Have you thawed, or will you thaw chicken to cook later? So, this article was made for you! How long does thawed chicken last in the fridge? How long can we keep it in the freezer? What is the best way to thaw the chicken? You’re going to find out everything here!
Who doesn’t love chicken? It is perfect for cooking a wide variety of dishes and is very healthy (low fat). However, in the case of an animal product, it quickly gets spoiled. Therefore, we must be careful when leaving the chicken in the refrigerator for a long time (even when it is in the thawing process).
So we will leave on our website all the information you need to enjoy all the nutrients of this food. Will you come with us?
How long does thawed chicken last in the fridge?
Knowing how long can thawed chicken last in the refrigerator is essential to ensure you always eat quality food. As we are talking about an animal product, we can get sick when we leave it too long in the fridge (or at room temperature). That’s why we need to pay double attention to it.
To help you, we have resumed all the information in this table. Have a look!
| Room temperature | Fridge | Freezer | |
| Raw Thawed Chicken | For up to 2 hours | 1-2 days | We don’t recommend you save the thawed chicken in the freezer again. |
| Cooked Thawed Chicken | For up to 2 hours | 3-4 days | We don’t recommend you save the cooked, thawed chicken in the freezer again. |
| Pieces of Raw Chicken | For up to 2 hours | 1-2 days | For up to 6 months |
| Raw Whole Chicken | For up to 2 hours | 1-2 days | Up to 1 year |
| Cooked Chicken | For up to 2 hours | 3-4 days | For up to 4 months |
If you froze chicken, you’re probably wondering how long it can stay in the fridge to thaw. Unfortunately, the answer is not as simple as you could imagine. Some factors influence how long it can be kept in the refrigerator. Let’s see!
- The raw thawed chicken will last 1-2 days in the fridge (time counting once the chicken has been thoroughly defrosted).
- The cooked thawed chicken will last 3-4 days in the fridge (after it has been fully defrosted)
How long does Chicken Last in the Freezer?
If you want to keep a part of it longer, cut the frozen chicken in pieces and save what you won’t use in the freezer. Once defrosted, we don’t recommend keeping it again in the freezer.
If you want to save some raw chicken pieces, they only last for up to 6 months in the freezer. However, the whole chicken will last longer (up to one year).
If you have already cooked the chicken and want to freeze it to eat later, it should be thawed within four months. If it stays longer in the freezer, the meat will dry and have freezer burns. If you’ve frozen cooked chicken pieces, you can heat them while frozen.
How to Cook Chicken while Frozen?
Did you know you can cook the chicken with it still frozen? That’s that! The only downside is that it takes longer to cook. For example, if the thawed chicken takes 30 minutes to cook, the frozen chicken will take 45 minutes (an extra 50% of the time).
In addition, to cook the frozen chicken, you must ensure that its internal temperature reaches at least 160F.
How to Store Thawed Chicken long term in the Fridge?
If you want to keep your thawed chicken in the fridge long-term without it losing its quality, then you should follow some of our tips.
The cold burns the meat. To ensure that it doesn’t happen, you should wrap the chicken in foil until it’s time to cook it. In addition to avoiding cold burns, it prevents other foods (and the refrigerator itself) from acquiring the smell of meat.
How to Freeze Chicken?
If you want to freeze your chicken, you should follow a few simple steps. The best way to ensure that the chicken is perfect after thawing is using freezer bags or airtight containers. If you freeze the chicken in these recipients, surely the chicken will keep its delicious taste.
Freezer bags are the best option and undoubtedly are the ones that have the best results when we talk about frozen chicken. Always write down the date you froze the chicken in the bags or containers, so you know exactly how long they’ve been stored.
Before you close the bags, press all the air out. Suppose you have any tool to vacuum seal it, use it. However, if you don’t have it, immerse the bag in water to help remove all air from inside it.
This is essential because the air is responsible for oxidizing and spoiling the food more quickly. Once the bag is closed, just put it in the freezer.
How to Thaw Chicken?
There are some ways to thaw chicken. There is no one way better than another. You will be able to choose the method that suits you best. However, we must say that none of the recommended ways include thawing at room temperature or in hot water.
These two ways of thawing can put your health at risk as it favors the rapid growth of bacteria in food. In addition, if the temperature is between 40 and 140F, the risk of contamination is very high.
So, we recommend that you thaw the chicken in the fridge, in the microwave, or cold water. Now, let’s tell you all the steps you must take in each of these thawing methods.
Thawing chicken in the fridge
To thaw the chicken in the fridge, put the frozen chicken in the refrigerator until it fully defrosts. This is a straightforward method, but you need to have your meals scheduled in advance.
For example, if we’re talking about chicken breasts, they’re going to thaw in 24 hours. However, talking about chicken pieces with bones usually takes 48 hours to thaw in the fridge completely.
So, you must think about the meals you’re going to make so you can have time to defrost all the chicken pieces.
Thawing chicken in cold water
This defrosting method involves placing the frozen chicken in a bowl with ice-cold water until it thaws completely. Once the chicken is thawed, remove it from the water, and you can prepare it the way you prefer.
This defrosting way is much faster than putting the chicken in the fridge. For example, chicken breasts only take 1 to 2 hours to be completely thawed. Larger chicken pieces take approximately 2 hours to defrost.
Although it is a quick and practical method, it is difficult to defrost the whole chicken.
Thawing chicken in the microwave
The microwave is our best friend if we want a quick way to thaw. Using the defrost function, you will be able to defrost your chicken without significant difficulties. Please do not make the error of thawing it in the heating function, as you can cook the chicken instead of thawing it.
If your microwave doesn’t have the defrost function, you need to pay more attention. Check the appearance of the chicken while it is on the microwave and flip it over so that the parts of the chicken defrost equally.
If you choose this defrosting method, you should prepare the meat immediately. This is the significant disadvantage of thawing in the microwave as it does not allow you to leave it in the refrigerator for later (unlike other methods).
How do you know when Thawed Chicken goes Bad?
If you have thawed chicken, you must know when it is going bad. Four main signs tell us chicken has spoiled. First, check the best by date on the package. It will give you an idea of how long it will stay OK to eat the chicken.
If you let pass the date of the package, do not risk eating it! Eating the chicken after the best by date could make you very sick. Food poisoning is severe, and it can lead you to the hospital. So, if you notice the date expired, just through chicken away.
The chicken’s smell also indicates if it is going bad. If you notice a gross or unpleasant odor, do not eat it.
Also, if the chicken presents a gray, blue, or green color, it tells us that it is spoiled. Check if it has mold. If so, throw it away right away.
The texture can also give us reasonable indications as to whether the chicken is spoiled or not. For example, if it is slimy, it’s a sign that it is bad.
If you follow all our tips to know if a thawed chicken is spoiled, you won’t have any problems with food poisoning.
How long does Thawed Chicken last
Ingredients
How to know if the chicken is spoiled
- Smell the chicken
- Check the expiration date on the packaging
- The slimy texture of the chicken
Instructions
How Long Can Thawed Chicken Stay In Fridge?
- Raw chicken lasts an average of 1 to 2 days in the fridge.
- It also depends on how you thawed the chicken.
- Spoiled chicken can be bad for your health. Don't eat if you think it's not good.
Maybe you’d like to read:
- ✅ How long does chicken salad last in the fridge?
- ✅ How long does Meat Sauce last in the Fridge?
- ✅ How long does Turkey Bacon last in the Fridge?
Conclusion
The best way to store chicken, whole or in pieces, is in the freezer. We can keep its quality for a few months by freezing the chicken. This way, as soon as we want to cook it, we can thaw it and keep it in the fridge (it lasts up to 2 days after fully thawed).
In our article: “How long does defrosted chicken last in the fridge,” you learned how long the chicken lasts in the fridge and freezer, but you also knew the numerous ways to defrost it and how you should store it in the refrigerator. We hope you enjoyed it, and we are waiting for you in our upcoming posts.
FAQ’s
If you defrost the chicken in the fridge, you can cook it for up to 2 days after it completely thawed. However, if you defrosted it in the microwave or ice-cold water, the chicken should be cooked immediately after defrosting.
In the case of raw chicken, it shouldn’t stay in the fridge for more than two days in the refrigerator after being fully thawed. However, if we talk about cooked chicken, we can keep it from 3 to 4 days in the fridge (after it is fully thawed). In any case, you should never keep thawed chicken for five days or more.
You can keep your thawed chicken in the fridge Reddit from 1 to 2 days. However, you shouldn’t leave your chicken in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours unless cooked. If so, you can keep it from 3 to 4 days.
The answer is no. Like poultry, ground meats, and fish, the defrosted chicken should be cooked within 1 or 2 days.
Welcome to my food site, RecipesAndPanty.com. I am a man who enjoys creating recipes and researching everything about food. This blog is dedicated to my grandmother because she gave me a taste for cooking.