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Buying chicken in bulk can save you money, but you have to make it last. Here's how to properly freeze chicken.

There's a reason why chicken is a staple in most households: it's healthy, it's versatile, and even the pickiest eaters will likely be willing to eat it. Unfortunately, chicken also has a high risk of bacterial contamination, which is why properly preparing, storing, and cooking it is essential. If you're not sure how long frozen chicken is good for (or how to safely defrost that frozen chicken), here are some tips to keep your chicken fresh and (even more importantly) to keep you and your family from getting sick.

Storing chicken in your refrigerator helps slow bacterial growth, but a fridge can't keep chicken good for as long as you may think. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), raw chicken should be kept in your fridge for no more than two days. The same rule applies for fresh turkey or other poultry. Cooked poultry, however, can last in your fridge for three to four days. If you need to store raw chicken for more than two days (or leftover chicken for more than four days), then it's best to keep it in your freezer.

How To Tell If Your Chicken Is Still Good?

There are a few ways to tell that your chicken should be tossed rather than eaten. Whether raw or cooked, chicken that has passed its expiration date is likely no longer safe to eat. Changes in color, smell, or texture also indicate spoiled meat, though a change in color alone doesn't necessarily mean your meat has gone bad. It's when your chicken starts to turn a gray-green color that you know it's past its prime. Poultry that has an acidic smell or a slimy texture should also be discarded.

The USDA says you can keep an uncooked whole chicken in your freezer for up to a year (or, if you're storing chopped chicken, nine months) and it will still be good to eat. Cooked chicken can't be stored for quite as long, though you can still keep it in your freezer for up to six months.

Proper storage helps preserve quality and prevent freezer burn, and while it's totally safe to freeze raw poultry in its original packaging, plastic-wrapped containers are permeable to air and the quality of the chicken may diminish over time. For prolonged storage, the USDA recommends that you overwrap the original plastic-wrapped container, which you can do with a layer of aluminum foil. You can also remove the chicken from its packaging and transfer to a freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. An unopened vacuum-sealed package can be stored as is.

According to the USDA, there are three ways to defrost frozen chicken. The safest and most recommended method is the refrigerator method, though it also involves some planning ahead. To defrost using your fridge, simply transfer your wrapped frozen chicken from your freezer to your fridge at least 24 hours before eating. Once thawed, your chicken can remain in the fridge for another day or two before cooking. It can also be refrozen before eating, though the quality may diminish a bit.

Another way to defrost your meat is with the cold water method, which is much quicker but requires more attention. To use this method, fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge your frozen chicken, keeping it in a leak-proof package. Small packages can defrost in as little as an hour, while a three- to four-pound whole chicken may take two to three hours. Be sure to change the water every 30 minutes as the chicken continues to thaw, and once thawed, the chicken should be cooked immediately.

The quickest method is the microwave method, which involves removing the chicken from its packaging and placing in an oven cooking bag or in a covered microwave-safe container. Use the defrosting setting or a medium-high setting (70 percent power) to cook nine to ten minutes per pound for whole chicken or six to eight minutes per pound for chicken breast halves. Just like with the cold water method, chicken defrosted with a microwave should be eaten right away once thawed.

Though it is safe to cook foods from the frozen state, the USDA notes that cooking the chicken will likely take approximately 50 percent longer than cooking chicken that is fully thawed.