Can You Freeze Rotisserie Chicken Whole?

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Rotisserie chicken is one of the most popular ways to make chicken for special occasions and normal dinners. It is very good on its own, but it can also be eaten alongside mashed potatoes or some assorted vegetables of your choice.

Many people want to store their rotisserie chicken for later use but believe it is necessary to shred the chicken before freezing. So, can you freeze rotisserie chicken whole too?

Yes, you can freeze rotisserie chicken whole. It does take up a lot of space in your freezer, though. Usually, rotisserie chicken stays good in the freezer for about 3 to 4 months. After this period, although it doesn’t go bad, it starts to lose its flavor and quality.

Table of Contents

How to freeze a whole rotisserie chicken

Following are the steps for freezing a whole rotisserie chicken:

If you have just cooked the rotisserie chicken, let it cool first. You should never freeze rotisserie chicken hot as it then doesn’t freeze well.
After the chicken has cooled, wrap it in either a plastic wrap or an airtight bag and gently press all the air out of the bag.
Pop all the air bubbles you see so that the bag is entirely vacuum sealed.
Now put your wrapped chicken at the end of your freezer, where it is the coldest.

Also read: Can you freeze hard salami?

Conditions for freezing whole rotisserie chicken

Anything around 0°F is a good temperature for freezing any type of cooked chicken. Just make sure that it is below 40°F, or else the chicken will not freeze and go bad. Ensure to freeze the chicken within a maximum of 2 hours of it being outside at room temperature.

In some cases, the chicken might become freezer burnt. This results in the chicken losing its flavor and texture and a change in color. To prevent this, make sure the temperature is not too low and your chicken is wrapped properly.

Also check out our article on whether rotisserie chicken is supposed to be pink or not!

How to use frozen rotisserie chicken

To use your frozen rotisserie chicken again, you first need to defrost it.

Take out your chicken from the freezer, and let it sit on your counter or in the refrigerator for a few hours to let it thaw. The time taken to defrost will depend on the size of your chicken.
After it has defrosted, put it in a baking tray along with some chicken broth or water.
Now, bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at around 370°F.

Conclusion

If you plan to use your rotisserie chicken later, you can store it in the freezer for about 3 to 4 months. Just ensure that the bag you’re wrapping the chicken in is entirely vacuum-sealed, or else it might result in a freezer burn. If you do plan to freeze rotisserie chicken, we hope that our tips were able to help you out!