Can You Freeze Chicken Salad?

Chicken salad is an excellent crowd-feeding meal and, if you follow a few simple rules, it’s also meal-prep friendly. Having too many leftovers or a really large batch will probably make you think of this question: can you freeze chicken salad?

The short answer is: it’s tricky! Frozen cooked meat is not uncommon, but chicken salad includes other ingredients, and not all of them freeze well.

I’m a big fan of meal prep and we have tons of meal prep ideas on the blog you can use for weekly meal planning that will save you both money and time.

When storing cooked food, you’ll need to follow some safety rules and we’ll discuss all of the details of freezing chicken salad below.

Can You Freeze Chicken Salad?

Yes! Chicken salad freezes well with the exception of a few ingredients.

If it contains mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, or a yogurt-based dressing, you should avoid freezing it. Alternatively, you can freeze the salad without these ingredients and add them before serving.

The best dressing for a chicken salad you’d want to freeze is a miracle whip dressing. This type of whipped dressing doesn’t separate after thawing and can be added to the salad before freezing.

How To Freeze Chicken Salad

Once you are done preparing the salad, it’s time for it to go in the freezer. Following the steps below will ensure your chicken salad stays fresh and retains its best quality for as long as possible.

• Start by weighing the chicken salad to see how many servings there are. If it’s a main meal, you can calculate 3/4 cup of salad per person, or go a little lower if you’ll also be serving other dishes.
• Write the date or add a label to your sealable freezer bags or airtight containers. With bags, it’s much easier to do this while they’re empty and stay nice and flat.
• Give your chicken salad a good toss so everything is mixed well.
• Transfer the salad to the bags or containers using a spoon. Ideally, you should only fill them halfway for easy thawing.
• If using freezer bags, try to push out as much air as possible before sealing them.

How To Defrost

The safest way to thaw chicken salad is overnight in the freezer. This method ensures the flavor or texture of the salad stays as fresh as possible.

Even for smaller portions, it will take at least 6-8 hours for the chicken salad to fully defrost in the fridge.

If you don’t have that kind of time the cold water method also works and reduces the thawing time to about 2 hours. You’ll need to use a waterproof bag for this. Transfer the chicken salad in a waterproof bag if it wasn’t frozen in one then place it in a bowl with cold water.

To speed things up and reduce the time spent on the counter, you can change the water every 30 minutes until the salad is fully thawed.

Depending on the ingredients, a thin watery layer can form. I recommend you pour it down the sink and don’t mix it back into the salad.

Once the salad is defrosted, you can garnish it with some fresh toppings like fresh herbs, nuts, or cheese.

How Long Does it Last In The Freezer?

Short answer: 2-3 months to enjoy it at its best.

As far as food safety goes, according to FDA’s food storage chart, all food frozen at 0˚F (-18˚C) will stay safe indefinitely.

However, it’s also true that the quality of frozen foods degrades over time, and it also applies to chicken salad.

For this reason, frozen chicken salad should be consumed within 2-3 months.

It’s also very important to use freezer bags or containers to prevent flavor and texture changes, as well as freezer burns. While the salad will still be safe to eat, it definitely won’t taste as good.

How Long Does it Last In The Fridge?

Chicken salad stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days, according to FoodSafety.gov.

Keep in mind this shelf life is valid only if you didn’t let your chicken salad stay more than 2 hours on the counter before placing it in the fridge and it was stored in an airtight container or bag.

Can You Freeze Chicken Salad With Egg?

Eggs are one of the ingredients that don’t freeze well. When hard-boiled and frozen, the egg white is the culprit as it can get a rubbery texture and altered flavor.

The egg yolk freezes well, though. You can definitely freeze chicken salad if you only add egg yolks.

Alternatively, you can freeze the salad and add the hard-boiled eggs after it thaws.

Can You Freeze Chicken Salad With Mayonnaise?

You shouldn’t. Mayonnaise that was frozen separates as it thaws, and your salad might appear oily, or watery. The flavor might also go through some changes.

Miracle whip dressing is a better option if you plan to freeze chicken salad or you can freeze it without the mayo and add it right before serving.

Can You Freeze Chicken Salad With Yogurt?

Plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, kefir, and other dairy products like sour cream and creme fraiche don’t freeze well. They can separate or become grainy as they thaw.

A chicken salad with a yogurt dressing is best consumed fresh. Otherwise, I recommend you add the yogurt after the salad is fully thawed and drained of excess moisture.

Other Ingredients

A chicken salad contains other ingredients besides chicken and the dressing. Some will freeze well while others are best added in the thawed salad before you serve it. Let’s discuss both!

The ingredients in the list below don’t freeze well, so you should either avoid them or mix them in the salad after it defrosts.

• Crunchy and/or watery vegetables – Cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, and other veggies high in water content become soggy when thawed.
• Fresh greens – When frozen and thawed fresh greens become mushy and they can make the salad watery once it defrosts.
• Soft cheese – Cream cheese and other types of soft cheese behave similarly to yogurt and sour cream when frozen and thawed. They tend to separate so they’re best consumed fresh.
• Watery fruits – Apples, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, oranges, watermelon, and other fruits high in water make excellent salad ingredients but only fresh.

There are other ingredients perfect for freezing, whether they’re in a chicken salad or any other dish.

• Vegetables – Onions, peppers, carrots, other root vegetables, broccoli, and peas.
• Grapes – They freeze well but they can produce some liquid as they thaw. If such is the case, it’s a good idea to drain the excess moisture before serving the salad.
• Nuts – Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and other nuts retain their qualities when frozen.
• Hard cheeses – Parmesan, gouda, cheddar, provolone, and other hard cheeses are excellent even after thawing.
• Pasta – All cooked pasta freezes well and it’s great for meal-prepping freezer pasta meals.
• Bacon – If your salad contains cooked bacon, you can freeze it but it should be eaten within a month for the best flavor and texture.

Freezing Tips

Following a few simple rules will guarantee your chicken salad will keep all its lovely textures and flavors even after freezing and thawing.

• For optimal freshness, freeze chicken salad as soon as possible, ideally, within an hour of preparation.
• Divide the salad into smaller portions before freezing.
• Don’t fill bags or containers more than halfway to ensure quick freezing and thawing.
• Drain excess moisture before transferring the salad to the freezer.
• To freeze salad dressing separately, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze. When solid, move the cubes to a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container.
• Thaw chicken salad overnight, in the fridge. It can easily spoil if left for too long at room temperature.
• If fluids accumulate as it thaws, drain the excess liquid before serving.
• If the thawed salad is too dry, you can make some fresh dressing or vinaigrette and mix it in to make it creamier.

More Meal Prep Ideas & Free Printables

Chicken salads are one of my go-to freezer meals and we love them as a quick lunch or dinner. They’re also a great way to use leftover chicken meat like I always have when I make an air fryer BBQ chicken, air fryer chicken tenders, break up pieces of leftover frozen chicken patties in the air fryer, air fryer whole chicken or an air fryer rotisserie chicken.

Cooked chicken is a great meal prep ingredient, so if you’re serious about make-ahead meals, check out this guide on how to meal prep chicken in the air fryer. It’s both healthy and delicious!

Besides chicken salads, you have so many options to use leftover cooked chicken. My favorites include casseroles, enchiladas, and quesadillas.

To simplify meal prep and planning, I rely on printables and I believe they can help anyone keep track of everything related.

Here are some of our best meal prep printables that will help you organize your recipes, meals, shipping trips, food inventory, and more!

• Weekly Meal Planner
• Recipe Binder
• Kitchen Organization Binder
• Printable Editable Freezer Labels
• Printable Grocery List
• Grocery Store Comparison Savings Free Printable

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