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How Long Does Rotisserie Chicken Last?
Rotisserie chicken typically lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. It is best to store it in an airtight container and consume it within a week of purchase. If the chicken has an off odor or color, it should be discarded. Additionally, it is important to check the expiration date on the package to ensure that the chicken is still safe to eat.
If you refrigerate the chicken, you can expect to eat it safely up until its sell-by date or even several days later. If you have leftovers, which include the cooked chicken, you can expect them to keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooked chicken lasts for three to four days in the refrigerator, while it will last for two to three months in the freezer. In a zipper-lock bag in a shallow refrigerator food storage container, the cooked chicken will last three to four days.
Would you like to know how long can you leave the raw chicken in the fridge? Read about it in this article.
What are typical chicken storage methods?
If you properly chill chicken before refrigeration, using an airtight container, it should last 2-3 days in the fridge. Cooked chicken needs to be stored in airtight containers or sealed plastic bags and refrigerated within two hours of cooking. You will want to ensure the chicken is refrigerated for at least two hours after cooking and your fridge is set to between 30-40degF (0-5degC).
It is important that you seal your raw chicken tightly before freezing so the cold air does not dry the chicken, which can damage the quality of the meat. Make sure that this chicken is stored in a cooler above raw meat because any liquid that drips on the cooked chicken makes it unsafe to eat. Cover the chicken tightly while refrigerating it to prevent it from getting crossed-contaminated with any raw chicken or other white meats stored in the refrigerator.
What are the dos and don’ts of storing chicken?
Never freeze chicken that has been left outside at room temperature for more than two hours or stored in the refrigerator for more than four days. After the chicken is cooked, it should sit at room temperature for no longer than two hours before being chilled to help slow bacterial growth. If you are planning on using the chicken leftovers for chicken salad, chicken noodle soup, or chicken salad sandwiches over the next several days, do not allow it to sit out more than two hours before refrigerating. If you have lots of leftover chicken and you think you are not going to use it within four days, freezing it is the best option.
- DO prepare raw chicken within two days of purchase, freezing any leftovers.
- DO put the chicken in airtight containers, add a date, and label.
- DO keep chicken in a freezer at -15°C or below or in a refrigerator at 5°C or lower.
- Store ready-to-eat or prepared items above raw chicken products, NOT BELOW!
- To avoid contaminating things below, put the chicken on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
- Chicken that has already been thawed SHOULD NOT BE REFREEZE.
| Lasting Duration | |
| On the counter | 1 to 3 hours |
| In the fridge | 3 to 4 days |
| In the freezer | 2 to 3 months |
The USDA says that chicken is safe in the refrigerator for up to four days before you have to throw it out. Raw chicken is allowed in the refrigerator for about 1 to 2 days. According to USDA and FDA, raw chicken, whether or not it is in season, needs to be cooked within 1 -2 days.
To prevent food waste, cook or eat the chicken as soon as possible after it is purchased because the meat will deteriorate rapidly when nearing the shelf life.
Read about how to know if chicken is spoiled in my article.
Why should be stored chicken be consumed before the end of its shelf life?
If temperatures are 90F or higher on a hot summer day, chicken becomes unsafe to eat 1 hour later. If the temperature drops below 140degF — that is in a danger zone, and the chicken may be unsafe to eat in only four hours.
Eating cooked chicken past that point could lead to foodborne illness: bacteria can still grow, even in refrigeration temperatures. Once stored in the fridge, leftovers need to be eaten within three or four days, as bacteria can still grow at freezer temperatures.
Because the microwave heats foods from the outside in, rather than vice versa, heating weeks-old cooked chicken in the microwave will kill the bacteria on the surface but will not remove the toxins produced by bacteria growing below the surface. Refrigerating the hot chicken increases the temperature within the refrigerator, which reduces the shelf-life of the cooked chicken.
Should you keep your chicken in the freezer for extended periods of time?
You should avoid keeping your chicken in the freezer too long because it causes freezer burn, which makes the meat bland and odorless. Once cooked, either chill the chicken right away or allow it to reach room temperature before chilling. I always refrigerate my chicken immediately after finishing it, which is roughly 20-30 minutes on the counter.
Store-bought chicken salad lasts for about three to five days if stored correctly in the fridge. If you do not plan on eating the entire bird right away, you should cut up the chicken and store it in an appropriate food-storage container. Stored correctly (in a freezer bag or an airtight food storage container), a frozen chicken from the roasting pan will remain safe for eating indefinitely.
In general, rotisserie chicken stays good for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, and it will retain good quality for up to 4 months in the freezer.
Your Costco chicken for the rotisserie needs to be stored in shallow, airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or you can pack it tight with a sheet of plastic wrap, after which it needs to stay frozen continuously until you are ready to eat.
The best way to defrost your rotisserie chicken is by moving it the night before, onto the back of a lower shelf of the refrigerator, onto a roasting pan with a rack to catch drips as the bird is lifted up so that it does not become soggy.
To ensure the chicken stays safe and tasty, you will want to store it in airtight containers, either in shallow ones or wrapped tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap or foil.
To freeze the cooked chicken, transfer it to freezer-safe containers or zipper-lock bags, mark the date, and store froze for up to three months. To maximize shelf life for safety and quality, store rotisserie chickens refrigerated in shallow, airtight containers or wrap them tightly with heavy-duty foil or plastic wrap.
Food stored in the refrigerator should always be covered correctly so microorganisms from spoilage and flavors from other foods do not contaminate the chicken. This depends on how often you open the door and whether or not you keep the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
How long does a Costco rotisserie chicken last in the fridge?
A Costco entire rotisserie chicken is kept for roughly four days in the refrigerator, presuming it was fresh when you purchased it and that you store it in a covered container. It is usually preferable to err on the side of caution and consume your chicken as soon as possible if you are still determining how long it has been refrigerated.
How long can cooked chicken be stored in the refrigerator?
According to the USDA, rotisserie chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. No matter whether you roasted, broiled, baked, or fried the chicken, the same rules still apply.
When cooked chicken is improperly stored or deteriorated, bacteria might start to proliferate and cause food poisoning. The bacterium pseudomonas putida and aeromonas hydrophila can grow on damaged cooked chicken. While B. thermosphacta, P. fluorescens, and S. putrefaciens are distinct from those found on raw chicken, they nevertheless make you ill.
How to determine whether the chicken is rotten
All these recommendations can help you determine whether your chicken is safe to eat, but they cannot take the place of your senses. The following are indications that your chicken has spoiled:
- It smells rotten.
- It’s slimy.
- The pinkish hue has shifted to gray, yellow, or green.
Chicken, whether raw or cooked, may keep for a very long period if frozen correctly. Use it immediately, though, because the shelf life in the fridge is substantially shorter!