Can You Freeze Cooked Lamb?

Lambs are known to be enjoyed over festivities and with family as they are soft, juicy, and delicious. Now you’ve prepared lambs for the family, and everyone seems to have canceled due to tight and busy schedules, which is completely normal. But now you begin to think ahead “You don’t want this to go to waste, can you freeze cooked lamb?” The answer to that question is yes, you can – Cooked lamb can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.

This article tells you how you can freeze cooked lamb, defrost it, and tips to go about freezing it.

What Exactly Is Cooked Lamb?

Cooked lamb is the cooked meat of a young sheep (say under a year old). The meat is usually very soft and weighs from 12 lbs to 66 lbs. Cooked lamb is cooked chiefly for festivities to bring the family together.

What Are the Types of Lamb?

Generally, some parts of a lamb that is cut are tender, succulent, and delicious. These main parts are cut and sold to make hearty meals for friends and family. The 8 common lamb cuts are:

Leg of lamb
Lamb Rack
Lamb rib chops
Lamb’s Neck
Lamb loin chop
Lamb’s shoulder
Lamb shoulder chops
Lamb Shank

How to Freeze Cooked Lamb?

Here are steps to go about it to answer the question of whether can you freeze cooked lamb. Bear in mind that all types of lamb cuts can stay in the freezer whether it’s a lamb rack, lamb rib chops, lamb shank, lamb loin chop, or leg of lamb.

1. Allow to Cool

Before freezing, ensure the cooked lamb is completely cooled off. Place cooked lamb on a cooling rack to ensure proper ventilation or air and allow cooling off completely.

2. Wrap It

You may choose to divide cooked lamb into smaller portions or wrap it wholely. Wrap it properly in an aluminum foil or a cling film ensuring there are no tears or holes while wrapping.

3. Store It

Next, you may choose to place the already wrapped cooked lamb in a freezer bag or a sealed bag, or placing it in an air-tight container is your next alternative.

You want to ensure you properly seal the freezer bag and close the lid of the container to prevent freezer burn and change in taste.

4. Label It

Lastly, properly label the storage date and use-by date on the container you choose – either a sealed bag or an air-tight container. Now, proceed to place the cooked lamb in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How Long Can You Freeze Cooked Lamb?

You can freeze cooked lamb for about 2 months.

We recommend storing properly and sealing the bag to prevent deterioration of cooked lamb and to keep it away from freezer burn.

4 Tips For Freezing Cooked Lamb

Now that the question, “Can you freeze cooked lamb?” has been answered, it is only right some tips are shared to prevent freezer burn and damage to it:

TIP 1: Slice up or divide cooked lamb into smaller pieces for easy freezing and usage later. You can still freeze cooked lamb as a whole if you choose to.

TIP 2: Completely cool off cooked lamb before freezing.

TIP 3: If you are freezing the leg of lamb, debone before freezing.

TIP 4: You may want to refrigerate cooked lamb if you’re not intending to store it for more than 4 days. Leftover cooked lambs can stay in the fridge or refrigerate for up to 4 days without going bad or spoilt.

How Do You Defrost Cooked Lamb?

When it comes to defrosting, you want to make sure you properly defrost cooked lamb because half-cooked or inadequately defrosted meat may bring about sickness.

To properly defrost cooked lamb, you want to make plans ahead of your cooking time. As such, transfer frozen cooked lamb from the freezer to the fridge overnight to properly and adequately melt before the next morning.

You should not allow frozen cooked lamb to defrost at room temperature.

How to Tell If Your Frozen Cooked Lamb Is Bad

The key indicator to tell if a product has gone bad, spoilt, or rotten is unpleasant taste and smell. To know if your frozen cooked lamb is bad, smell for any:

Rotten eggs odor
Proceed to observe the surface of the lamb for any slimy texture
Lastly taste it for a sour, foul, and rancid taste.

If you observe any of this, spit it out from your mouth if you tasted it and trash out the badly frozen cooked lamb.

Can You Refreeze Cooked Lamb?

After defrosting cooked lamb, you shouldn’t refreeze again as it will affect not only its tenderness but the juiciness and sweetness of the lamb.

Does Cooked Lamb Freeze Well?

If wrapped firmly and stored properly, cooked lamb freezes well and is prevented from deteriorating and freezer burn. Remember, your frozen cooked lamb will stay in the freezer for about 2 months.

Conclusion

The answer to, “Can you freeze cooked lamb” is yes and it can stay for about 2 months in the freezer when firmly wrapped and properly stored. Remember to let it cool off completely before proceeding with any storage method.

I hope you find this article helpful.

You could also check out: Can you freeze raw meatballs?