If you have leftover chicken salad after your snack or lunch and don’t have plans for it in the next few days how do you save it? You can refrigerate the chicken salad for up to a week but what if you need longer? Can you freeze chicken salad?
You can freeze chicken salad and save it for a later date. Chicken salad will vary in texture and flavor upon thawing based upon the ingredients used. As long as the chicken salad is in a sealed container when it is frozen the integrity of it should remain okay with the exception of some ingredients.
Can Chicken Salad be Frozen?
If you want to save leftover chicken salad or if you want to prep meals ahead of time then you can breathe a sigh of relief because chicken salad can be frozen. As long as it is in a sealed air-tight container, chicken salad can be frozen for quite some time and used again later.
Chicken salad can be frozen and kept between three to six months. It is important to understand that the ingredients of the chicken salad may affect the outcome of it when it thaws. Certain bases like mayonnaise and greek yogurt may separate during freezing and cause runny consistencies or changes in taste during the thawing process.
Look into the ingredients of the chicken salad you are buying or making to be sure what will work best for the end-result. There are some differences between store-bought chicken salad and homemade chicken salads that may affect their freezing and thawing as well.
Can You Freeze Store-Bought Chicken Salad?
There are a few different kinds of chicken salad that are made and sold retail. If you find you won’t be able to eat the pre-packaged chicken salad then you may want to consider freezing it. Can you freeze chicken salad you bought from the store?
Store-bought chicken salad is usually a mayonnaise and mustard base and can be frozen. Because it is a mayonnaise base, though, it can be expected to separate when freezing and thawing. This may change the integrity and flavor of the chicken salad, however.
Make note of the ingredients before you take the chicken salad home if you plan on getting more than you can eat right before the best buy date. Some bases in chicken salad won’t freeze right and can cause runniness and odd tastes in chicken salad.
Can you freeze Homemade Chicken Salad?
Making chicken salad at home from scratch puts the ingredients into your control. What kind of base you use for your chicken salad will ultimately determine the outcome after it is frozen and thawed. There are few things to know about the sauce and dressing bases some use for chicken salad at home.
You can freeze homeland chicken salad and it can last for up to six months in the freezer. It is important to know what base the chicken salad is before freezing so that way there is less mess at the end of the process. Some types of chicken salad will freeze and thaw better than others.
Can you freeze Chicken Salad with Mayo?
You can freeze chicken salad with mayonnaise as a base, however you can expect it to separate during the freezing and thawing process.
Mayonnaise should be replaced with a product like Miracle Whip that is more bound together and fluffy and that won’t freeze in a weird way.
Can you freeze Chicken Salad with Grapes?
Sometimes there are grapes in chicken salad that give them an extra crunch and a kick of fresh flavor.
You can freeze chicken salad that has grapes in it, but prepare for a runny and watery thaw. Grapes can hold excess moisture and it will thaw and run into the chicken salad making it watery and potentially watered down in taste.
Try to only add grapes to the portion you are going to eat right away to avoid a watery mess when you thaw you frozen chicken salad that has had grapes in it. If there is no way to avoid freezing the grapes in the chicken salad then you can use a strainer after thawing to remove excess liquid.
Can you freeze Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt?
Greek yogurt is often used as an alternative to the more traditional bases for chicken salad.
While you can freeze chicken salad with greek yogurt, it is important to note that similar to mayonnaise, greek yogurt does not freeze without some degree of separation.
This means that you have a more watery and runny version of chicken salad than what you started with. To avoid this don’t freeze chicken salad with greek yogurt in it unless you have to. Sometimes you may even wish to store the salad ingredients apart from the dressing while freezing to keep the integrity of the salad.
Conclusion
If you are wondering what to do with your leftover chicken salad, it is totally okay to consider freezing it. Just make sure to note what base or dressing is in the chicken salad so you know what to expect the outcome to be like. If you have store-bought chicken salad, then look into the ingredients to make sure its worth buying more than you eat at this time.
Products like mayonnaise, greek yogurt, and grapes can cause extra moisture or won’t freeze right. When chicken salad thaws and contains these items you can expect a runniness or a watery consistency that could change the integrity of the chicken salad. To avoid this, use a base like Miracle Whip, and only add ingredients like grapes right before eating.
