---
title: "Can you freeze raw chicken twice? It depends"
description: "Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F). What actually happens, what goes wrong, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-raw-chicken-twice/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you freeze raw chicken twice?

**It depends: Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F).**

USDA is clear: raw meat and poultry thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, because it never left safe temperatures. Chicken thawed in cold water or in the microwave cannot — those methods warm the outside, so it has to be cooked before it goes back in the freezer. Chicken left out on the counter should not be refrozen at all, and should be discarded if it was above 4 °C for more than two hours. Refreezing always costs quality, because the second round of ice crystals cuts through cells the first round already damaged, and the meat loses moisture.

## How to do it properly

1. Confirm it was thawed in the fridge, not in water, in the microwave, or on the counter
2. Refreeze within a day or two of thawing, not at the end of its fridge life
3. Rewrap tightly to limit freezer burn on the drier surface
4. Cook it to 74 °C (165 °F) when you eventually use it

## What goes wrong

- Chicken thawed in water or the microwave has already been in the danger zone at the surface
- Anything above 4 °C for more than two hours should be thrown away, not refrozen
- Each freeze-thaw cycle costs moisture and makes the meat drier when cooked

## Other options

- Cook it, then freeze the cooked meat — always safe and better textured
- Freeze in meal-sized portions in the first place so this question does not arise

## Other "can you freeze" questions

- [Can you freeze cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cheese/) — It depends — Yes, and it stays safe indefinitely — but hard cheese comes out crumbly and soft cheese comes out wet.
- [Can you freeze milk?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-milk/) — Yes — Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.
- [Can you freeze eggs?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-eggs/) — It depends — Not in the shell. Beat them first, or freeze whites on their own.
- [Can you freeze bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bread/) — Yes — Yes — freezing is the best way to store bread, far better than the fridge.
- [Can you freeze bananas?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bananas/) — Yes — Yes — peel and slice them first, because the peel turns black and welds itself on.
- [Can you freeze cooked rice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-rice/) — Yes — Yes, and freezing quickly is the safest way to keep leftover rice.
- [Can you freeze breast milk?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-breast-milk/) — Yes — Yes — freeze it flat in bags, and use within six months for best quality.
- [Can you freeze avocado?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-avocado/) — It depends — Yes, but only as a purée — frozen slices go grey and watery.
- [Can you freeze soup?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-soup/) — It depends — Yes for most soups; cream, milk and potato-based ones separate or go grainy.
- [Can you freeze butter?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-butter/) — Yes — Yes — butter freezes better than almost anything else in the fridge.
- [Can you freeze cooked pasta?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-pasta/) — Yes — Yes — undercook it slightly and toss it in oil first, or it thaws into a solid block.
- [Can you freeze mashed potatoes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-mashed-potatoes/) — Yes — Yes — mash with plenty of butter or cream, which protects the texture through freezing.

## Common questions

### Can you freeze raw chicken twice?

Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F).

### What happens if you freeze raw chicken twice?

Chicken thawed in water or the microwave has already been in the danger zone at the surface Anything above 4 °C for more than two hours should be thrown away, not refrozen Each freeze-thaw cycle costs moisture and makes the meat drier when cooked

## Related pages

- [Can you freeze cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cheese/)
- [Can you freeze milk?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-milk/)
- [Can you freeze eggs?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-eggs/)
- [Can you freeze bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bread/)
- [Can you freeze bananas?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bananas/)
- [Can you freeze cooked rice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-rice/)
- [Can you microwave styrofoam?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-styrofoam/)
- [Can you microwave aluminum foil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-aluminum-foil/)
- [Can you microwave plastic containers?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-plastic-containers/)
- [Can you wash pillows?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-pillows/)
- [Can you wash sneakers in the washing machine?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-sneakers/)
- [Can you recycle pizza boxes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/recycle-pizza-boxes/)

## Sources

- Food Safety and Inspection Service — US Department of Agriculture (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]