How Long Can You Eat Cooked Chicken?
Cooked chicken will remain fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-6 months if it is stored properly. You will not suffer from food poisoning if you eat cooked chicken within this time frame. Ensure you cover the chicken with cling wrap before storing it in the fridge.
You can store the chicken in the fridge up to two days after it has fully defrosted in the fridge. If you are not going to be eating your chicken for 3-4 days, keeping it in your fridge is unnecessary, as your freezer will keep it fine for four months. If you cannot eat the chicken within up to four days, put it into a sealed container and freeze for up to four months. The USDA says that chicken is safe in the refrigerator for up to four days before you have to throw it out.
If you properly wrap it up before storing, ground chicken is safe for 3-4 days in the fridge. If you are planning on cooking the raw whole chicken at a later date, you are better off leaving the whole chicken uncooked in the freezer, where it will remain good for up to one year. While raw chicken can last in your freezer from nine months to a year (just be sure that the chicken is cool and that your freezer stays at temperatures -18degC or lower), you can keep cooked chicken in your freezer two to six months. Store chicken whole in the freezer for up to a year, chops up for up to nine months, or, alternately, freeze after cooking as a sauce or as a component in a dish.
If you do not want to cook immediately, you can store uncooked chicken (either whole or in pieces) in your fridge for up to 12 days. Cooked chicken, meanwhile, can be stored at room temperature in the fridge for about 3-4 days (1). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is recommended to keep raw chicken in the refrigerator for about 1-2 days. Cooked chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, as long as it is stored properly (in a zipper-lock bag or other tight-sealed container), according to USDA.
It is possible to keep rotisserie chicken in the fridge for another three to four days before cooking; however, chicken that has been thawed in a microwave oven or with cool water needs to be consumed immediately. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cooked chicken, either whole (like rotisserie chicken) or pieces, such as cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs, lasts for three to four days in the fridge, or four to six months in the freezer; the longest is if you are freezing a chicken dish, such as chicken broth or chicken chowder, instead of chicken pieces. Never freeze chicken that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours, or has been stored in the fridge for more than four days.
Make sure you do not leave chicken out at room temperature for longer than two hours, but you also will want to cool it down before placing it into a refrigerator or freezer. Once you cook your chicken, let it cool at room temperature for at least two hours to help slow down the growth of bacteria; if it is been left outside for longer than that, you are encouraged to throw out the food. Even if your cooked chicken is sealed in a container, it should last for just two hours if the temperature is 90degF or lower, and for an hour or less if it is 90degF or higher.
You can also return chicken that has been cooked in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days before it goes bad. Chicken that is been cooked, maybe in curry, or just plain simple like breasts for use in salads or sandwiches, can stay in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. Raw chicken in your freezer Raw chicken, which needs to be cooked within one or two days of being stored in your refrigerator.
For best results with cooked chicken, you will want to consume it within three days after storing it in the refrigerator, or put it into a sealed container and freeze for longer-term storage. If you wish to freeze any remaining cooked chicken, simply put the cooked chicken in an airtight container, or sealable plastic freezer bag, write the description and date on the bag, or a scrap of duct tape over your container, and place it into the freezer. Labeling your packaged cooked chicken with the date you put it in the fridge helps you track how many days you have left to enjoy it. Be sure to make a note–either on the tough container itself, or on your calendar–of when your cooked chicken went into the refrigerator or freezer, and when you are supposed to eat it, so that the likelihood of any future confusion is kept at bay.
Keeping chicken in your fridge is convenient, but a lot of people question just how long they can safely store their chicken. Refrigerating and freezing chicken is the best way to store chicken, regardless of whether you are cooking it or letting it thaw. While it is possible to place cooked chicken directly into your fridge; it is best to allow chicken to cool down before you put it into your refrigerator. To defrost, move the chicken into the refrigerator in its stored container and let it defrost overnight.
The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service advises casseroles that contain chicken, and pieces of chicken that have been cooked, remain good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. FoodSafety.gov, the federal consumers food safety resource, suggests that chicken salads, chicken nuggets and patties, and leftover cooked chicken (roasted, browned, fried) may keep in your fridge for three to four days.
Can you eat cooked chicken for 7 days?
The USDA recommends storing cooked chicken in the refrigerator for three to four days if you keep it properly (in a ziplock storage bag or an airtight container). As a matter of fact, that goes for any kind of chicken you cook, whether it is store-bought, home-cooked, or leftover from a restaurant.
Can you tell if the cooked chicken is bad?
As fresh chicken is cooked, it will have a brown or white color to it, and over time, as it deteriorates, it will turn gray or green-gray, depending on when it was cooked. In addition to harmful, offensive odors, slimy chicken after cooking, and mold spots on cooked chicken, there are several other indications that the chicken has gone bad.
How long can I keep cooked chicken in fridge?
It is advised to store pre-cooked chicken in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bacteria grow slower in temperatures below 40°F (4°C), so pre-cooked chicken in the fridge helps slow bacterial growth. According to the USDA, chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to four days before being discarded. It’s time to toss it if you’re on day five.