Do you also love having chicken in the dinner but always end up with preparing too much? Do you know that the leftover chicken can also come up with a delicious taste later? Consuming spoiled chicken can be harmful to your health but how to tell if the chicken is bad? You may come up with a lot of queries so let’s try to figure them out.
One can prepare chicken in various ways. No matter whether you want to deep-fry it, barbecue it or grill it, it will always end up with a delicious taste. Many times you may come up with a large amount of cooked chicken. No need to throw it in a bin, one can transform it into new delicious recipes or can enjoy it later.
But do you know that this healthy and pleasing source of protein can also have a high risk of bacterial contaminations? That’s why how you cook it and store it matters a lot. We all know that we can store the cooked chicken in the fridge but for how long? It is advised to store the leftover chicken in the refrigerator but how long does the cooked chicken last in the fridge?
How Long Does Cooked Chicken Last in the Fridge?
One can store the leftover chicken either in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Some of the few things which you should keep in mind before storing the leftover chicken are as follows:
- Refrigerator: One can store the leftover chicken in their refrigerator for a shorter period of time as compared to a freezer. The extra amount of chicken can be kept in the fridge safely for a shorter amount of time only. You can store raw chicken in your fridge for 1-2 days whereas cooked pieces of chicken can be kept in the fridge safely for 3-4 days. For nuggets and patties, the time period gets shorter to 1-2 days.
- Freezer: As compared to the fridge, the leftover chicken can be kept safely in the freezer for a longer period of time. One can keep the cooked chicken in the freezer for 2-6 months whereas you can store nuggets and patties for 1-3 months. Raw chicken can be kept safely in the freezer for up to 9 months.
- If you end up with a large amount of extra chicken or are not sure if you’ll be able to finish it 3-4 days, then it is best to freeze it. Avoid keeping it at room temperature for more than two hours as it may lead to the growth of many bacteria’s. Seal it properly in a tight and clean container and get ready to freeze it.
How long is cooked chicken good for?
No need to throw the leftover chicken in the bin as you can enjoy it later or can transform it into many other delicious dishes also. One can store the chicken in the refrigerator and it will last for 3-4 days. If you have a large amount of food or are not sure whether you’ll be able to finish it in 3 to 4 days then you can freeze it also. Take proper precautions before storing it as it can lead to the growth of many bacterias also if you do it improperly. Cook it properly and don’t forget to store it in proper containers. Do not keep it at room temperature for more than two hours. Keeping in mind all the precautions you can enjoy the cooked chicken later also.
How to tell if chicken is bad?
Spoiled chicken can be harmful to your health and we don’t want to fall sick. But how to know whether the leftover chicken is bad?
If the appearance of the leftover chicken is different or is looking greyish-green and slimy then there are chances that your chicken is unfit to eat.
The smell of the chicken can also tell you whether the chicken is spoiled or not. It will have a sour and raunchy smell.
If you are not sure then it is better to avoid consuming it. The contaminated chicken can lead to illness which nobody wants.
How to store leftover chicken in the fridge?
- One should not keep the chicken at room temperature for any longer period of time. Try to keep the leftover chicken in the fridge as soon as possible. It can help you to prevent the growth of bacteria in the chicken.
- It is also advised to use smaller pieces of chicken to store and shallow containers. It helps in cooling the chicken quickly.
- The containers one is using to store the chicken should be clean and properly sealed. Clean containers make sure that there are no additional sources of bacteria.
Side effects of eating spoiled chicken
Not properly cooked chicken can also bring a lot of problems. So the first thing is to cook it properly. As improperly cooked chicken can lead to the growth of many bacterias like Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. These bacterias can lead to diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, dehydration, nausea and vomiting. The chances of food poisoning and many other diseases can be reduced by cooking it properly.
What to do if you have eaten spoiled chicken?
If you suspect any kind of symptoms or are not sure if you have eaten spoiled chicken or not. Then it is better to follow the few pieces of advice to avoid any kind of illness.
- Consult a doctor – It is better to consult a doctor if you are suspecting any kind of symptoms. A doctor will be able to tell you whether you have food poisoning or not. If you are not sick then you’ll be allowed to go home otherwise they may ask you for a few more tests and can ask you to stay in the hospital for better m
- onitoring.
- Drink plenty of water – It is advised to stay hydrated if you are dealing with any kind of symptoms. You may lose a lot of water by vomiting and diarrhoea so try to drink plenty of water.
- Avoid eating- In the case of food poisoning, it is better not to eat anything. Your body may not be in a condition to intake any kind of food. But if you are really hungry then you can have bland foods like rice, cereal, toast, bananas, oatmeals, etc.
Takeaway
The first and the most important thing is to cook the chicken properly as improperly cooked chicken can also be a reason for your illness. You can store the cooked chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days whereas you can store it safely in the freezer for 2-6 months.
One should not keep the chicken at room temperature for a longer period of time as it may lead to the growth of many bacteria’s. Also never forget to use clean and tight containers for storing chicken and it is better to avoid eating spoiled chicken as we don’t want to fall sick.