How to freeze chicken, storage period, and 5 recipes! [Explanation with photos! ]

Many people seem to feel this way: ``I'd like to buy chicken in bulk, but I can't use it all up, so I've given up on buying it.''

Although it is not well known, chicken is an ingredient that goes well with freezing. As proof of this, there are many recipes that use freezing to shorten cooking time.

This article introduces freezing preservation techniques, suitable thawing methods, approximate storage periods, and recipes using frozen ingredients.

If you are interested, please read on.

chicken nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of chicken

The calories in chicken vary greatly depending on the part. As you can see from the diagram below, chicken breasts have the lowest calories, and chicken wings have the highest calories. (Calculated based on 100g of chicken)

Even the same breast meat has different calories depending on whether it is with skin or without skin. The difference is the difference in fat content. Meat with skin has more calories because the fat is just behind the skin.

The vitamins and minerals contained in chicken are as follows.

【vitamin】
Vitamins A, E, K, B1, B2, niacin, B6, B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid, (biotin), C

【mineral】
Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, (iodine, selenium, chromium, molybdenum)

*Nutrients in parentheses may not be included depending on the part.

Benefits of chicken

Benefit #1: Get firm and beautiful skin with high-quality protein

The human body is made up of approximately 60 trillion cells, and proteins are the building blocks of these cells. Our hair and skin are all made of protein.

Beautiful, firm skin refers to skin where old cells are replaced with new cells, in other words, skin that is undergoing metabolism. And the presence of protein is essential for that metabolism.

When there is a lack of protein, cell renewal stops. If this happens, old cells will remain forever, and skin repair will be delayed.

Pork is rich in nutrients such as vitamin B6, which supports protein metabolism, vitamin A, and collagen, which are expected to have beauty effects, so it is a food that is definitely recommended for women.

Benefit #2: Enhances immunity and increases resistance

Chicken breast and chicken breast meat contain more than 10 times more vitamin A than beef or pork. Vitamin A has the function of keeping the skin and mucous membranes healthy, and it strengthens our bodies from the inside.

Vitamin A also plays a major role in eye health.

Vitamin A is the main component of rhodopsin, a pigment found in the retina of the eye. Rhodopsin maintains vision and eye health, but once it is depleted, it must be replenished. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly consume vitamin A through foods such as chicken.

>> Best before date and tips for extending the best before date for frozen meat and fish

Advantages of freezing chicken

Allows long-term storage

Freezing allows for long-term storage.

Chicken has the disadvantage that it spoils more easily than beef or pork due to its high moisture content. However, this weakness can be overcome by using cryopreservation.

In the refrigerator, the expiration date is about 1 to 3 days, but if you use frozen storage, you can store it for more than a week. Depending on the preparation method, it can be stored for longer periods.

If you can store it for a long time, you can buy several packs at a time when it's on sale. If this happens, it will become a reliable ally for your household finances.

Reduces cooking time

By freezing food, you can shorten cooking time.

If you freeze the food pre-soaked in the sauce, you can start cooking immediately after thawing it. Since the meat and sauce are sealed inside the freezer bag, it is also attractive that you can season it with less seasoning.

If you buy a large chicken, it's a good idea to cut it into bite-sized pieces and freeze it in small portions. It can be applied to a wide range of dishes such as fried chicken, teriyaki bowls, and stir-fries.

By cutting the meat in advance, you can save yourself the trouble of cutting the meat each time you prepare it, and you also eliminate the need to wash your knife and cutting board each time.

How to freeze chicken

You can basically freeze any meat, including thighs, breasts, fillets, and chicken wings, using the following method.

When freezing meat, be careful not to touch it directly with your hands (this may transfer germs from your hands). Use chopsticks or similar tools to avoid touching the meat.

Also, if you put it in a freezer bag, make sure to remove as much air as possible before freezing. By removing air, you can slow down the oxidation of food.

When freezing as is

1. Wipe the water well with kitchen paper.

2. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze.

Cut into bite-sized pieces and freeze

1. Wipe the water well with kitchen paper.
2. Wrap each amount you can use up in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze.

When freezing with seasoning

1. Wipe the water well with kitchen paper.
2. Place the meat and sauce in a freezer bag and freeze (refer to the recipe section for the sauce).

In other cases

When freezing fillet meat, you can freeze it as is, but we recommend seasoning it before freezing. Fillet meat has low moisture and fat content, so if you freeze it as is, it may become dry.

When freezing chicken wings, it is important to thoroughly wipe off any moisture. By doing so, you can suppress the characteristic odor of chicken wings.

How to thaw chicken and storage period

How to thaw chicken

No matter how you freeze it, we recommend thawing it in the refrigerator. By thawing slowly at low temperatures, you can minimize drips (liquid leakage) (if drips occur, the umami extract from the ingredients will flow out).

However, it takes time to defrost the food in the refrigerator, so if you plan to use it for dinner, it's best to move it to the refrigerator in the morning.

​If you want to defrost food faster than that, we recommend defrosting it under running water. There will be some drips, but the food will defrost faster than refrigeration.

Defrosting in the microwave may result in uneven thawing or overheating, so it is best to consider it as a last resort.

Chicken storage period

If you wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it without any special processing, the shelf life will be 2 to 3 weeks, and if you process it by soaking it in seasoning etc., it will last for 3 to 4 weeks.

Please keep in mind that it will take about 3 weeks.

However, even frozen storage is not a panacea. If you freeze old meat or freeze it with moisture remaining, the food may deteriorate even within the specified period. Please be careful when cooking.

5 easy recipes using chicken

Stir-fried chicken with sweet and spicy vinegar

☑材料（1人分）
・鶏もも肉　1枚
●酢　大さじ3
●醤油　大さじ2
●みりん　大さじ2
●酒　大さじ1
●鷹の爪　適量

<How to make>
0) Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, put them in a freezer bag with the seasonings marked ●, and freeze them.
1) Thaw in the refrigerator or in ice water before cooking.
2) Heat oil in a hot frying pan and heat until the meat is cooked through.

fried chicken

☑材料（1人分）
・鶏もも肉　450g
●醤油　大さじ2
●酒　大さじ1
●塩こしょう　適量
●にんにくチューブ　5㎝ほど
●しょうがチューブ　5㎝ほど
・片栗粉　適量

<How to make>
0) Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, put them in a freezer bag with the ingredients marked with ●, and freeze.
1) Thaw the meat in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Gently wipe off the liquid with kitchen paper and sprinkle with potato starch.
3) Fry for about 8 minutes over medium-low heat, then remove. Raise the heat to high and fry twice until crispy, being careful not to burn them, and it's done.

butter chicken

☑材料（１人分）
・鶏もも肉　1枚
●バター　大さじ1
●カレー粉　小さじ1
●塩こしょう　少々
●酒　大さじ1
・アスパラガス　適量
・きのこ　適量

<How to make>
0) Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, put them in a freezer bag with the ingredients marked with ●, and freeze.
1) Thaw the meat in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the meat, skin side up.
3) Once browned, turn over, add asparagus and mushrooms, and stir-fry until cooked through.

Teriyaki bowl

☑材料（3人分）
・鶏もも肉　3枚
・キャベツ　1/4個
・ネギ　適量
・卵　3個
・ごはん　適量
●酒　50cc
●みりん　50cc
●醤油　50cc
●砂糖　大さじ2
●にんにくチューブ　2~3㎝
●しょうがチューブ　2~3㎝

<How to make>
1) Thaw the chicken thighs that have been cut into bite-sized pieces in the freezer or in ice water.
2) Cut the cabbage into strips, cut the green onion into small pieces, and combine the ingredients marked with ●.
3) Fry the thigh meat in a frying pan heated to medium heat. First, start with the skin side, and once it's browned, turn it over, cover, and steam it lightly.
4) When the fire goes through, stir in the ingredients marked with ● and stir over low heat until the mixture becomes shiny.
5) While the chicken is steaming, put the eggs and water in a deep container and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. At this time, poke a hole in the yolk with a toothpick.
6) Once the thighs are browned, put them on top in the following order: rice → sauce → cabbage → sauce → chicken → egg → sauce → green onions.

★You can also freeze the thighs and seasonings together in advance.

Boiled salted koji cream

☑材料（2~3人分）
・鶏もも肉　250g
・塩麹　大さじ2
・スナップえんどう　6~8本
・玉ねぎ　中1/2個
・サラダ油　大さじ1/2
・バター　大さじ1
・小麦粉　大さじ1
・水　1/2カップ
・牛乳　1/3カップ
・こしょう　少々

<How to make>
0) Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, put them in a freezer bag with salted koji and freeze.
1) Thaw the thighs in the refrigerator or in ice water depending on the timing of cooking.
2) Remove the strings from the snap peas and thinly slice the onion.
3) Heat oil in a hot frying pan, arrange the thawed thighs, sear both sides over low heat, then cover and steam-fry for 3 minutes.
4) Remove (3) and quickly wipe off the oil from the frying pan.
5) Heat the butter and fry the onions.
6) When it becomes soft, sprinkle in the flour and stir-fry. When it becomes no longer floury, add water.
7) When it boils, add (3) back in and add the snap peas. Steam on low heat for 3 minutes.
8) Open the lid, add milk, simmer for about 2 minutes, and it's done.

Conclusion

How do you freeze chicken?

Compared to beef and pork, it is a more perishable ingredient, but if freshly frozen, it can be stored for about three weeks.

We have introduced several freezing methods, but the recommended method is to add seasoning. The flavors soak in properly while frozen, so you can enjoy the full flavor even with a short cooking time.

Also, if you prepare and freeze a variety of sauces, you can stock up on several types of side dishes, such as fried chicken, teriyaki, and shio-koji. Freezing is a very useful technique, so please try using it in your daily life.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> Click here for other ways to freeze vegetables