Cooking chicken is not difficult, but the threat of food poisoning due to improperly cooked and stored chicken can leave you unsure of whether or not you can safely cook the meat ahead of time.
Chicken can be cooked ahead of time and stored in your refrigerator or freezer. If cooked and stored properly, the chicken can be kept in the fridge for up to four days and then reheated in either the oven, microwave, or stovetop. Proper cooking and storing is key to ensuring the precooked chicken is safe to consume.
Here is a quick table where you can easily check which part of the turkey is best to cook ahead of time, depending on your desired meal.
| Can you cook chicken ahead of time | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey cut | Make it in advanced | Good to know | Best cooking method for precooked chicken |
| Whole chicken | Yes | It's better to cut the chicken to pieces after it has been cooked. You will be able to store the chicken easier, and avoid drying out the breas when reheating. | Best roasted or deep fryed |
| Chicken breast | Yes | The leanest part of the chicken is also the thoughest to reheat and keep it juicy. You can make it ahead of time but keep in mind that reheating will dry it out if you don't combine it with liquid (sauce, soup, stew). | Best to use in stews, soups, or sauces |
| Chicken thighs | Yes | Fantastic for cooking ahead of time. Reheating is easy and you can basicaly reheat them everywhere, oven, pan, microvawe. | Best roasted, fryed or grilled |
| Chicken drumstick | Yes | Fantastic for cooking ahead of time. Reheating is easy and you can basicaly reheat them everywhere, oven, pan, microvawe. | Best roasted, fryed or grilled |
| Whole leg | Yes | Fantastic for cooking ahead of time. Reheating is easy and you can basicaly reheat them everywhere, oven, pan, microvawe. | Best roasted, fryed or grilled |
| Chicken wings | Yes | Fantastic for cooking ahead of time. It is best to reheat them in the oven in a roasting pan and broil them for crispness in the end. | Best roasted |
| SAFETY: Never partially cook chicken and finish it later! | |||
Can you cook chicken ahead of time
Chicken can be cooked ahead of time, though the meat may not be as moist and tender as it was when it was first cooked. This is because reheating the cooked meat gets rid of some of the water and juices it naturally contains.
The leaner the meat, the more likely it will dry out when reheated. You can help avoid dry meat by choosing chicken thighs, drumsticks, and chicken wings instead of the leaner chicken breast.
Is it safe to cook chicken ahead of time?
Partially cooking chicken ahead of time is not safe!
Fully cooking chicken ahead of time is safe!
Not cooking chicken thoroughly and storing it for later use creates an incubator for various foodborne pathogens. The outer portion of the meat is cooked, but the inside is warmed just enough to create a breading ground for the dangerous bacteria.
And while the chicken is cooling down, those bacteria will keep multiplying. Even if you then recook the chicken to the proper temperature, you can still become sick since cooking reduces the amount of viable pathogens but rarely gets rid of them all.
With that said, the only time it is safe to partially cook the chicken is if you finish cooking the meat immediately. An example of this is cooking chicken pieces in a broiler or on the grill. It can be difficult to cook them on these surfaces without charring the skin of the chicken.
You can safely partially cook the chicken in hot water if you immediately transfer them to the grill to finish cooking to the proper internal temperature.
How do I store cooked chicken made ahead of time
Once the chicken is cooked to the proper temperature, allow it to cool completely. Then either place the chicken in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or tightly wrap in plastic wrap.
Set the chicken on the top shelf inside your refrigerator. The cooked chicken needs to be wrapped (or placed in a bag or container) and placed in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Furthermore, keep cooked chicken away from raw meat when storing to prevent contamination. If stored properly, the cooked chicken will last up to four days in the fridge.
If you don’t use the cooked chicken within the four days, you can freeze it for an extended period of time. To freeze the chicken, place the cooked meat in a ziplock bag, making sure to squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag shut. Write the date the chicken was frozen on the bag and then place it in your freezer. It is best to use the frozen chicken within four months.
When frozen properly, the meat can be kept in the freezer for much longer, but the texture and flavor of the chicken will start to deteriorate overtime.
How do I reheat chicken?
Precooked chicken can be reheated in the oven, microwave, or stovetop. Each method has its own positive and negative aspects that you should consider before reheating the meat.
Oven
Reheating in the oven works best for bone-in and breaded chicken. It helps to keep the skin of the chicken crispy and reheats the meat more evenly.
The downside is that it takes longer.
There are a couple of ways to reheat cooked chicken in the oven. The first is to wrap the chicken loosely in aluminium foil and then bake in the oven at 325 degrees F (162 C) until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (73 C).
Another option is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Place the chicken in a baking dish, pour roughly 1 cup of water or chicken broth into the dish, and then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and then place back in the oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (73 C).
Microwave
Microwave reheating is ideal for non-breaded chicken and can warm the meat more quickly.
Unfortunately, the microwave provides uneven heat and causes the chicken to dry out. To reheat in the microwave, arrange the chicken in a microwave-safe dish.
The ideal arrangement is to have larger pieces of meat along the outer edge while keeping the smaller pieces near the center. Add about one to two tablespoons of water to the dish and then cover with a damp paper towel.
Heat the chicken in the microwave for two minutes before flipping each chicken piece. Continue heating at 30-second intervals until the meat has an internal temperature of 165 F (73 C).
Stovetop
This method is best for skinless and boneless chicken. Like the oven, it provides even heat and helps to retain the meat’s moisture.
The drawbacks are that it isn’t suitable for basted or breaded chicken, and it can cause the meat to lose its seasonings.
To reheat the chicken on the stove:
- pour just enough water into a skillet to cover the bottom.
- Set the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat and let warm up for a few minutes.
- Place the chicken in the skillet, and turn the heat down to medium.
- Place the lid on the skillet and cook the chicken until it has an internal temperature of 165 F (73 C).
- Remove the reheated chicken from the skillet and serve.
What type of chicken can be made ahead of time?
Chicken thighs, wings, and back work best for make-ahead meals since they stay moist and tender even when reheated.
Chicken breasts tend to dry out after reheating. This is because they have little to no fat, and when reheated, you get rid of what juices the meat may have, which results in dry chicken.
Chickenthighs, wings, and back have more fat, which makes them ideal for reheating since the fat doesn’t cook out of the meat as easily as does the natural juices of the chicken.
So the meat stays juicy and tender for much longer than chicken breast. If, however, you are using the chicken breast in soups or stews, then any dryness the meat may have won’t be noticed since it is soaked (and eaten) in a liquid broth.
Conclusion
Chicken can be safely cooked ahead of time and stored until ready to use. Following the proper cooking, storing, and reheating technique will go a long way to ensuring your chicken is not only safe to consume but tasty as well.
