Chicken kiev is a wonderful option for a midweek dinner – bursting with flavour and never dry, they rarely disappoint. If youāre making them often, you may have some chicken kiev going spare that you need to freeze. But is this possible?
Can You Freeze Chicken Kiev?
Yes, you can freeze chicken kiev for up to 3 months. Prepare the kievs until just before youād fry or bake them then freeze each kiev on a baking sheet before wrapping them in a freezer bag and freezing them for up to 3 months. (Full Instructions Below)
Do Does Chicken Kiev freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chicken Kiev? No
How to Freeze Chicken Kiev
To get started freezing a chicken kiev, you first need to go through the process of making the kiev itself.
So, follow the recipe youāre using (this one from BBC Good Food is good), filling and breading the chicken as you go. Eventually, there will be a stage that calls for the kiev to be chilled before it is cooked. You can then begin the freezing process:
- Freeze on a Tray: At this point, transfer the chicken to a baking sheet, and freeze it on that sheet until itās firm.
- Bag Up: Then, place the kiev into a freezer bag, eliminate excess air from the bag. Ensure you write a clear label on the bag with the contents and date.
- Freeze: Place the sealed bag into the freezer, where the chicken will store well for up to 3 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Chicken Kiev
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chicken kiev to have the best results:
Freeze Until Firm First
Ensure you freeze the chicken kievs until theyāre firm, as that will allow you to press them together in a freezer bag, safe in the knowledge that they wonāt be distorted out of shape or cook unevenly due to poor freezing. Give each kiev a poke before freezing it – it should be firm to the touch.
Eliminate Excess Air
Eliminating excess air from the freezer bag is entirely essential. The reason for this is that the breading on the outside of the bag will go stale, no matter the temperature that itās stored at – even frozen bread can go stale over time. This means that eliminating air from the bag is vital.
Freeze on the Day You Made Them
Chicken is naturally very prone to being food unsafe, which means you need to be sure not to give bacteria a chance to grow, whether on the counter or in the fridge. Freeze the kievs quickly and totally to ensure theyāre as safe as possible for you and your family to eat.
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken Kiev?
You can freeze a chicken kiev for up to 3 months.
The reason that we would impose that upper limit on freezing a chicken kiev is that freezer burn will start to set in at that point.
While chicken is, obviously, very high in protein and low in water, freezer burn can still set in and damage the overall structure of the molecules within the chicken, leading to poor texture when you eat it.
How Do You Defrost Chicken Kiev?
Frozen chicken kiev can be cooked directly from the freezer! To do this, we would suggest placing them on a lined baking sheet and cooking them in a 180ĖC oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
Make sure you turn them halfway through cooking, however, as that will ensure that the butter at the centre of the kiev is absorbed through all of the meat in the piece of chicken. This will lead to a tender and juicy meal.
Can You Refreeze Chicken Kiev?
We would advise against refreezing chicken kiev since the fat content of the meat will have increased as the butter melted in the centre.
This will lead to the kievs freezing poorly, and their texture and flavour worsened in the freezer itself.
Does Chicken Kiev Freeze Well?
Yes, chicken kiev does freeze well! The best way to freeze chicken kiev is to keep them uncooked and freeze them in that state.
That way, youāll be able to cook them directly from frozen, leading to a tasty, simple, and wonderfully moreish meal in no time at all.
Up until freezer burn sets in at around 3 months, or so, chicken kiev doesnāt lose quality in the freezer whatsoever.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing chicken kiev or chicken kiev in general, then these may help:
Yes, chicken kievs do not need to be defrosted to cook them. Instead, they can be cooked straight from frozen for around 45 minutes until cooked through.
Yes, some store-bought chicken kievs can be frozen. The best option is to check the packaging to determine whether they are suitable for home freezing or not.
Uncooked chicken kievs that have been assembled will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Beyond that, the chicken may not be safe to eat, so it will need to be thrown out.
