Can You Freeze Chicken Salad?

What happens when you freeze chicken salad

USDA lists chicken salad as not recommended for freezing, and that’s a texture ruling on a dish that is mostly texture. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and egg that freezing breaks for good: it thaws into a greasy slick over a watery bowl, and stirring won’t rebuild it. The chicken underneath turns stringy, the celery goes limp, and grapes or apple collapse to mush. Plain cooked chicken, on the other hand, freezes beautifully — which is the whole answer here.

How to freeze it right

1. Freeze the cooked chicken plain and portioned, before the mayonnaise ever gets involved.
2. Finish a made-up bowl inside the 3–4 days USDA gives it in the fridge.
3. Mix the dressing on the day you want it; it’s the quickest part of the recipe.
4. Keep the bowl cold and covered — this is a fridge dish, not a counter one.

Thawing and using it

Thaw the plain chicken overnight in the fridge, then chop it and dress it fresh. If someone has already frozen a finished bowl, thaw it in the fridge, drain it, and cook the chicken into a soup or a casserole instead of trying to serve it cold.

Can you refreeze it?

Don’t refreeze a thawed bowl of chicken salad — the mayonnaise has nothing left to give. Fridge-thawed plain chicken can go back in safely.