How long can you leave chicken in the freezer? Plus tips on safe storage
If you’re stocking up on chicken at the supermarket, popping it in the freezer is a great option to extend its shelf life. But if that chicken ends up sitting in your freezer for months on end, you might be wondering: How long can you actually leave it in there for?
The good news: If chicken is stored correctly, it’s perfectly safe to defrost, cook and eat, regardless of how long it’s been left in the freezer. However, the longer it stays in there, you might notice a change in the quality of the meat. Here’s what official recommendations say.
How long can chicken be in the freezer?
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has released recommendations on how long you should store chicken in the freezer. The recommended time frames for freezing chicken are dependent on two factors: The cut of the chicken, and whether it is fresh or cooked, says Yaffi Lvova, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Banner Health.
These guidelines are in reference to maintaining the quality and texture of the meat. As long as the chicken is stored in the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below, it’s considered safe indefinitely, says Lvova. Here’s what the USDA FSIS recommends:
- A whole fresh chicken: 1 year
- Fresh chicken parts: 9 months
- Leftover cooked chicken: 4 months
- Ground chicken: 3 to 4 months
- Deli-sliced chicken: 1 to 2 months
If you defrost and cook the chicken beyond the recommended time frames, you might notice some pieces have become dry or mushy, or sense a change in the flavor profile. However, it’s important to underscore that if the meat was stored, defrosted and cooked correctly, it is still perfectly safe to consume, Lvova says.
How to store chicken in the freezer
If the chicken is unopened, you should freeze it in its original packaging. If the fresh chicken is no longer in its original packaging, or you intend to freeze cooked chicken, Lvova recommends wrapping the meat in freezer paper, foil or plastic wrap (to help protect the quality of the meat), and then storing it in airtight, vacuum-sealed freezer bags.
How to defrost chicken the right way
When you’re ready to defrost the chicken, there’s one thing you definitely don’t want to do: Leave it on the counter to thaw. When meat is left out at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. To kill bacteria and mitigate your risk of foodborne infection, chicken should always be heated to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA FSIS.
There’s three ways to safely defrost chicken, per USDA FSIS recommendations. First, you could “move (the chicken) from the freezer into the refrigerator, and leave it there until it's fully defrosted,” says Lvova. Leaving it in the refrigerator overnight usually does the trick, though if you are defrosting a whole chicken or larger cuts of meat, it could take one to two days.
“If you don't have that as an option, you can try the cold water method,” says Lvova. Submerge the airtight-packaged chicken in cold water (around 40 degrees Fahrenheit), and switch out the water every 30 minutes to ensure the meat stays cold, she says. Repeat until it has defrosted. Using the cold water method, a 3-to-4 pound whole chicken should take approximately two to three hours to defrost, per the USDA FSIS.
Microwaving the chicken is your third option. If you choose this method, you’ll need to be sure to cook the chicken immediately, because the meat could be partially cooked in the microwave. The risk? If the chicken is only partially cooked, bacteria could still be present.
How to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen
Once your chicken is fully defrosted, you’ll want to make sure no cross-contamination happens in your kitchen. Ideally, you’ll want to prepare the chicken on a cutting board specifically designated for raw meat. “If you're going to cut broccoli on top of a dirty cutting board, then all of your effort is wasted, and you are going to risk getting very sick,” Lvova says.
If you don’t have two cutting boards, once you’re finished preparing the raw chicken, thoroughly clean your cutting board with soap and hot water on both sides, and use a separate knife. Then, clean the countertop with anti-bacterial spray before preparing any other foods, Lvova suggests.