Can Chicken Be Refrozen?

You can safely refreeze raw and cooked chicken within their respective shelf lives. Still, only refreeze raw chicken that has been thawed in the refrigerator. When handled properly, it's safe to refreeze raw and cooked chicken within their respective shelf lives.

Can you refreeze chicken before cooking?

It is perfectly fine to refreeze cooked chicken, as long as you store and handle it properly. Cooked chicken can only be refrozen if it has been defrosted in the fridge and has not been allowed to heat up to higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why can't you refreeze thawed meat?

When you freeze, thaw, and refreeze an item, the second thaw will break down even more cells, leaching out moisture and changing the integrity of the product. The other enemy is bacteria. Frozen and thawed food will develop harmful bacteria faster than fresh.