Can You Freeze Rotisserie Chicken? – Does Rotisserie Chicken Freeze Well?

Published Categorized as Kitchen Hacks, Guide

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Have you ever wondered how well would rotisserie chicken freeze along with how healthy it is to freeze rotisserie chicken? As we all know, whilst chicken is a delicious and versatile meat, it can potentially be quite dangerous if not cooked or stored properly.

However, you may have some rotisserie chicken which you know won’t get eaten before its use-by date. Alternatively, you may simply just want something simple you can thaw and serve without cooking. Either way, this leads to the question, can you freeze cooked rotisserie chicken?

Table of Contents

Can You Freeze A Rotisserie Chicken?

We all know that you can refrigerate rotisserie chicken to make it last longer and that raw chicken meat can be both refrigerated or frozen. However, can cooked rotisserie chicken be frozen?

Surprisingly enough, rotisserie chickens can indeed be frozen. In fact, the method of freezing a store-bought rotisserie chicken is actually quite simple. 

How To Freeze Rotisserie Chicken

Shred The Chicken

When freezing a rotisserie chicken it is recommended to not freeze the whole chicken. This is because when you plan to use it’ll take a long time to defrost. Additionally, an entire chicken will take up much more room in your deep freezer than a shredded chicken would.

Can You Freeze Rotisserie Chicken? – Does Rotisserie Chicken Freeze Well?

This is because instead of just freezing the pieces of the leftover rotisserie chicken you actually want to eat you’ll also be freezing the bones.

Instead, it is strongly recommended that you only store shredded chicken, cut to white and dark chicken parts. What is meant here is that you should cut the costco rotisserie chicken into pieces and de-bone it before freezing. 

Cool Down The Chicken

If using a store-bought chicken, you will likely be able to do this immediately. However, for homemade rotisserie chicken, it’s best to wait for them to cool slightly after removing them from the oven before you begin cutting the cooked chicken up. If wondering what the best pan to bake chicken in is, we can help.

How to freeze Rotisserie Chicken?

Wrap The Shredded Portions

Once you’ve got your shredded chicken portions you should then wrap them up in separate containers. Each container should contain amounts equal to half or a full portion of chicken. To do so you can either use freezer bags, cling film, aluminium foil, freezer paper or plastic zip-lock baggies. Doing this allows you to control how much rotisserie chicken meat you thaw at once. 

With the rotisserie portions individually wrapped up put them in a plastic bag and tie the handles whilst making sure there’s no excess air.

Place In The Freezer

From here your pieces of the chicken can be frozen and you now have control of how much chicken you want to defrost at a time.

freezing rotisserie chicken

To defrost your frozen rotisserie chicken simply immerse it in a bowl of cold water or microwave on the defrost setting. The former option will take slightly longer but will give a more even and fresher texture to your chicken.

Does Rotisserie Chicken Freeze Well?

You can freeze the chicken surprisingly well. When you properly reheat rotisserie chicken it will both taste fresh and will be immediately ready to use in a chicken salad, on focaccia with its sides, or any other meal you desire.

How Long Is Rotisserie Chicken Good For In The Freezer?

In the refrigerator, rotisserie chickens will stay good for a few days. However, when the chicken is properly stored and frozen it can last up to four months. As such when you need a simple meal in a pinch or some ingredients for an elaborate dish a bit of frozen rotisserie chicken can make things a lot more convenient. 

Final Thoughts

Rotisserie chicken can be frozen and thawed with little to no downsides. As such it’s recommended that you have some in the freezer ready to help you save time whilst cooking your favorite recipes.

FAQs

Can you freeze a supermarket rotisserie chicken?

You can freeze a rotisserie chicken, even if you buy it from a supermarket. This is great if you want to buy them in bulk and stay stocked up for up to 3 months. After these three months have passed, the quality of the chicken will decrease a lot and it will no longer taste or feel as nice as it previously did.

Does rotisserie chicken meat freeze?

Chicken meat does freeze, even if it is a rotisserie chicken. It will freeze within 2 hours and can be safely thawed afterward before being heated up and served. It is recommended to not refreeze your chicken after you have initially thawed it. This is because it will accelerate the rate at that your chicken’s quality will decrease. The texture and taste will be the most noticeable aspects of the chicken to decrease in quality. It will have a less fresh flavor and the texture will be more rubbery and tough instead of being soft and moist.

By James Clarke

James is an enthusiastic home-cooking hobbyist (being very modest) his taste-buds are tuned for flavor profiles that will have you salivating at the thought of what's cooking. As an occasional author at Alice's Kitchen he brings his own unique style to his articles and entertainment through them. You can always check out what he's up to over on his social profiles linked below.