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Regular Contributor
Posts: 193
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I am trying to be organized and today am cooking up some buttermilk fried chicken tenders and a batch of marinated grilled chicken tenders. Hoping there is a way to freeze them after I cook and cool them so I can pull them out for lunch. Did some goggle-ing and didn't find what I needed. I normally don't cook and freeze so looking for suggestions. thanks.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,361
Registered: ‎03-30-2014

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

I freeze smoked chicken after SIL does me up a whole one. Put it into more manageable portions since it is just me eating it. Seems to work.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,325
Registered: ‎03-08-2014

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

I do it all the time and it is very handy and tasty. Go for it!
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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,892
Registered: ‎02-19-2012

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

The grilled chicken should freeze beautifully. We usually grilly a dozen chicken breasts at a time and freeze them individually for my roommate to tae to work each day, and we have never had a problem. Fried chicken, though, does not freeze well; while the freezing does not harm the chicken, it will affect the texture of the coating.

Regular Contributor
Posts: 193
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

When whole chickens go on sale here, I'll pick up extras and boil them whole with a hunk of carrot, celery, and onion. When they're done and cooled enough to handle, I'll pull all the meat off the frame keeping it in hunks and chunks as much as I can.

Then I'll put the meat in individual gallon sized bags and then into a gal. plastic big zip bag, along with one to 2 cups of broth from the pan......sometimes a little more, and then freeze it. If I put most of it in as large a hunks as I can, it seems to hold up better when you defrost it. I then defrost and drain well, and use it for my chicken enchilada casserole, soup, etc. I think the liquid kind of softens the littler pieces a lot, so that's why I hunk and chunk it as much as I can. It's so great to keep on hand frozen and ready to use. Whole freshes are on sale this week, so I'll be going this in a few days.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,347
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

We do it quite often. Never had a problem.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,222
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

On 1/18/2015 AnneMary said:

When whole chickens go on sale here, I'll pick up extras and boil them whole with a hunk of carrot, celery, and onion. When they're done and cooled enough to handle, I'll pull all the meat off the frame keeping it in hunks and chunks as much as I can.

Then I'll put the meat in individual gallon sized bags and then into a gal. plastic big zip bag, along with one to 2 cups of broth from the pan......sometimes a little more, and then freeze it. If I put most of it in as large a hunks as I can, it seems to hold up better when you defrost it. I then defrost and drain well, and use it for my chicken enchilada casserole, soup, etc. I think the liquid kind of softens the littler pieces a lot, so that's why I hunk and chunk it as much as I can. It's so great to keep on hand frozen and ready to use. Whole freshes are on sale this week, so I'll be going this in a few days.

Great ideas!

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,342
Registered: ‎10-13-2011

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

We've always got frozen, cooked chicken in the freezer. The dogs have their hard treats, but our cats are fussy. They do not like store bought treats...so we boil chicken thighs (they only eat dark meat!), de-bone them, chop them up, and freeze them. Then we give them each maybe 4-5 cubes that have been heated up in the microwave once a day. They love it!

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,500
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Freezing cooked chicken ??

Should be just fine altho the fried chicken may not be very crunchy. I know there is a crisping sheet you can use in the oven or the mirco that is supposed to crisp things up. Never tried it tho.