Mmm… Deliciously slow-cooked pulled pork is a delectable dish that is great on its own, works as a sandwich filling or can even be used as a topping for chips! One thing that is great about pulled pork is that it is really easy to cook in bulk and then store it. But, is it freezable?
Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
Yes, you can freeze pulled pork for up to 6 months. Once cooled, portion the pulled pork into good-quality freezer bags. Remove the air from the bags, seal the bags up then place them into the freezer.
Does Pulled Pork Freeze Well? Sometimes
Can You Refreeze Pulled Pork? No
How To Freeze Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is best frozen once it has been slow-cooked for hours in your favourite marinade and then cooled. Then you have a handy stash of delicious pulled pork ready for whenever you need a quick and easy meal.
- Cook: Find your favourite recipe and cook up as much pulled pork as you want. This is a great dish to cook in bulk in order to put plenty in the freezer to use at a later date.
- Cool: Allow the pulled pork to cool completely before preparing it for the freezer.
- Prepare Bags: Grab some freezer bags and label them with the date and contents. You need enough freezer bags for the number of portions of pulled pork you have.
- Bag Up: Pop the cooled pulled pork into the freezer bags. One portion per bag.
- Remove Air: Squeeze out as much air as you can. This is the secret of successfully freezing your pulled pork.
- Seal and Freeze: Seal the bags tightly and pop them into the freezer.
How to Freeze Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Jackfruit is something you can freeze and if your favourite pulled pork recipe calls for jackfruit then luckily you can also freeze jackfruit pulled pork! You don’t even need to adjust the freezing process at all.
Just follow the same process outlined above.
3 Tips for Freezing Pulled Pork
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing pulled pork to have the best results:
Label Clearly
This is especially important if you have frozen both pulled pork and pulled jackfruit. Once frozen, you’ll struggle to tell which is which so make sure you write a clear label.
Freeze Into Portions
By freezing one portion per bag, you can easily grab the number of portions you need at a time. You don’t want to refreeze pulled pork, after all.
Add Water or Sauce
Pulled pork will dry out a little as it freezes and then defrosts. Add a splash of water to loosen it up or, if you have any, add a few spoonfuls of BBQ sauce to liven it up.
How Long Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
Pulled pork is one of those foods that freezes fairly well and keeps for a long time in the freezer. You can keep your pulled pork in the freezer for up to six months without the food degrading too much.
Perfect for keeping handy portion-sized amounts ready for whenever you need them.
How Do You Defrost Pulled Pork?
When it comes to defrosting your pulled pork you have a few options to consider!
For best results, it is best to freeze the pulled pork slowly by popping it into the fridge overnight. This is the way that means your pork shouldn’t dry out.
If you need your pulled pork a little quicker then you can leave it on the kitchen counter to defrost. Just make sure you cover it first.
You can also reheat it from frozen if you prefer. You can do this in a pan with a touch of oil to prevent it from sticking. You can also defrost and reheat it in the oven. Just be careful as this method is the method that is most likely to cause the meal to dry out.
Can You Refreeze Pulled Pork?
We wouldn’t recommend that you refreeze pulled pork once it has been frozen and thawed out. The meat does deteriorate during the freezing and thawing process and you might end up with dried out meat that doesn’t taste great!
Pork is also a type of meat to be careful with as bacteria love it and if too many are present in the pork it can make you sick.
Does Pulled Pork Freeze Well?
Pulled pork can have mixed results when it comes to freezing. In most cases, it should be fine and just as tasty frozen as it was fresh.
On some occasions you might find that you lose the moist and tender texture that pulled pork is known for and the meat can dry out. You can always add some moisture back in when you reheat to combat this but it still won’t be quite the same as it was when it was freshly cooked.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing pulled pork or pulled pork in general, then these may help:
Yes, BBQ pork can be frozen. It will retain some of its smoky flavour but it won’t be quite as strong once it has been frozen and then thawed.
Where possible, we would avoid freezing pulled pork with the sauce. Instead, keep the BBQ sauce individually frozen then combine when they have both thawed.
Yes, any form of slow-cooked pork (or meat, in general), can be frozen. Once the meat has cooled, cut it up and then portion it into freezer bags or airtight containers.
