Changes in muscle quality and physicochemical characteristics of chicken breast subjected to ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing during long-term frozen storage

•Ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing (UF) lowered the water mobility.•The ice crystal sizes of UF samples were smaller than those of IF and AF samples.•UF reduced the quality deterioration of chicken breasts during frozen storage.•UF decreased the chicken breast's thawing and cooking losses and color changes.•The extent of fat oxidation in UF samples was lower than IF and AF samples.