Can You Freeze Cooked Rice And Chicken?
Cooked rice and chicken must have been a part of family dinners or get together, right? Which means you are left with leftovers of the dish. Even if that is not the case, you might have always wanted to store your rice and chicken dish for longer, isn’t it?
Well, there comes the question, can you freeze cooked rice and chicken? Yes, you can freeze any recipe of rice and chicken. Freezing will definitely save you time and effort, everytime you desire to munch on a bowl of rice and chicken.
You can freeze both freshly cooked and leftover rice and chicken. Just make sure you let it cool completely. To know more insights into freezing cooked rice and chicken, keep scrolling down! We have some tips for you too!
How Can You Freeze A Chicken And Rice Recipe?
Now that you know you can freeze rice and chicken, you also need to know how can you freeze it. While freezing the dish can be easy, what maybe challenging is the process to freeze. You are therefore required to follow a proper method of freezing.
Check out the following method to freeze your rice and chicken effectively:
- Cook your favorite rice and chicken recipe, and set it aside for cooling. Make sure you allow the dish to cool completely otherwise it will be prone to freezer burns. Not cooling sufficiently will only create a mess.
- Once the dish has cooled adequately, transfer it into freezer safe containers. You can also use ziplock bags as per your convenience. Also, if you have large quantities of the dish, try freezing in potions for better results.
- Seal the containers and keep out as much air as possible. Unnecessary exposure to air might lead ton bacterial growth in the food. Therefore, keep out air. You can also use aluminum foil for better wrapping.
- Label and date the containers or bags before placing them in the freezer. Once all of these are done, stack them safely into the freezer. And your rice and chicken is ready to be frozen for a long time.
Quick Tips To Freeze Rice And Chicken
- If you intend to only freeze your rice and chicken recipe, it is advised that you slightly underccok the dish. This will be beneficial upon defrosting it.
- Before freezing the rice, make sure you remove all the clumps in it. You can do so with the help of a fork.
- Do not stack anything over the rice and chicken packages in the freezer. It might alter the quality of the dish.
Does Rice And Chicken Freeze Well?
Yes, rice and chicken freezes perfectly well, when stored properly in the freezer. And by freezing rice and chicken, I mean any rice and chicken recipe. It is also safe to freeze rice and together, as long as you follow adequate freezing instructions.
How Long Can You Freeze Rice And Chicken?
You can freeze rice and chicken together for a maximum of two months. Post that, it will start to degrade in quality and flavor. The rice might also dry out, even if the chicken freezes well in the long run.
Now, if you want to acquire the best taste of your home-cooked rice and chicken recipe, you need to finish the dish within two months. Otherwise, you know you will have to throw away the food, and food waste is just not an option!
How To Defrost Frozen Rice And Chicken?
The very first step towards defrosting the rice and chicken recipe is to place the frozen dish in the refrigerator overnight. This will provide enough time for the dish to thaw completely. Make sure you thaw the dish while it is still wrapped.
Also, you must avoid defrosting frozen rice and chicken dishes on the counter at room temperature because this will alter the texture and flavor of your dish. A rice and chicken recipe demands gradual defrosting, which can be only achieved in the refrigerator.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that, if your recipe contains milk, you will need to stir the dish adequately after it has defrosted and before reheating it. This will help you attain its original consistency.
How To Reheat Frozen Rice And Chicken?
While reheating the defrosted rice and chicken might seem like a task, it is a mandatory thing to do for the best taste. A defrosted rice and chicken casserole will not taste as delicious as a hot one. So you definitely need to reheat your rice and chicken recipe before serving. But how?
Well, there are no right or wrong processes for reheating rice and chicken. You can do it your way. However, you need to make sure you follow a stepwise approach for the best results. Below-mentioned is my set of instructions to reheat the dish. Have a look:
- If you have frozen and thawed your rice and chicken in a bag, the very initial step for reheating would be to break the frozen rice into smaller chunks with the help of a fork.
- You do not need to worry about the chicken as that will automatically attain its texture once heated. Transfer the contents to a microwave-safe bowl, later.
- Sprinkle a few drops of water and cover the container with a lid. Place the rice and chicken bowl in the microwave and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- After the timer runs out, take out the bowl from the microwave, remove the lid, stir the contents gently with a fork, and serve hot.
Note: It is best if you serve the rice right after reheating it. Keeping it longer will cause the recipe to dry out, thus ruining its taste.
