How Long Does Cooked Chicken Last in the Fridge?

Everyone eats leftovers in the fridge. Use or toss leftovers like cooked chicken after around 3 to 4 days.

Everyone has done it: you pull leftovers from the fridge, forget how long they’ve been in there, and eat them anyway. Still, you may be wondering: how long does cooked chicken last in the fridge?

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends using or tossing leftovers like cooked chicken after around 3 to 4 days.

Cold temperatures less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit slow the growth of bacteria. The colder temperatures don’t kill the bacteria, though: it just temporarily prevents them from reproducing and contaminating your food.

There are many misconceptions about food spoilage. It’s not as simple as smelling your leftover chicken to see if it’s spoiled.

When it comes to food in your fridge, there are two types of bacteria to be aware of. 

Spoilage bacteria causes food to rot and deteriorate. This type of bacteria causes spoiled food's characteristic smells, flavors, and textures. 

Spoilage bacteria doesn’t typically cause you to get sick, though, so you can’t rely on your nose to tell you that your chicken is unsafe to eat. The more common perpetrator (which your nose will not detect) is pathogenic bacteria.

Pathogenic bacteria cause food poisoning. This bacteria doesn’t affect the taste or smell of your food, so it can make you sick even if your food seems perfectly okay to eat. 

Another common misconception is that reheating the chicken in the microwave kills the bacteria. Reheating may kill some of the pathogenic bacteria, but there’s a chance the chicken will cook unevenly.

If only part of the chicken is reheated, some pathogenic bacteria will survive and start reproducing now that the chicken is warmer. Partial reheating increases the chances of  food poisoning.

Damage caused by spoilage bacteria, meanwhile, is permanent. If the chicken has a foul odor or the appearance has changed, cooking it again won’t make it better.

Reheating possibly spoiled chicken has the chance to kill harmful bacteria, but it’s only a chance. It’s better to be safe, toss the chicken, and eat something else.  

Spoiled food and unsafe food aren’t the same thing. As previously mentioned, your chicken can look and smell perfectly fine but still have dangerous bacteria.

It’s impossible to tell if your food carries pathogenic bacteria, but your nose is keen when it comes to spotting spoiled food. 

Smell your food. Spoiled food smells for two reasons. 

For one, as the food decays, it releases smelly chemicals like cadaverine and putrescine. Humans are sensitive to these chemicals because decaying bodies (or cadavers) produce these smells. Your nose can pick up on small amounts of cadaverine and quickly make you aware that your food is spoiled.

The other smells of spoiled food come from the bacteria living on it. Yeast, molds, and other microbes release various smells that tell you the food is spoiled. 

Look at your food. Your nose is your best bet when determining if the chicken you made last week is spoiled, but looking can be your backup option.

Food may change its appearance and texture if it’s spoiled. In the same way that fruits and veggies get squishy when they spoil, your chicken may change texture, color, or show signs of bacteria.

Changes in color or texture are sometimes natural as the chicken absorbs or loses juices. When the chicken starts to take on multiple characteristics and smells, though, that may indicate spoilage.

The best way to keep your chicken from spoiling or giving you food poisoning is to practice proper food safety in your kitchen. 

Keep things clean. When preparing your chicken, keep everything clean. Wash your hands frequently, clean surfaces, and use fresh utensils when preparing the chicken.

Keep the chicken separate. Always keep your chicken in a sealed and leak-proof bag or container. This will limit the potential for bacteria from the chicken to get into other food or vice versa.

Keep the chicken hot (or cold). Food has a danger zone between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit where bacteria flourishes. Higher temperatures kill germs, while lower temperatures slow their reproduction.

Freezing chicken doesn’t kill germs, but the extreme cold can prolong the usability of chicken, provided that other safety measures are taken: e.g., cooking the chicken after unfreezing it.

Once the chicken is cooked, it needs to be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours to keep it out of the danger zone.

What’s at risk if you decide to eat spoiled chicken?

Spoilage bacteria primarily affects the flavor and texture of your food, so the main risk is an unpleasant experience. Most people don’t get sick if they eat spoiled food.

Pathogenic bacteria can cause many problems, though: most commonly food poisoning. 

What is food poisoning? Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites in contaminated food. Your food can be infected at any time, so you can’t assume it’s safe once it reaches your plate.

Symptoms of food poisoning. Symptoms appear within a few hours or up to a few weeks of eating the affected food. Symptoms last for a few hours or up to a few days and include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps or pain

Complications. Most mild cases of food poisoning resolve without treatment. However, food poisoning can lead to dehydration and long-term complications, so you should consult a doctor if your symptoms persist.

Food poisoning can also be dangerous for some people, notably:

• Children
• Pregnant people
• Older adults
• People with chronic illnesses

Worth it? If your chicken has been in the fridge for more than 3 or 4 days, it’s time to toss it in the trash. It’s not worth the risk of food poisoning or other infections.