Is It Safe To Cook Chicken From Frozen?
The most important thing to consider when handling any type of ingredient is food safety. For meats, such as steak or chicken, safe handling is a key way to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
When it comes to cooking chicken, you should always make sure the meat's internal temperature (the temperature at its center, not just below its surface), is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, per the USDA. This is the temperature required to kill any illness-causing bacteria, and it is chicken's only appropriate temperature; despite the existence of chicken sashimi (per BuzzFeed), as a general rule, there is no such thing as cooking "rare" or "medium-rare" poultry.
Of course, it's not uncommon to have leftover uncooked chicken from a dish that ultimately winds up in the freezer. And we're all familiar with the instance of coming home from school or work only to remember you forgot to defrost the meat. In this case, is it ever safe to cook chicken from frozen? The answer lies in its cooking method.
You can cook chicken from frozen
The short answer is yes, you can cook frozen chicken. Cooking chicken in the oven is an easy way to prepare it from frozen, but you'll likely need to adjust the cooking time required since the chicken is at a much lower temperature than if it had been refrigerated. Food Network recommends brushing the chicken with mayonnaise and mustard to lock in moisture.
On the contrary, there are a few methods that could make you sick. Today reports that the USDA's regulations advise against cooking any type of frozen meat in a slow cooker. This is because it takes too long for the chicken to get out of the "danger zone," which is between 40-140 degrees. Since slow cookers can take as long as 10 hours to cook a meal, there is too much time for the chicken to grow potentially dangerous bacteria.
Another method to avoid is the microwave method. While BBC Good Food says it's fine to defrost chicken in the microwave, if you try to cook the entire piece of meat, you could wind up with uneven cooking. This means the center of the meat hasn't reached a safe temperature by the time the surface has, which creates an illness risk.
How long does chicken last in the freezer?
Frozen food, for all intents and purposes, does not have an expiration date. Meaning, it will never be unsafe to eat (via The Old Farmer's Almanac). However, there are guidelines around how long you should keep food in the freezer before its flavor and texture change.
The USDA reiterates that chicken won't go bad, but a whole raw chicken shouldn't be kept in the freezer for more than one year, or it could lose its flavor. If you plan to freeze parts of the chicken, such as breasts or thighs, don't keep them in there for more than nine months. And ground chicken or giblets should be consumed after no more than four months for optimal flavor.
Refrigerated, uncooked leftover chicken has a much shorter shelf life; you should cook it within 1-2 days of purchase. If you don't plan to cook it, toss it in the freezer.