How to properly freeze homemade cutlets. How to freeze beef and chicken cutlets: healthy preparations for future use. Step-by-step photo recipe for semi-finished cutlets: from minced meat to freezer. How to freeze chicken
With modern technologies, even a housewife who is under constant time pressure will be able to freeze raw meatballs, meatballs or dumplings for at least a week and diversify the family menu with freshly prepared dishes every day.
The taste of the product, subject to the manufacturing and storage conditions, does not change.
Frozen cutlets are especially good. If for dumplings, pancakes or dumplings we have to prepare both the dough and the filling, in this case everything is simple: we make blanks from the minced meat, and then put them in the freezer until they are needed.
How to freeze homemade cutlets
You can prepare semi-finished products from meat, poultry, fish or vegetables (vegetarian option).
The principles of freezing are the same everywhere. Let's look at them using meat cutlets as an example. 
We make minced meat from familiar products. Since semi-finished products can become dry after freezing, some housewives try to take two types of meat for them: one fattier - pork or lamb, the second - less high-calorie, most often beef.
Fish cutlets are flavored with twisted lard.
Raw onions and garlic added to minced meat may partially lose their taste when stored in the freezer. It is recommended to lightly fry them first and then add them to our semi-finished product. In addition, cutlets with cheese and onions have a shorter shelf life than without it.
The minced meat should be immediately salted and spices added.
The next stage will ensure the integrity of our workpiece during frying. To prevent the cutlets from falling apart in the pan, the minced meat must be thoroughly kneaded and beaten. Then the structure of the meat mass will be homogeneous, and the output will be a juicy, soft and fluffy product.
Let's form our cutlets. It is advisable to throw them from palm to palm several times - a kind of “mini-beat” or hit the board several times. 
Although every housewife has her own idea of ideal cutlets, let us remind you that it is not advisable to sculpt large products. They may fall apart when turned in the pan. Cutlets that are too tall will remain raw in the middle, while thin ones will dry out and harden. The optimal thickness of the semi-finished product is 2 cm.
The taste of the product changes slightly, but this does not pose a particular problem. If you want the feeling that our products are “piping hot,” it’s best not just to heat them up, but to simmer them in some rich sauce.
Freezing ready-made cutlets is simple: after cooling completely, place the result of culinary creativity in a food container (it may crumble in a bag) and send it for storage.
How to properly fry frozen cutlets
Both homemade and store-bought semi-finished products are prepared in the same way. However, factory-made products also need to be chosen correctly. We advise you to pay attention to the following points:
- Packaging integrity. A torn box or polyethylene may indicate a violation of the storage conditions of the product. It is best to buy products in transparent vacuum packaging - they retain the taste and aroma, and, in addition, are clearly visible.
- The cutlets in the box need to be shaken slightly. If they knock, it means they have not defrosted and are not stuck to the cardboard.
- A long list of ingredients indicates low quality products: it contains preservatives, dyes, flavors, trans fats and other “harmful substances” that are absolutely unnecessary for our body.
- You also need to pay attention to the sequence of listing the components. In cutlets made from mixed minced meat, beef (poultry) comes first, then pork or lard. Water should be in last place, or even better, it should be absent altogether. The share of meat in the product varies from 80% to 20%. It is clear that the less vegetable proteins there are, the better the quality of the semi-finished products.
- Trans fats are listed as "hydrogenated oils" in the ingredient list.
A large number of bright, aromatic spices most likely indicates an attempt to disguise a stale product. - If the minced meat shows through the breading, the cutlets will turn out dry and tough.
- Appearance. The cutlets should have the correct shape and a pleasant creamy or golden hue (depending on the breading). Gray color indicates re-freezing, cracks indicate an excess of water and moisture-retaining “chemistry”.
note
GOST or TU? We already know that high-quality products are manufactured only in accordance with government regulations. But manufacturers often resort to a trick: they indicate on the packaging of goods produced according to technical specifications (and they can be absolutely arbitrary) the GOST number, which they supposedly rely on. Don't fall into this trap. The “TU” marking clearly indicates that clear product quality standards are far from achieved.
Weighed semi-finished products have a number of disadvantages: the date of their production, composition and manufacturing conditions are unknown. The main advantage is low cost. If you have to save money, you need to buy goods only from trusted brands.
Do I need to defrost semi-finished products?
Most chefs agree that it is better not to do this. After defrosting, cutlets easily lose their shape, “float”, and their taste deteriorates.
However, the question remains whether the meat will have time to cook if semi-finished products are fried, for example, in a frying pan or in the microwave. If you have such concerns, you can defrost the cutlets in the same microwave for about 5 minutes at a power of 600 W. Or remove it from the freezer in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a while to let it cool down a bit.
But there are culinary tricks that allow you to bring the product to full readiness without such manipulations. We'll talk about them below.
How to fry frozen cutlets in a frying pan
Heat the oil until light smoke appears. You need to choose fat according to the composition of the cutlets:
- rendered lard is suitable for products containing pork or lamb;
- It is better to fry fish cutlets in refined sunflower or olive oil;
- the same product is also suitable for poultry;
- The exception is chicken Kiev, for which only butter is used.
We lay out our semi-finished products without defrosting and fry for 8 to 10 minutes on each side until golden brown. 
Attention!
The bottom of the pan should be thick or have a Teflon coating to prevent the product from burning. No need to add salt or spices!
Don’t forget about the splashes that will be caused by liquid from the cutlets getting into the oil. Therefore, if we are not trying to get a crispy crust at all costs, it is better to immediately cover the pan with a lid.
You can do this after quick frying over medium heat, reducing it to low. This way we will simmer the cutlets so that the middle does not remain damp, which is dangerous, especially when we are dealing with store-bought products.
On a note
How long to fry the product in a frying pan depends on the chosen minced meat. Pork products take the longest to prepare – up to 20 minutes. Poultry and fish are twice as fast (10 – 12 minutes).
Clear juice is released from finished meat products. 
When stewing, you can add a little water, spices, fried onions, tomato paste or sour cream to the pan. The result will be an excellent sauce that will improve the taste of cutlets, especially store-bought ones.
Cooking frozen cutlets in the oven
Semi-finished products can be baked - it will turn out to be an excellent dietary dish. 
There are two ways:
No roasting
- Place the cutlets, without defrosting, in a greased fireproof dish.
- Let's preheat the oven to 200ºС and send our semi-finished product there.
- It is advisable to cover the product with foil - this way it will bake better and hold for 15 minutes, and then the same amount without it.
Alternatively, you can use a cooking sleeve.
Browning in a frying pan
- Fry the frozen semi-finished products in hot oil for literally 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer to a baking sheet or mold, pour in the sauce and bake in a preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes.
Diet recipe for steamer
If you have a wonderful steaming device, all you have to do is place the frozen cutlets on a wire rack and cook for 30 minutes. If the meat remains pinkish inside, you need to wait another quarter of an hour. 
Quickly cooking cutlets in the microwave
This option is only suitable for devices equipped with a grill. 
- We defrost semi-finished products using the appropriate function.
- After that, cook them for 7 minutes in a combined mode: “waves” plus grill.
- Turn over and brush with sour cream. Then let it sit on the grill for 3 minutes to get a crispy crust.
- You can sprinkle the dish with cheese and turn on the same mode for another 5 minutes.
The finished frozen cutlets should be placed in a glass container for the microwave, covered with a lid and heated for 14 minutes at a power of 650 W. Then turn off the device and let the product stand for 2-3 minutes.
There are enough ways to prepare frozen semi-finished products for every housewife to choose the most suitable option for herself. It is only advisable to make cutlets with your own hands, and not rely on factory manufacturers. 
One of the easiest ways to freeze raw patties is to freeze them in silicone muffin tins. To prevent the cutlets from sticking together and sticking to the packaging when frozen, they must be breaded, preferably in breadcrumbs.
With wet hands, form cutlets, bread and place in molds. There is no need to lubricate the mold with anything beforehand. In this form, we put the cutlets in the freezer, and when they freeze, pour them into a bag or container.
Another convenient way to freeze cutlets is to place them on a plastic board or flat surface at a distance from each other. To prevent the cutlets from becoming airy, cover them with cling film. If there are a lot of cutlets, it is better not to place the boards on top of each other so that the cutlets do not flatten, but to let the cutlets on the first board freeze slightly for at least 15 minutes, and keep the remaining cutlets in the refrigerator, then place the next board on the first, etc.
If there is not enough space in the freezer to place a large board there, you can stack the cutlets on top of each other, covering them with cling film. Then put this structure in the freezer. The film can be lightly sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
This “sausage” can be made from raw breaded cutlets, or from those that have already been frozen using any of the previous methods. This makes it more convenient to store the cutlets and makes it easy to take the required amount.
Don't forget to attach a sticker or a piece of paper indicating the freezing date. You can indicate the composition, for example, pork cutlets, fish cutlets, cutlets for baby food, etc., especially if there are several types of cutlets in the freezer at the same time. The leaf should be placed between two layers of cling film to prevent it from getting soggy.
You can freeze not only raw cutlets, but also ready-made ones, or cutlets that are fried but require further heat treatment. They can be frozen using any of the previous methods, except freezing in silicone molds. And then put it in a container with a lid. Don't forget to attach the labeling sticker. Here you need to indicate whether the cutlets are fully cooked or not. I indicate, for example, that they are fried.
Are there days when you don’t have the time or desire to stand at the stove? Prepare for them in advance!
If you have your eye on something interesting on our website, but are not sure that you have enough time for it, reconsider your attitude towards the kitchen! We're not asking you to leave the stove and take up cross-stitching or soap making. We want to teach you how to save your time and use it more efficiently by freezing ready-made meals.
What can you store in the freezer?
We have already written that fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, tomatoes for pizza and much more can be frozen for the winter, and the fact that during the preparation season it is a huge success means that there are always useful preparations in the freezers of our readers !
But did you know that you can freeze not only plant foods, semi-finished products, dumplings and dumplings? It is much more economical in terms of time to freeze ready-to-eat dishes, which you only have to reheat and serve. For heating, it is best to use a microwave - one of the most household appliances in the house.
Take these basic recipes and start experimenting with your favorite snacks!
How to freeze chicken
Every third housewife thinks about whether it is possible to freeze fried chicken, but only every fifth decides to experiment! In fact, chicken cooked in the oven or according to the tapaka chicken principle tolerates freezing well and practically does not lose either its taste or consistency.
After defrosting, the chicken completely retains its shape, the skin remains in the same place, the color does not change. Checked! If you're afraid, try freezing a small piece, such as a wing or leg!
You can cook chicken on a free day, and it is much more convenient to bake several carcasses at once; this will save time, since you will have to wash the dishes and oven once. Cool the finished chicken well at room temperature, then wrap it in cling film so that less air gets into the packaging, and place the appetizer in the refrigerator. If you have an unexpected visit from guests or simply when you don’t feel like cooking, heat it up, cook it as a side dish and enjoy!
Cutlets and meatballs - a quick dinner
When preparing cutlets, meatballs or other minced meat dishes for lunch, cook them in double quantity. In terms of time spent, you will lose practically nothing, well, maybe an extra half hour will be spent on frying the cutlets. But then, when you don’t have time to prepare dinner, these preparations will definitely help you out.
The cutlets look no less appetizing than fresh ones
It is best to cool meat cutlets for freezing and wrap them in film, 2-4 pieces at a time. Meatballs can be frozen directly in tomato sauce by placing them in a portioned plastic container that can withstand both low and high temperatures. You can also freeze fried pieces of meat with or without sauce, chops, including lazy ones, stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.
Freezing dumplings and dumplings
Now a little about how to properly freeze dumplings and dumplings. Dough products intended for cooking are best frozen raw. Always place dumplings in a single layer on a plate, trays or heavy cardboard.
You can prepare homemade dumplings not only on the stove, but also in a slow cooker. This will save a lot of time. They are also convenient to use for quickly preparing soup or for a hot snack in portioned pots.
Dumplings in vareniki should be placed in one layer
Preparations for soups
To avoid wasting time preparing frying soup, make several preparations at once. Fry onions, carrots, mushrooms, and other vegetables that you like to add to broths and freeze it all in small portions in plastic bags or plastic cups. The glasses will then need to be wrapped in film to prevent air from entering.
With the same success, you can freeze broths, which, for example, remain after boiling meat or chicken for salad. Plastic bottles and containers are suitable for this purpose.
The broth can be frozen in bags
Basics for pilaf and julienne
If you fry the meat in pieces, onions and grated carrots, and then freeze this mixture, then it will take a few minutes to prepare the pilaf. All you need to do is defrost the base, heat the meat and vegetables in a cauldron, add washed rice, add boiling water and wait for the dish to cook!
For a quick julienne, prepare mushrooms and onions. You can also add fried chicken or boiled mussels here. At the right time, heat everything in the microwave and act according to one of the following. By the way, fried mushrooms can be added to potatoes or rice.
How to freeze a cake
Many desserts can be frozen, but honey cake has the best results, which can even be made from ready-made cake layers sold in stores. The main thing is to use butter-based cream for the layer, not sour cream. The cake (or its pieces) should be wrapped in film before placing in the freezer, and it should be defrosted in the refrigerator, taking it out several hours before use.
You can serve the cake with coffee made from frozen cubes. Just brew the aromatic drink in a higher concentration, and then pour boiling water over it. But it’s better, of course, not to be lazy, but to cook fresh!
The cake can be frozen whole or in portions
Ready-made pancakes with or without filling, fried and baked pies and pies, pizza, biscuits without filling, and bread tolerate freezing well. We could go on and on and on about dishes that can easily withstand freezing without losing their properties.
We are confident that our readers, being passionate women, will not be afraid of experiments, will try new things and share their advice with us and other housewives in the comments.
The benefits of semi-finished products in our fast-paced times are difficult to overestimate. After all, they are the ones who help busy housewives quickly prepare lunch or dinner, as well as adequately greet suddenly arriving guests. Probably each of us has heard about the dangers of store-bought products. And no wonder! After all, we don’t know what quality of products were used to create this half-finished food.
To protect yourself and your loved ones from the harmful effects of purchased semi-finished products, you should learn how to prepare your own. I suggest making cutlets today and putting them in the freezer. If you want to learn how to freeze cutlets, read on!
We will prepare the cutlets with the addition of a small amount of potatoes. It will make the texture of the products more delicate and airy. Apparently, due to the presence of starch in its composition. If you want, you can use some other recipe that is more familiar to you.
You can find even more interesting recipes in the Homemade section.
Ingredients:
- minced meat - 800 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- chicken egg - 1 pc.;
- raw potatoes - 1 pc.;
- table salt - 1 tbsp. l. (without a slide) or to taste;
- ground black pepper - 1 pinch.
First, take a deeper bowl so that it is convenient to mix the minced meat and other ingredients. We put the previously defrosted minced meat into it and break the chicken egg. It will help you achieve a consistency that is convenient for use. Thanks to the egg, the cutlets will keep their shape perfectly and will not fall apart.
Add table salt and a pinch of ground black pepper for flavor.
Now take the onion and peel it. Grind in any available way. You can use a meat grinder or blender.
If you make minced meat yourself, then for cutlets you can immediately roll it with onions.
We peel the potatoes and chop them in the same way as the onions. Mix the finished mass thoroughly.
Wet our hands with cold water. We fashion cutlets of the same size and shape from the prepared minced meat. They should not be made too large. But small ones will also be inconvenient for further use. It is important to find a middle ground.
Place the cutlets on a wooden board.
Place in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. During this time they will freeze a little. We take them out and put them in plastic bags. They definitely won’t stick together during further freezing.
To prepare them, simply remove them from the freezer and defrost them at room temperature. Roll in flour or breadcrumbs and then fry in oil. You can also steam these cutlets.
If you know for sure that you will fry the cutlets in the future and not steam them, you can roll them in flour before freezing. Then you won’t have to worry about cooking at all!
Bon appetit!
The modern food industry makes a lot of efforts to make life easier for the current housewife. Not everyone trusts the quality of store-bought finished products, but this is not a reason to refuse home-made semi-finished products. Frozen cutlets They don’t take up much space in the freezer, but they can always be used to prepare a quick and delicious lunch or dinner.
You will need
- cutlets
- plastic container
- freezer
Instructions
1. Freeze cutlets allowed in different ways - raw, undercooked and fully cooked. All of these options have their advantages and disadvantages, choose the one that you like best.
2. It’s easier for everyone to freeze raw cutlets. Mix the cutlet mince using your usual method, shape it, cover a cutting board or refrigerator shelf with parchment paper, place it on it cutlets and put it in the freezer. The temperature in the freezer should be as low as possible; shock freezing invariably turns out to be more gentle on food than gradual freezing. After freezing, fold cutlets in a plastic bag or container.
3. Raw cutlets No need to defrost before frying. Easily remove them from the refrigerator, let the top layer melt slightly, roll in breading and fry as usual.
4. Some people choose to lightly fry the semi-finished product before freezing. This takes a minimum of time, go down easily cutlets into hot oil and fry over high heat until golden brown. When removing from the pan, place them in a plastic container to store them. Don't forget to cool it down cutlets before freezing. You can then cook them until cooked in a frying pan or in the oven.
5. Well, you can put fully prepared ones in the refrigerator. cutlets. Simply put them in a container, close with a tight lid and the job is done. Warm up these cutlets It is allowed both in the microwave and in a frying pan or in the oven.
6. If you are freezing several varieties of semi-finished products, be sure to label the packaging with them in order to see what kind of product it is and what is the best method to bring it to readiness.
In the microwave you can cook fragrant and juicy chicken cutlets in just 20 minutes. To do this is very primitive, and most importantly, quickly.
You will need
- – 500 grams of chicken meat;
- – 100 grams of white bread;
- – 1 clove of garlic;
- – 80 g butter;
- – breadcrumbs
Instructions
1. Pass the chicken meat through a meat grinder with the pulp of white bread. If desired, for a sharper taste, you can add 1 clove of garlic or a small head of onion to the minced meat. Mix the finished mass thoroughly, add salt, pepper and seasonings.
2. Melt the butter separately and pour it into the minced meat. Mix everything thoroughly again. Form small cutlets and roll each one in breadcrumbs.
3. Grease a microwave-safe dish with vegetable oil, heat it up a little and place the finished cutlets.
4. Turn on the microwave at maximum power and cook the cutlets for 8 minutes, then flip them over to the other side and bake in the same way. When the time is up, pour chicken broth or traditional water over the dish and leave to cook in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Before serving, cutlets can be decorated with herbs or sauce.
Video on the topic
Helpful advice
Heat the finished cutlets in some sauce, this will make them even more appetizing.
