

Hi Lorraine 2 No food safety advice allowed here, at all. Please have a read of the stickies at the top of this forum before posting again.