How Long Can Chicken Stay Good in the Fridge
How Long Does Cooked Chicken Concluding in the Fridge?
It's not as long as y'all would remember.
If y'all've been eyeing that week-old chicken, wondering if it'southward still safe to eat, y'all've come to the right identify. Eating cooked craven that's past its prime number is a recipe for (intestinal) disaster. Whether information technology's grilled, fried, baked, or whatever other class of cooked craven, here's how long cooked chicken will last in the fridge. Plus, get tips on how to properly store it and how to tell when it'due south gone bad.
How Long Does Cooked Craven Last?
According to the USDA, cooked chicken volition terminal 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, and 2 to three months in the freezer. Eating cooked chicken after this point can result in foodborne illness — fifty-fifty at refrigerated temperatures, bacteria can even so grow.
This might leave you with the question: Tin can't you just zap information technology in the microwave? Because microwaves heat food from the outside in, and not the other way around, reheating week-old cooked chicken in the microwave will kill leaner on the surface, but it won't eliminate toxins produced by the growing bacteria beneath the surface.
Hither's the lesser line: If your chicken is on twenty-four hour period five, information technology's not prophylactic to consume anymore, even after reheating.
How to Store Cooked Craven in the Refrigerator
Cooked chicken should be stored in an airtight container or sealed plastic handbag and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. If kept at room temperature longer than two hours, chicken tin can reach what'southward known as the temperature danger zone, or the range between twoscore degrees F and 140 degrees F in which bacteria grows most rapidly.
Credit: Marty Baldwin/Meredith
How to Tell If Craven Has Gone Bad
If you're not sure how long your chicken has been in the fridge, in that location's a few tell-tale signs information technology's past its prime:
- Color: Chicken that has gone bad, whether cooked or raw, volition begin to have a light-green/grayish hue.
- Scent: The archetype smell test can come up in handy when you're checking your craven for spoilage. Chicken will begin to have an ammonia-similar, or only an overall "off" odour. Seasonings and marinades tin can mask these smells, then you tin't ever rely on smell lonely.
- Texture: A change in texture is another indicator of spoilage. Bad craven will have a slimy film — a pretty strong deterrent to biting into that week-old chicken.
A word of caution: Never taste your chicken to determine whether or not it'south gone bad. Doing and so could result in a few hours spent hugging the toilet.
How to Freeze and Thaw Cooked Chicken
If you don't think you'll get to your chicken inside iii to four days, the best option is to freeze it. To freeze cooked chicken, transfer it to a freezer-prophylactic container or cypher-acme pocketbook, label with the engagement, and freeze for upward to three months. Never freeze chicken that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours, or stored in the fridge for more than iv days.
To thaw, transfer the craven in its storage container to the refrigerator and allow information technology to thaw overnight. You tin can also utilise the defrost setting on your microwave.
Related:
- Chicken Parts 101: What to Exercise With Each Cut
- How to Freeze the 10 Most Common Leftovers
- Browse our entire collection of Chicken Recipes.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-long-does-cooked-chicken-last-in-fridge/
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