How Long Does Frozen Chicken Really Last In The Freezer?
Nothing is better than the versatility of chicken. And though it can be a tricky protein to know everything about and sometimes scary to cook, it's good to know what is going on with the fan-favorite meat. Finding a whole chicken that you can take apart and freeze for however long you want can be a great way to save money and keep stress at bay. However, if you eat undercooked chicken there may be high risks of bacterial contamination like salmonella per the CDC.
But don't let the scary part of chicken sway you from doing something that can save you money and time. Freezing your chicken is a great way to preserve it long term, in case you aren't ready to make those chicken tacos just yet or you lose the energy to make that long-awaited chicken soup that takes all day to cook. Knowing when your frozen chicken can go bad is important to keep your freezer up to date and practice food safety.
It's longer than you think
Luckily, chicken can stay in the freezer for longer than you might expect. Frozen chicken has a shelf life of up to about 12 months for best quality. Depending on how the chicken is prepared, the quality expiration may go down. According to the USDA, you can keep a whole raw chicken frozen up to one year, a broken-down chicken should be good for up to 9 months, and ground chicken can last up to 4 months. However, frozen chicken doesn't have an actual expiration date and is safe to cook and eat indefinitely — it just depends on how good you want the chicken to taste.
It's also important to know how to store your frozen chicken so it is in fact indefinitely safe to eat. As long as the chicken is packaged in a vacuum-sealed container, you should be okay to cook it whenever you'd like. If it's packaged in thinner packaging like plastic wrap, it can get freezer burned more easily. Be sure to use thicker freezer bags to avoid freezer burn (via EatingWell). Knowing safe practices is important so you can cook your best chicken dinner recipe.