Storing food in the refrigerator is convenient, but many people wonder how long you can store chicken in the refrigerator (raw and cooked).
This article will help you understand how long it is safe to store chicken in your refrigerator.
How long can you store chilled chicken in the refrigerator without freezing?
How long can chicken last in the refrigerator?
According to the USDA, raw chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for about 1-2 days. The same applies to raw turkey and other poultry ().
Meanwhile, cooked (boiled, stewed and fried) chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days ().
Storing chicken in the refrigerator helps slow bacterial growth, as bacteria tend to grow more slowly at temperatures below 4°C (, ).
Additionally, it's best to store thawed raw chicken in an airtight container to prevent its juices from leaking and contaminating other foods. Cooked chicken should also be stored in an airtight container ().
If you need to store chicken for longer than a few days, it is best to store it in the freezer.
Raw chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 9 months, and a whole chicken can be frozen for up to one year. Cooked chicken can be stored in the freezer for 2-6 months (,).
Summary:
Raw chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, and cooked chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
We install GOST standards
State standards, as a rule, provide for the duration of storage of products at a certain temperature, but only in their raw form. But sometimes housewives have to put an already prepared dish into the refrigerator for storage. If you want to preserve the freshness of boiled chicken meat, then you need to store it for no more than 72 hours. In this case, the temperature should be set at +4°.
But at room temperature, boiled chicken should be eaten within three hours. If you plan to feed such a dish to children, then its shelf life even in the refrigerator is reduced to one day.
Boiled chicken meat is considered a popular component of first courses, appetizers, baked goods and salads. To determine the shelf life of a product in multi-ingredient treats, you should consider what you added. If we are talking about chicken soup, then it should be eaten within 48 hours. Such dishes are stored at a temperature of +5°.
As a rule, all salads are dressed with mayonnaise sauce. This ingredient significantly reduces the “life” of the dish. Therefore, you should eat the chicken salad within one day, or even better, within a few hours after preparation.
On a note! Adding fresh vegetables, mayonnaise sauce, or boiled chicken eggs to salads or other dishes significantly shortens the shelf life of the treat.
If you were unable to eat boiled chicken meat within the prescribed period, it can be subjected to additional heat treatment in the form of frying or baking. But be sure to check the freshness of the product. There should be no specific smell or sticky layer.
There is another way to extend the life of boiled chicken - freezing. Cooked meat is stored in this form, but it loses some of its beneficial properties. And the taste will no longer be the same. Boiled chicken can be stored frozen for three months.
How to tell if chicken has gone bad
If you left chicken in the refrigerator for several days, there is a chance that it has spoiled.
Here are a few ways to tell if the chicken in your refrigerator has gone bad (, , ):
- The expiration date has expired . Chicken - raw, cooked or fried - that has reached its expiration date is more likely to go bad.
- Changes in color . Raw and cooked chicken that begins to turn gray-green in color has gone bad. Patches of gray-green mold indicate bacterial growth.
- Smell . Both raw and cooked chicken give off a sour odor that resembles ammonia because it has gone bad. However, this smell may be difficult to detect if the chicken has been marinated with sauces, herbs or spices.
- Texture . The chicken had a slimy texture and went bad. Washing the chicken will not kill the bacteria. Rather, it can spread bacteria from poultry to other food items, utensils, and surfaces, causing cross-contamination.
If you suspect the chicken in your refrigerator has gone bad, discard it.
Summary:
You can tell if the chicken has gone bad if its color begins to change, it smells sour, or it is covered in mucus.
How to store cooked poultry meat
Chicken that has already undergone heat treatment is stored 2 times less than raw chicken. You also need to remember that cooked poultry meat can only be stored in foil. Under no circumstances should cooked meat be stored in a plastic bag. So it will start to rot very quickly. However, you can put your poultry dish in a special plastic container. Make sure the container lid closes tightly. Because if air gets into the container, the product will become saturated with foreign odors and will very quickly become unusable.
Boiled
Boiled legs, poultry fillets, etc. Can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day. After this time, the meat will spoil and you will no longer be able to eat it. Storage temperature should be +2+6 degrees. Chicken can last up to 2 days in soup. If you need to store the finished boiled fillet, then you need to place it in foil or a container.
At its core, there are two ways to store poultry - in the refrigerator or freezer. The shelf life of this product directly depends on the refrigeration temperature, as well as on the cooking method. The length of the shelf life depends on the condition the product is originally in. And also what temperature is set in the chamber. Chilled chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. But frozen meat can be stored for quite a long time.
What are the dangers of eating spoiled chicken?
Eating spoiled chicken can cause foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning.
Eating chicken has a high risk of food poisoning as it may be contaminated with bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and others ().
Typically, these bacteria are removed when you thoroughly cook fresh chicken.
However, you should still avoid cooking and eating spoiled chicken. Although heating or cooking food can kill the bacteria present in it, it will not eliminate some of the toxins produced by the bacteria, which can cause food poisoning if you eat it ().
Food poisoning can cause unpleasant and sometimes dangerous symptoms, including high body temperature (above 38.6°C), chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools and dehydration ().
In some cases, severe food poisoning can require hospitalization and even lead to death (,).
If you suspect your chicken is spoiled, do not eat it. It's always best to discard chicken if you suspect it has gone bad.
Summary:
Eating spoiled chicken can cause food poisoning, even if it is thoroughly cooked.
The benefits and harms of chicken meat
The product contains a large amount of protein, vitamins A and E, and amino acids that are essential for the body. It is useful for patients suffering from diabetes. Chicken meat has a positive effect on visual acuity and the functioning of parts of the brain. Eating it helps a person get rid of insomnia.
The skin contains a lot of fat, which, when entering the human body, turns into cholesterol. When cutting the breast, it is recommended to remove the skin.
If you purchased chicken with mucus and an unpleasant odor, then it is better not to cook such a product. Otherwise, salmonellosis may appear - an intestinal infection.
Summarize
- How long can you store chicken in the refrigerator without freezing? Raw chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, and cooked chicken will keep for 3-4 days.
- To determine if chicken has spoiled, check the expiration date and check for signs of spoilage, such as changes in odor, texture and color.
- Avoid eating spoiled chicken, as it can cause food poisoning - even if you cook it thoroughly.
The article was prepared by experts for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a guide for treating medical conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of illness or any symptoms, you should always consult a doctor and not self-medicate.
Tags: Chicken
About the author: Alexander Fedorov
Candidate of Biological Sciences, biologist, nutrition expert. Graduated from Stavropol State University with a degree in Biology at the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry.
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How long can you store cooked chicken in the refrigerator?
Women who spend most of their time at work and do not have the opportunity to spend it on cooking can make their lives much easier. To do this, you just need to know how long you can store cooked chicken in the refrigerator or freezer.
Temperature conditions
The freezer maintains a constant sub-zero temperature, which helps to increase the shelf life of food, including chicken. As a rule, before freezing it is cut up and portioned in plastic bags or plastic containers. Depending on the temperature in the freezer, the following storage periods for chicken meat are provided:
Do you use expired food for cooking at home?
Yes, the main thing is to process it if it is meat or expired kefir for pancakes.
27.72%
No, it is very dangerous and not useful.
36.37%
If the products have fungus or mold, then we throw them away; if they are a couple of days past their expiration date, we use them for food, even without heat or other treatment.
35.91%
Voted: 1952
- At temperatures from -8 to -5 degrees, chicken can be stored for 1 to 3 months.
- At temperatures from -14 to -8 degrees, the shelf life of chicken will be 3-6 months.
- At temperatures from -18 to -14 degrees, the shelf life of chicken meat will be 6-9 months.
- At temperatures from -24 to -18 degrees, chicken can be stored for 1 year.
When re-frozen, meat loses protein and microelements, resulting in the product becoming significantly less healthy.
Freezing raw chicken meat is a common thing for any housewife. Is it possible to store chicken in the refrigerator at sub-zero temperatures if it is smoked, boiled or fried? Sometimes there is a need to preserve excess cooked meat for a long time. In such cases, the chicken should be placed in plastic containers or bags and placed in the freezer, setting the temperature to -18 degrees. Please note that it is advisable to store cooked meat in the freezer for no more than a week. To avoid contact of such freezing with fresh meat or fish, you can use either special freezing bags, or put the meat in several bags.
Thawed chicken meat is recommended to be used for preparing dishes such as hodgepodge, salads, soups, since after freezing it becomes less juicy, however, the taste is preserved.
Marinated chicken
Probably every person has at least once encountered a situation when a planned barbecue picnic for some reason had to be postponed until the next day or for an even longer period. What to do in such a situation with marinated meat, especially if it is chicken. Since chicken meat has a short shelf life, barbecue lovers often have a question: how long can marinated chicken be stored in the refrigerator?
Marinated chicken at the right temperature can remain fresh for no more than 24 hours.
The shelf life of smoked chicken cannot be determined unambiguously, since it depends on several factors:
Chicken is a product that is loved by both adults and children. Fried, boiled, smoked chicken perfectly complements any side dish. Since it is a frequently used product, storage rules must be followed. To ensure that the poultry dish does not harm the body. Therefore, let's figure out how to store chicken in the refrigerator.
