Chicken keeps for about 1-2 days in the fridge, and 9-12 months in the freezer. The table below splits those times by opened and unopened โ and a date still in range never overrides what your nose tells you.
Chicken has the shortest fridge life of the common meats โ if you are not cooking it today or tomorrow, freeze it now. Wash hands and boards separately after handling it, and do not rinse raw chicken: splashing spreads contamination rather than removing it.
Storage times
| Unopened | Opened | |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Not recommended | Within 2 hours |
| Fridge | 1-2 days | 1 day |
| Freezer | 9-12 months | 6 months |
Throw it out if you see this
- A slimy film
- Grey tint
- A strong sour or off smell
Storage tips
- Keep it sealed on the bottom shelf so juices cannot drip onto other food
- Do not rinse it before cooking
- Cooked chicken keeps three to four days refrigerated
Thawing
Sell-by and use-by are not the same date
A sell-by date tells the shop how long it may display the product; a use-by date tells you how long it stays safe to eat. They are not interchangeable, and a use-by date is usually later than the sell-by date printed on the same product.
Every printed date assumes the package is unopened and stored at the labelled temperature. Once opened, follow the "opened" column below instead of the printed date โ and if the smell, colour or texture is off, throw it out regardless of what the date says.