How to Freeze Meat + Tips for Defrosting Meat

Knowing how to properly freeze and defrost meat is key to minimizing waste and making sure that you always have a stocked freezer for making meals.

Growing up, I watched my parents prepare and freeze meat this exact same way so that we could stick to a food budget and always have something on hand for weeknight dinners.

By knowing how to freeze meat, you'll be better able to take advantage of buying product when it's in bulk or on sale, then portioning and packaging it to give you the most options later on when you want to use it.

For example, I'm usually just cooking for two, so often 1 chicken breast will be plenty for a weeknight dinner. So what do I do with the rest of the breasts that come in the package?

Or maybe the local market is having a sale of ground beef, so you want to pick up a few pounds at a time for tacos, bolognese and burgers. How do you use it all before it goes bad? You don't! Portion it and freeze it, then defrost when you're ready to use it!

By portioning out and freezing food in smaller amounts, you have way more flexibility when it comes time to plan out dinners. Plus, it takes less time to defrost a single breast than an entire package of chicken

Some delicious weeknight chicken dinner ideas:
One-Pan Chicken and Asparagus
Burst Tomato and Spicy Lemon Chicken Wraps
Homemade Hot Chicken Nuggets
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Chicken Caesar Salad Flatbreads

How to Freeze Chicken:

1. Start by removing it from the packaging. Take the chicken out of the tray and throw it away.
2. Using a raw meat cutting board*, portion out the pieces of meat. Separate each breast/wing/leg/etc, separate them all and remove any excess fat or skin, if necessary. If you know you'll be butterflying the breasts later or removing the thigh bones, save yourself some time later and do that now!
3. Then place a layer of wax paper on a board or pan that fits in your freezer. Space out the pieces of chicken, so they're not touching, then pop into the freezer for 2 hours.
4. Remove the tray from the freezer, then transfer the chicken into a ziploc bag or large container. Label the package with the type of meat and the date for future reference. If using a container, I suggest tightly wrapping each piece of meat in freezer wrap or plastic to minimize freezer burn. Then remove as much air as possible and place back in the freezer.

Note: This method also works well for sausage links, etc.!\

(*Bonus Food Safety Tip: In your kitchen, you should delegate one cutting board to always be used for raw meat. This minimizes risk of food borne illness by contamination.)

How to Freeze Ground Beef (and other Ground Meat):

1. If beef is already in 1 lb portions and is vacuum sealed, then I'll usually leave it as is and pop it right in the freezer!
2. If not, then remove the beef from its packaging. Throw away the packaging.
3. Using a raw meat cutting board*, portion out the pieces of meat. Split it into 1/2 or 1 lb sections or portion and shape into patties.
4. Then place a layer of wax paper on a board or pan that fits in your freezer. Space out the portions of beef, so they're not touching, then pop into the freezer for 2 hours.
5. Remove the tray from the freezer, then transfer the beef into a ziploc bag or large container. Label the package with what it is and the date you're packaging it on. If using a container, I suggest tightly wrapping each piece of meat in freezer wrap or plastic to minimize freezer burn. Then remove as much air as possible and place back in the freezer.

Tips for Defrosting Meat

The best way to defrost meat is to remove it from the freezer 8-10 hours before you're ready to cook it, place it on a plate and put it in the fridge. Often though, we forget to do this or don't know what we're making for dinner until it's almost time!

In that case, I'll take the sealed package of meat (works best when stored in a freezer bag) and place it in a large bowl in the sink. Run hot water over it and place a heavy plate or bowl on top while you let the meat come up to temperature for 15-20 minutes, turning every so often

Print Recipe

How to Freeze Meat

Tips for freezing and defrosting meat so that dinner's always a snap away!

Prep Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs

Keyword: Freeze Meat, Kitchen Tips

Equipment

• Wax Paper
• Freezer Bag
• Cutting Board or Tray

Instructions

• Start by removing it from the packaging. Take the meat out of its packaging and throw it away.
• Using a raw meat cutting board*, portion out the pieces of meat. If it's whole pieces of meat, separate them all and remove any excess fat or skin, if necessary.
• Place a layer of wax paper on a cutting board or pan that fits in your freezer. Create a flat space in your freezer for the board to sit on. Space out the portioned meat, then pop into the freezer for 2 hours.
• Remove the tray from the freezer, then transfer the meat into a ziploc bag or large container. Label the package with the type of meat and the date for future reference. If using a container, I suggest tightly wrapping each piece of meat in freezer wrap or plastic to minimize freezer burn. Then remove as much air as possible and place back in the freezer.
• When ready to use, either remove from the freezer and place on a plate in the fridge 8-10 hours before you're ready to cook it. Or place the sealed bag in a bowl of warm water 30 minutes before you're ready to cook. Replace the water as it cools down