How long is cooked chicken good for in refrigerator

Q: How long does cooked chicken take to go bad in the fridge?

Cooked chicken doesnt last in the fridge for as long as you might think. Thats why we set up a quick guide on storing cooked chicken in your fridge. Chicken Breast: A cooked chicken breast can last around three to four days in the fridge, and a raw chicken breast can last up to two days.

Chicken is considered a staple meat in many households.

Table of Contents Show

Can I eat cooked chicken after 5 days?
Can you eat cooked chicken after 7 days in fridge?
How long does cooked chicken take to go bad in the fridge?

However, this healthy and delicious source of protein has a high risk of bacterial contamination. That’s why preparing, storing, and cooking it properly is important — otherwise, it could become a source of foodborne illness.

Storing chicken in your fridge is convenient, but many people wonder how long they can safely refrigerate chicken.

This article helps you understand just how long chicken lasts in your fridge.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), raw chicken can be kept in your fridge approximately 1–2 days. The same applies to raw turkey and other poultry (1).

Meanwhile, cooked chicken can last in the refrigerator approximately 3–4 days (1).

Storing chicken in the fridge helps slow bacterial growth, as bacteria tend to grow slower in temperatures below 40°F (4°C) (2, 3).

Furthermore, raw chicken is best stored in a leak-proof container to prevent its juices from leaking and contaminating other foods. Cooked chicken should be refrigerated in an airtight container (4).

If you need to store chicken for longer than a few days, it’s best to store it in your freezer.

Raw chicken pieces can be stored in the freezer for up to 9 months, while a whole chicken can be frozen for up to one year. Cooked chicken can be stored in the freezer for 2–6 months (1, 2).

Summary
Raw chicken can last in your fridge for 1–2 days, while cooked chicken can last in the fridge for 3–4 days.

If you’ve left chicken in the fridge for more than a few days, there’s a chance it has gone bad.

Below are a few ways to tell if the chicken in your fridge has gone bad (5, 6, 7):

It’s past the “best by” date. Chicken — raw and cooked — that has passed its “best if used by/before” date is more likely to have gone bad.
Changes in color. Raw and cooked chicken that’s starting to turn a gray-green color has gone bad. Spots of gray-to-green mold indicate bacterial growth.
Smell. Both raw and cooked chicken emit an acidic smell that resembles ammonia as it goes bad. However, this scent can be difficult to notice if the chicken has been marinated with sauces, herbs, or spices.
Texture. Chicken that has a slimy texture has gone bad. Rinsing the chicken will not destroy bacteria. Rather, doing so can spread the bacteria from poultry to other foods, utensils, and surfaces, causing cross-contamination.

If you suspect the chicken in your fridge has gone bad, discard it.

Summary
You can tell if chicken has gone bad if its color has started to fade, it has developed a sour or acidic smell, or it has become slimy.

Eating spoiled chicken can cause foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning.

Chicken has a high risk of causing food poisoning, as it may be contaminated with bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella and more (7).

Normally, these bacteria are eliminated when you cook fresh chicken thoroughly.

However, you still need to avoid cooking and eating spoiled chicken. Although re-heating or cooking can kill surface bacteria, it won’t eliminate some of the toxins produced by bacteria, which can give you food poisoning if you eat them (8).

Food poisoning can cause uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms, including a high fever (above 101.5°F or 38.6°C), chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, and dehydration (9).

In some cases, severe food poisoning can require hospitalization and even lead to death (10, 11).

If you suspect that your chicken is spoiled, do not eat it. It’s always best to discard chicken that you suspect has gone bad.

Summary
Eating spoiled chicken can cause food poisoning, even if it’s cooked thoroughly.

Raw chicken lasts in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cooked chicken lasts 3–4 days.

To detect if chicken has gone bad, check the “best if used by” date and look for signs of spoilage like changes in smell, texture, and color.

Avoid eating spoiled chicken, as it can cause food poisoning — even if you cook it thoroughly.

“When did we have this chicken?” you shout to your roommate or partner as you crouch in a deep squat in front of the refrigerator. You look over your shoulder, tilt your head, wait for an answer, and hear nothing. You hold the container of cooked chicken up in the light, peering around all four corners, before bringing it back to your heart’s center, opening the lid, and giving it a sniff. It doesn’t necessarily smell bad, but something is a little off.

“Is it safe to eat this for lunch?” you wonder to yourself, hoping to avoid having to cook something new on an already busy workday. “What if I shred it and toss it with mayo and celery for a quick chicken salad? Is that okay? What if I shred it and cook it in chicken broth with veggies and egg noodles for a speedy soup?”

As you ponder life’s most pressing question—how long does cooked chicken actually last in the fridge?—let’s take a deeper look at the facts.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cooked chicken, whether in its whole form (like a rotisserie chicken) or pieces, like chicken breast or thighs, will last for three to four days in the refrigerator, or four to six months in the freezer; the longer end is if you’re freezing a chicken dish like chicken soup or coq au vin, rather than chicken pieces. After that period, it’s safe to say that the chicken has probably gone bad and bacteria may start to grow.

Other than time, here are some obvious signs that it’s no longer safe to eat cooked chicken: if it has a slimy texture, obvious pungent odor, or you remember that the chicken has been stored in the fridge for more than a week.

It’s a question our own community has spent time discussing at length:

Community member LeBec F. recommends “keeping meats and fish and poultry in the rear left corner of your fridge. [It] has a remarkable impact on lengthening their lives, both pre- and post-cooking.” The back of your refrigerator is always the coldest and safest place for meat, dairy, and produce; this way, the products will be located farther away from the air flow caused by the refrigerator door opening and closing. Community member Chef Ono says, “Every time you take a dish up to pasteurization temperature, the clock is reset,” which means that if you make a new batch of chicken stock three days after you pre-cooked chicken, you gain a few extra days of consumption.

And to avoid ever again having to ask the question of, “when did we have this for dinner? Tuesday? Wednesday?” get in the habit of labeling all of your food containers. Just write the item and date it was cooked on a strip of painter’s tape or masking tape and stick it to the container like an industry pro to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from food poisoning.

Share your go-to food storage tips in the comments below!

Can I eat cooked chicken after 5 days?

The USDA says that chicken is safe for up to four days in the fridge before you need to throw it out. If you're on day five, it's time to toss it.

Can you eat cooked chicken after 7 days in fridge?

According to the USDA, cooked chicken will last three to four days in the refrigerator, and two to three months in the freezer. Eating cooked chicken after this point can result in foodborne illness — even at refrigerated temperatures, bacteria can still grow.

How long does cooked chicken take to go bad in the fridge?

Cooked chicken doesn't last in the fridge for as long as you might think. That's why we set up a quick guide on storing cooked chicken in your fridge. Chicken Breast: A cooked chicken breast can last around three to four days in the fridge, and a raw chicken breast can last up to two days.