How Long Does Cooked Chicken Last In The Fridge?

Chicken is the go-to meat of many households all over the world.

From the classics of pies, stews and roasts in the UK to the southern fried flavours of South America, Asian dishes and Italian family recipes passed on over the decades, through generations.

The fast-food and family food favourite. Chicken is versatile, flavour holding and widely accessible across the world.

Whilst chicken can sometimes be considered bland or boring, chicken legs and thighs are succulent when cooked on the bone and absorb flavours such as rosemary, thyme and lemon.

Whilst chicken breast can go with anything! With so much flavour, you’ll want to eat it again and again,

So here’s how to store your chicken pre and post-cooking to retain moisture, tastes and, most importantly, store it safely.

How To Correctly Store Cooked Chicken In The Fridge?

Uncooked chicken can be kept in your home freezer for up to 3 days in an airtight container or original wrap from your butcher or supermarket.

In the same way, you’d store other poultry such as turkey. Keeping your chicken in a leak-proof container will stop any of the chicken’s juices contaminate other foods that are also in your fridge and reduce the production of bacteria.

If you’d like to store your chicken for longer or have perhaps decided to mix up your menu during the week and would like to cook or eat your chicken at another time,

Store your chicken in your freezer whole for up to one year, in pieces for up to nine months and alternatively, freeze following cooking into a sauce or as part of a dish.

One of the great attributes of chicken is its ability to be the filling to sauce flavours such as salty, sweet, fruity, spicy, or nutty, letting the dish flavours shine through.

Freeze those flavours and enjoy later!

How Long Does Cooked Chicken Last In The Fridge?

Chicken that’s already been cooked, perhaps in a curry or plain and simple as a breast for use in salads or sandwiches, can be kept in your fridge for up to 4 days.

Again, keep in a clean, airtight container within the fridge.

How To Tell If Your Chicken Has Gone Bad In The Freezer?

Chicken’s look and texture will always give you a guide as to whether it’s safe to cook and eat.

If your chicken has defrosted from the freezer with a more slimy texture, has a stickiness or even an unusual softness to it, it’s time to pop it in the bin and wipe down any services your chicken has been on to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination of the chicken bacteria to any other foods or preparation materials in your kitchen.

Safety first when it comes to frozen meats, and if in doubt, don’t eat it!

The skin of your chicken should remain the same as pre-freezing.

If your chicken has changed in tone, either fading in colour or has areas of darkening, don’t eat that chicken as Its visual changes are a result of bacteria changes within the meat. You don’t want that in your sandwich.

Can you reheat cooked chicken?

Whilst chicken dishes can be reheated, it’s a one-time deal. You can’t re-heat and then re-heat chicken again.

So as long as you re-heat your chicken thoroughly and heated the whole way through in a microwave, oven or barbeque, your chicken will be cooked through and tasty.

Is it ok to cook chicken that smells a little?

Eating chicken with an odour is more often than not a personal choice.

Whilst thoroughly cooking through chicken starting to smell like it’s ‘Turning’ off is often safe and ok to eat.

Do not, however, eat cooked chicken that has an unusual or ‘Off’ odour to it, as this is more likely to indicate pathogenic bacteria.

Can you put the warm chicken in the fridge?

Whilst hot chicken can be put straight into the fridge; it’s best to let chicken decrease in temperature prior to storing in the refrigerator.

To store chicken safely, slice and store it in a container.

Once your chicken has cooled, place it in the fridge within two hours.

Can you leave the cooked chicken out overnight?

Any chicken that has been left out of the fridge for any period after two hours should not be eaten and should be binned—leaving meats like chicken out of the refrigerator for a prolonged period, whether protected in storage or just left out unprotected, increase the risk of bacteria growing.

Can you eat chicken after five days?

Many people use common sense when it comes to meat storage, looking at texture, colour and smell to decipher whether a chicken is ok to be cooked and eaten.

However, if you’re ever unsure, don’t eat the chicken. Try wherever possible to consume your cooked chicken as soon as possible, only re-heating once and stored correctly to keep your food as fresh and safe as possible and eliminate unnecessary waste.

Conclusion

Chicken is such diverse meat, where the pairing options and possibilities are endless.

No matter your flavour preference or your cuisine craving, chicken can make a quick meal, a family roast, a slow-cooked casserole or a curry and still have leftovers for another time.

So long as you store your chicken correctly, it’s the meat that will keep on giving.