How long does leftover turkey last in the fridge?

How long does leftover turkey last in the fridge?

3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. That's the figure for cooked poultry on the FDA's refrigerator and freezer chart and on FoodSafety.gov's cold storage chart, and University of Illinois Extension gives the same for turkey. Turkey from a Thursday dinner is good through Sunday, and Monday is the outside limit.

Turning it into something else doesn't restart the count. Turkey stirred into Saturday's soup or Sunday's casserole is still Thursday's turkey, so the dish runs out when the turkey would have. What to do with leftover turkey lays out the four days after Thanksgiving so it all gets eaten in time.

The turkey, gravy and soup rows are the FDA's, the deli rows FoodSafety.gov's, and the stuffing row the USDA's turkey basics for holiday dinners. Every fridge time assumes the fridge is at 40°F or colder, which a cheap appliance thermometer on the middle shelf will tell you.

How to cool and pack leftover turkey fast

Have it in the fridge within 2 hours of leaving the oven, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C). That's the USDA's limit for cooked food in the danger zone, and for a turkey it starts at the oven door, so the resting and carving count. Our post on how long food can sit out works through the timing for a whole Thanksgiving table.

A whole bird holds heat in its middle for hours, so don't refrigerate it whole. The USDA's turkey basics say to cut it into smaller pieces before it goes in: slice the breast meat, and leave the legs and wings whole if you like.

• Take the meat off the bones and spread it in shallow containers. Illinois Extension says to divide large amounts into smaller portions in several shallow containers so they chill faster. Bag the stripped carcass and refrigerate it too, for turkey stock the next day.
• If the turkey was stuffed, scoop all the stuffing out of the cavity and refrigerate it separately.
• Put the gravy in its own small container, since it has the shorter deadline.
• Don't wait for anything to cool on the counter. The USDA's leftovers guidance says hot food can go straight into the fridge.

Label each container with the day it was cooked. Better still, in Hedgehog Chef's pantry, add the turkey, stuffing and gravy to the fridge with the date each one has to be eaten by: Sunday for the turkey, Saturday for the stuffing and gravy. “Use it up” then lists whatever's about to expire first, with recipes that use it.

Do stuffing and gravy keep as long as the turkey?

No. The USDA's turkey basics give stuffing and gravy 1 to 2 days in the fridge, half the turkey's time. Illinois Extension's chart allows stuffing 4 days, but go by the USDA's shorter figure: Thanksgiving stuffing needs eating by Saturday, or freezing on Friday. Frozen, both sources give it 1 month for best quality. Our post on making stuffing ahead covers reheating it to 165°F (74°C) with a splash of broth.

Gravy gets the same 1 to 2 days on the FDA's chart and Illinois Extension's. Frozen, it keeps its quality for 2 to 3 months on both. When you reheat it, the USDA says to bring sauces and gravies to a rolling boil.

Can you freeze cooked turkey?

Yes, and the sooner the better. Food held at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe indefinitely, according to the USDA's freezing guide, so the freezer times above are about taste and texture. Illinois Extension's advice is not to wait until the turkey has been in the fridge for 4 days before freezing it, because freezing won't improve its quality. Freeze on Friday whatever turkey you can't see yourself eating by Sunday.

• Pack turkey and stuffing separately, as Ohio State University Extension's freezing fact sheet advises.
• Portion the meat the way you'll use it, a cup or two per bag, pressed flat with the air squeezed out.
• Pour a little broth or gravy over some of it. The FDA gives turkey covered in liquid 6 months in the freezer, against 4 months for plain pieces.
• Write the date on every bag. Our freezer inventory list post covers keeping track once it's in there.

Turkey that was bought frozen and thawed before roasting can be frozen again once it's cooked. The USDA's freezing guide says cooked food made from previously frozen raw food is safe to freeze. Thaw the bags in the fridge overnight, or reheat the meat straight from frozen to 165°F (74°C), which takes longer but is safe, as Michigan State University Extension points out.

How to tell if leftover turkey has gone bad

Go by the date before anything else. Turkey on day 5 is past the USDA's limit even if it looks fine, because the bacteria that cause food poisoning generally don't change how food looks or smells, as Washington State University Extension points out.

Inside the 4 days, throw it out if it smells sour, feels slimy or shows any mold. Those are signs of spoilage, and they mean the turkey is past eating whatever the date says.

Two more cases go straight in the bin: turkey that sat out longer than 2 hours before it was put away, and any container nobody can date. If you can't remember when it was cooked, count it as past.

A plan for Thanksgiving leftovers, day by day

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, the deadlines fall like this:

• On Thursday night, carve, pack and refrigerate everything within 2 hours of the turkey leaving the oven.
• On Friday, freeze the turkey you won't eat by Sunday and the stuffing and gravy you won't eat by Saturday.
• Saturday is the last day for stuffing and gravy in the fridge.
• Sunday is the last full day for the turkey. Monday at the latest, then the bin.

Reheat each portion to 165°F (74°C), checked in the thickest piece, or eat it cold, which the USDA's turkey basics allow. Reheat only what you're about to eat. How to reheat turkey covers keeping it moist in the oven and microwave.

The days fill up with other plans, which is how turkey gets forgotten until Tuesday. In Hedgehog Chef's meal planner, choose Plan leftovers… on Thursday's dinner and pick Friday, then do it again for Saturday. Thursday's servings grow to cover both meals, and nobody cooks something new while the turkey waits.