How long does cooked chicken last in the fridge?

How long does cooked chicken last in the fridge and freezer?

Plain cooked chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or colder. That's the USDA's number for leftover cooked chicken in its Chicken from Farm to Table guide, and the FDA's storage chart gives the same window for fried chicken, chicken in gravy and chicken casseroles. Day one is the day it was cooked. The day you found it behind the milk doesn't count.

Freezer times are about quality. At 0°F (−18°C) food stays safe indefinitely, but chicken dries out and picks up freezer flavors the longer it sits, so the chart gives a best-by window.

Mixing chicken into a soup or casserole doesn't stretch its fridge life. The dish is as old as its oldest cooked ingredient, so chicken cooked on Sunday and stirred into soup on Tuesday still runs out on Wednesday or Thursday. Covering pieces in broth or gravy helps in the freezer, where the liquid shields the meat from dry air.

Raw chicken gets half the time: 1 to 2 days in the fridge. If the raw pack is nearing its date and you won't get to it, cooking it today turns 1 day into 4.

How soon does cooked chicken need to go in the fridge?

Within 2 hours of coming off the heat, and within 1 hour on a day above 90°F (32°C), such as a picnic or a hot car. Between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C), the range the USDA calls the danger zone, bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes.

You don't need to wait for chicken to cool on the counter first. The USDA's leftovers guidance says hot food can go straight into the fridge. What matters is how fast the center gets cold, and a whole bird holds heat in its center far longer than sliced meat in a shallow box.

• Carve the meat off the bones and spread it out in shallow containers.
• Split a big pot of chicken soup into smaller containers, or set the pot in a sink of ice water and stir until it stops steaming.
• Save the carcass for stock, in the fridge, the same day.

Then check the fridge itself. Every time in this post assumes 40°F (4°C) or below, and a fridge's dial only shows a setting. An appliance thermometer on the middle shelf, a few dollars at a hardware store, shows the temperature.

How long does a rotisserie chicken last?

Treat a store rotisserie chicken like any cooked chicken: 3 to 4 days in the fridge, counted from the day you bought it. It was cooked that day, so the clock is already running when you pick it up.

The 2-hour rule starts at the store, too. If it's going to sit in the car or on the counter before dinner, it either needs to stay hot (140°F, 60°C or above) or go in the fridge. Eaten within 2 hours, it's fine as it is.

For anything you won't eat in 3 days, strip the meat off the bones on the first night and freeze it as plain pieces. The frozen meat drops straight into soup or fried rice later.

How to tell if cooked chicken has gone bad

Throw it out if it smells sour or sulfurous or feels slimy. Mold or gray-green patches mean the same. Those are the work of spoilage bacteria, and once you notice them the chicken is past eating.

The reverse doesn't hold. The bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as Salmonella and Listeria, generally don't change how food looks, smells or tastes, as Washington State University Extension puts it. Chicken on day 6 can smell fine and still make you sick, and Listeria grows slowly even at fridge temperatures. Go by the date, and let your nose overrule it only in the direction of the bin.

Two rules cover the rest. If you can't remember when it was cooked, count it as past. If it sat out overnight, throw it out however good it looks.

How to reheat cooked chicken safely

Heat it to 165°F (74°C) all the way through, and check with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest piece. The USDA's leftovers page adds a few method notes:

• In the microwave, cover the dish, add a splash of water or broth, and turn or stir it halfway. Microwaves leave cold spots, so let it rest a minute, then check the temperature in more than one place.
• Bring chicken soup, sauces and gravy to a rolling boil.
• Frozen cooked chicken can be reheated without thawing. It takes longer, and it still needs to reach 165°F.

In the oven, 350°F (175°C) with a splash of liquid under foil keeps breast meat from drying out.

You can reheat chicken more than once if what's left goes back in the fridge promptly each time, but every round of cooling and warming costs moisture and spends more time in the danger zone. Reheat only the portion you're about to eat. Count the 3 to 4 days from the day the chicken was first cooked, however many times it's been warmed since.

How to freeze and thaw cooked chicken

Freeze it well inside the 3 to 4 days. Day 1 is better than day 3, because freezing stops bacteria from growing without killing them (USDA), so whatever grew in the fridge is still there when it thaws.

Portion it the way you'll use it: a cup or two of shredded meat per bag, pressed flat with the air squeezed out, labeled with the date. Flat bags freeze fast and thaw in a fraction of the time a block does. Pieces in broth or gravy hold their texture best.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight. The USDA's thawing guide also allows a sealed bag in cold water, changed every 30 minutes, or the microwave's defrost setting, but chicken thawed those ways should be heated and eaten right away. Chicken thawed in the fridge can be refrozen, with some loss of texture. Once it's thawed, eat it within 3 to 4 days (Michigan State University Extension).

The weak point of any freezer is forgetting what's in it. In Hedgehog Chef's pantry, the freezer is a location of its own, items carry expiry dates, and “Use it up” shows what's about to turn, with recipes that use it. Plan the dish that needs it, and a “Thaw it tonight” reminder arrives the evening before.

How to use up leftover chicken before day 4

Decide what the leftovers become while the roast is still in the oven. Chicken roasted on Sunday has to be eaten by Wednesday or Thursday, so put it on Tuesday's plan: tacos, a pot of soup, fried rice, or chicken salad for the week's lunches.

In Hedgehog's meal planner, Plan leftovers… on Sunday's roast lets you pick the day, and the roast's servings grow to cover both meals, so the shopping list has enough chicken for both. The guide to planning a week of dinners walks through the rest of the week.

Soft herbs do a lot for day-3 chicken salad, and storing fresh herbs properly keeps a bunch going until Tuesday. When a leftovers dish works, save it: how to organize recipes covers a system you'll keep using.