How long is raw chicken good for

Raw chicken lasts in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cooked chicken lasts 3–4 days. To detect if chicken has gone bad, check the “best if used by” date and look for signs of spoilage like changes in smell, texture, and color. Avoid eating spoiled chicken, as it can cause food poisoning — even if you cook it thoroughly.

According to the USDA and U.S. Food and medicine Administration, raw chicken (regardless of if it’s whole; in pieces such as breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings; or ground) should be stored for no longer than one to two days in the refrigerator.

Fresh raw chicken is usually a light pink color with white pieces of fat, has little to no odor, and is soft and moist. If your chicken is slimy, has a foul smell, or has changed to a yellow, green, or gray color, these are signs that your chicken has gone bad.

Use or freeze beef, veal, pork, and lamb products with a “Sell-By” date within 3 to 5 days of purchase. Fresh chicken, turkey, ground meat, and ground poultry should be cooked or frozen within 1 to 2 days of purchase.

According to the USDA, cooked chicken will last three to four days in the refrigerator, and two to three months in the freezer. Eating cooked chicken after this point can result in foodborne illness — even at refrigerated temperatures, bacteria can still grow.

Storing Chicken in the Fridge

No need to stash it in the freezer — it’s OK to store raw chicken (whole or in pieces) for 1–2 days in the fridge. If you have leftovers that include cooked chicken, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Cuts of chicken, or any ground meat, should be used within one-to-two days of purchase. Chicken that has gone bad will develop a slimy or sticky texture and smell bad or “off.” Don’t taste meat to determine if it’s safe to eat or not.

Some common products are: ground meat and poultry (1-2 days past the date), beef (3-5 days past the date), eggs (3-5 weeks past the date). If you’re concerned about food safety, use your nose. If you bought raw chicken and you know it’s spent 2 days in the refrigerator after the sell-by date, smell it.

Use-by dates are about safety

This is the most important date to remember. You can eat food until and on the use-by date but not after. … After the use-by date, don’t eat, cook or freeze your food. The food could be unsafe to eat or drink, even if it has been stored correctly and looks and smells fine.

IT’S okay to eat chicken a day or two after the use-by date on the packing if you have bought it from the supermarket. The general rule is to check if it still smells fresh and make sure it’s not slimy. … Don’t use chicken if it has lost any of its pink colouring.