Store it right so it lasts.

When theyre individually wrapped, like at Costco, I just pop them in the freezer as is.

There are somefoods you should never freezelike leafy greens, cooked pasta, and egg-based dishes.

Sideview of a seasoned raw chicken breast

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

But raw chicken is great in the freezer.

That said, there are few drawbacks to freezing chicken when it comes to maintaining quality.

As chicken freezes, water held within the muscle cells begins to leak into the space between cells.

Close-up: baked chicken breast in a casserole dish with one piece slightly lifted using a spatula

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

However, if you avoid overcooking, most chicken products remain acceptably juicy.

Quick freezing minimizes the amount of damage that occurs to the structure of the meat.

Raw chicken should be used within 1 to 2 days of purchase, according to theU.S.

When its frozen, it can last for 9 to 12 months in the freezer.

Or maybe even longer.

it’s possible for you to freeze a whole chicken or freeze each individual piece.

Typically, the packaging most poultry products are in from the supermarket is permeable to gases, Tuell says.

This allows the outside of the chicken to dehydrate over time in the freezer, causing freezer burn.

To flash freeze, place chicken pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

see to it theyre not touching each other.

Freeze for at least an hour and then transfer to a zip-top bag.

For best results, freeze cooked chicken quickly in airtight packaging like a zip-top bag.