How long is cooked chicken good for in the fridge

Get cooked food into the fridge within 2 hours, and eat it within 3 to 4 days.

Leftover chicken and potato stew packed in a clear food storage container — Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir / Pexels

Area: KitchenFrom age 13Time to learn: 10 minutes

By USDA guidance, cooked chicken, cooked ground beef, pasta, rice, soup and pizza keep 3 to 4 days in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below, but only if they went in within 2 hours of cooking. Health Canada's general advice for leftovers is 2 to 3 days.

SafetyOlder adults, pregnant people, children under 5 and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of food poisoning. When you cook for them, the shorter 2-to-3-day window is the cautious choice, and leftovers should always be reheated to 165°F (74°C). A food handler certificate course teaches these time and temperature rules in depth.

Why it matters

Bacteria grow quickly between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C), and food left on the counter sits in that range. Health Canada notes that you cannot tell if food is unsafe by its smell or taste, so time and temperature are the reliable guide. The two countries differ slightly: USDA gives 3 to 4 days for leftovers, while Health Canada's leftovers advice is 2 to 3 days, although its storage chart lists 3 to 4 days for cooked poultry and cooked meat.

How to do it

Start the clock when the food comes off the heat or out of the warmer. Refrigerate it within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the air is above 90°F (32°C), such as at a summer picnic.
Throw away anything that has sat out longer. This is the answer to how long chicken, pizza or cooked rice can sit out: 2 hours, then it goes in the trash, not the fridge.
Cool it fast. Divide large amounts into shallow containers and cut big items into smaller pieces; for a whole roast chicken or turkey, slice the breast meat and leave the legs and wings whole. Hot food can go straight into the fridge, or into an ice or cold-water bath first.
Leave shallow containers uncovered or loosely covered until the food is cold, as Health Canada advises, then cover or seal them, as USDA advises, to keep bacteria out. Write the date on each container and keep the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Eat within 3 to 4 days. USDA's window covers cooked chicken and other poultry, cooked ground beef and other meat, soups and stews, pizza, and leftovers in general; use the same window for cooked pasta and rice. In Canada, Health Canada advises 2 to 3 days for leftovers in general and for soup, while its storage chart lists 3 to 4 days for cooked poultry and cooked meat.
If you will not eat it in time, freeze it. Food kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe indefinitely; USDA suggests eating frozen leftovers within 3 to 4 months for best quality.
Reheat to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer in several places. Bring soups, sauces and gravies to a rolling boil.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you cannot remember when it was cooked, the window has passed, or it sat out too long, discard it.

Common mistakes

Using the smell test. Health Canada notes that you cannot tell if food is unsafe by its smell or taste.
Cooling a big pot of soup or chili on the stove overnight. A large mass cools slowly; split it into shallow containers.
Reheating the same leftovers again and again. Health Canada advises throwing out uneaten leftovers once they have been reheated.
Putting food in the fridge after it sat out for hours. Chilling it does not undo the bacterial growth that already happened.

You can do this when …you can look at any container in your fridge and say when it was cooked, whether it is still inside its 3-to-4-day window, and how hot to reheat it.