Can you put floured chicken in the dridge? Cooking meat means paying close attention to food safety rules and regulations and what you should and shouldn’t do during food cooking and preparation.
Chicken is notorious for salmonella infections, so taking care when cooking and storing is crucial to prevent any foodborne illnesses from popping up.
Most meats require a different cooking temperature, so while it’s important to own a meat thermometer and ensure that whatever meat you’re cooking gets hot enough inside, it’s also important to store it correctly.
Meat in different stages of food preparation may need to be stored in a specific way.
Many people flour chicken before they cook it, whether fried or baked.
Have you ever pondered the question: can you put the floured chicken in the fridge? You’re not alone!
Since the main perk of preparing food before you cook is convenience and saving time, it only makes sense that you might want to put your fully prepped chicken in the fridge to store it. Let’s discuss it!
Can You Put Floured Chicken in the Fridge?
You can keep floured chicken in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. If you don’t intend to use it within that time frame, you can freeze it for up to 60 days. You can store floured chicken in the refrigerator safely. If you’re making it in advance or accidentally floured more than you have to cook, place it in a food storage bag or secure container and store it in the fridge until the expiration date, which you should write on the packaging for safe documentation.
Safely Storing Floured Chicken
Just as with unfloured chicken, it’s important to store your floured chicken safely.
If you have extra chicken on hand that you don’t intend to cook but has already been floured or breaded, you’ll want to ensure that you have a food storage bag or container that closes tightly and keeps air out.
Once you’ve packed your chicken into its storage container, use a Sharpie or a permanent marker to write its expiration date.
If you don’t know the expiration date, write the day you’ve packaged it, so you know when it should be thrown out or tossed in the freezer.
Always store raw meat away from other food, such as fruits, veggies, or dairy, to avoid contamination.
If your chicken smells and looks normal within 2 to 3 days, you can remove it from the container and cook it up! If you don’t use it, place it in the freezer for up to 60 days.
The Benefits of Storing Floured Chicken
Not only is it safe to store floured chicken in the fridge, but it also has a few benefits.
Many professional chefs actually recommend placing floured chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes!
Helps Breading Stick
Few kitchen blunders are more frustrating than the breading falling off of the chicken you’re attempting to fry or bake.
Breading coming off easily means losing taste and aesthetics.
You’ve spent time prepping it, you want to ensure that your chicken tastes amazing and looks fantastic on the plate.
It’s professionally recommended to place floured chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes after it’s been prepped.
By putting it in cooler temperatures, the breading ingredients, which usually consist of flour, breadcrumbs, eggs, or milk, have the chance to solidify.
When these ingredients can come together, it lessens the possibility of breading falling off the chicken during cooking or frying.
The result will be a delicious, crispy, fully-breaded piece of chicken with a ton of flavor!
Seals in Moisture
When you place your floured chicken in the fridge, whether it be for half an hour or 2 days, you’ll seal in moisture underneath the breading, which makes for a super juicy piece of chicken.
Once you’ve had floured chicken that’s had a chance to sit in the fridge, you’ll probably never go back.
However, it’s important not to fry your chicken straight from the fridge, as it will be too cold.
Allow it to warm up before placing it in hot oil to ensure the best flavor and safest cooking practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to food safety being such an important issue, there are plenty of questions about what you can and cannot do with raw chicken.
Can I flour the chicken and then put it in the fridge?
Floured chicken is safe to put in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, but placing it in the fridge will help the breading solidify and stick for better cooking! You can put the floured chicken in the fridge, and in fact, it’s recommended to do it for at least 30 minutes.
How long will floured chicken last in the fridge?
Floured chicken will last for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to mark the expiration date and the date it was packed. If you don’t use it in that time frame, you can freeze it for up to 60 days.
Chilling Floured Chicken
Now you know that putting floured chicken in the fridge isn’t only safe, but it makes it taste better!
Always stick to safe food practices and pay close attention to expiration dates, and you’ll be sure to make placing your floured chicken in the fridge a regular practice.