Should I freeze cooked chicken?

[ms sweetcheeks]

I have cooked a bit too much chicken legs tonight, and I have 2 big legs in the fridge with rice and salad and veg for DS and his au pair tomorrow (as well as dh & I eating it tonight)- but I have 3 more legs, and I KNOW we wont get around to eating them this week, as I have a meal plan..

So can I freeze them or will they be weird to eat once defrosted???

[Sparkly]

You can so long as they haven't already been frozen iykwim? ie if you've already frozen, defrosted & cooked, then don't refreeze.

[parkejm]

I'd take the meat off the bones and then freeze it You just have to remember though that if you then add them to a sauce/soup etc then you can't then freeze the sauce/soup. If you have time tomorrow to make a new dish with them and then freeze that, that'd be good but otherwise I'd just freeze the meat as it is.

[cheeky_biscuit]

You can so long as they haven't already been frozen iykwim? ie if you've already frozen, defrosted & cooked, then don't refreeze.

I agree.
Might be a bit dry, but would be good for chicken sandwiches with mayo.

[ms sweetcheeks]

You can so long as they haven't already been frozen iykwim? ie if you've already frozen, defrosted & cooked, then don't refreeze.

Hmm ok, it was frozen yes.. Took it out yesterday to defrost, cooked today.
So I shouldn't freeze then.. OK, slight change of meal plan this weke then

[ditab]

I have cooked a bit too much chicken legs tonight, and I have 2 big legs in the fridge with rice and salad and veg for DS and his au pair tomorrow (as well as dh & I eating it tonight)- but I have 3 more legs, and I KNOW we wont get around to eating them this week, as I have a meal plan..

So can I freeze them or will they be weird to eat once defrosted???

Can you take all the meat off and use it for sandwiches or something?

[parkejm]

Hmm ok, it was frozen yes.. Took it out yesterday to defrost, cooked today.
So I shouldn't freeze then.. OK, slight change of meal plan this weke then

If they have been cooked since being frozen and defrosted i.e. were raw when frozen, they should be fine. That's what I was taught in my food hygeine class.

[myzzterri]

You can so long as they haven't already been frozen iykwim? ie if you've already frozen, defrosted & cooked, then don't refreeze.

That's wrong...

If it's been frozen & defrosted you can't refreeze it UNLESS you've cooked it...

It'll be fine...

But I personally would make another meal out of it - strip the meat off & make a curry or pie, then boil the bones for soup....

[parkejm]

That's wrong...

If it's been frozen & defrosted you can't refreeze it UNLESS you've cooked it...

It'll be fine...

that's what I thought!

[ms sweetcheeks]

I'd take the meat off the bones and then freeze it You just have to remember though that if you then add them to a sauce/soup etc then you can't then freeze the sauce/soup. If you have time tomorrow to make a new dish with them and then freeze that, that'd be good but otherwise I'd just freeze the meat as it is.

Hmm, ok could do that!
But I think I will keep them in the fridge and eat them the day after tomorrow...

[Rosa]

You can freeze/thaw/cook/freeze Then you can thaw and heat ONCE and it will be fine, I'd do it in a sauce or something though

[ms sweetcheeks]

That's wrong...

If it's been frozen & defrosted you can't refreeze it UNLESS you've cooked it...

It'll be fine...

But I personally would make another meal out of it - strip the meat off & make a curry or pie, then boil the bones for soup....

Good idea actually, I could do a curry with it tomorrow.. Sorted

Boil the bones for soup??

With what else in? Water + what?

sorry

[Sparkly]

Oh I didn't know that Myzz

[myzzterri]

Boil the bones for soup??

With what else in? Water + what?

sorry

I boil the bones in plain water, scoop them out, pull the meat off (because you get tons more off when you boil, even after you've taken it off by hand) then add carrots, celery, potato, swede etc to the stock...

yum

[ms sweetcheeks]

I boil the bones in plain water, scoop them out, pull the meat off (because you get tons more off when you boil, even after you've taken it off by hand) then add carrots, celery, potato, swede etc to the stock...

yum

Love ya

[Sadie]

I didn't think you could freeze meat once it's been cooked .

[Mango]

I didn't think you could freeze meat once it's been cooked .

Seriously? Absolutely you can, I do it all the time, else how would you have chicken on frozen pizzas? Pies? Or frozen ready meals? All the meat in those has been cooked before freezing

[parkejm]

I didn't think you could freeze meat once it's been cooked .

You can freeze meat once if it's raw and then once when it's cooked. Most frozen meals at the supermarket will contain meat that has been cooked, and then you just reheat at home so it's definitley allowed

[Funky Mum]

To do stock, I don't know if I'd bother with just a few chicken bones, but if you take the meat off the bone and freeze that separate, you can have a container with bones in, and keep adding to it with more bones as you eat more chicken, then make a stock when you've got plenty of bones. You'll get more flavour then. I think Nigella does this

Yep, if you change the state of raw meat that's been frozen (ie, you cook it), you can refreeze, no probs. I'd use it in sauce or something as suggested by someone, I wouldn't just defrost and put in sandwiches, I'd want to heat it VERY hot and use it like that

[mrsnozza]

You can freeze/thaw/cook/freeze

WSS - I do this all the time.

Mrs N x