How Long does Thawed Chicken Last in the Fridge?

Several factors determine how long thawed chicken stays fresh in the fridge. Ground chicken, boneless chicken breasts, and five-pound birds can take up to two days to thaw in the fridge. If you buy a whole chicken, it can take anywhere from a day to three days to thaw in the fridge before you can cook it. Keep in mind, however, that the shelf-life of thawed chicken depends largely on its freshness when it was frozen.

How Long Does Thawed Chicken Last in the Fridge

How Long does Thawed Chicken Last in the Fridge?

To make sure you always eat high-quality food, you must be aware of how long thawed chicken may be stored in the fridge. We can become ill if we keep an animal product in the refrigerator for an extended period (or at room temperature). We must therefore focus twice as hard on it.

You may be wondering how long frozen chicken can thaw in the refrigerator if you have frozen it. Unfortunately, the solution is not as straightforward as you may think. The amount of time it can be stored in the refrigerator depends on a few things. We’ll see.

The uncooked, defrosted chicken can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days (time counting once the chicken has been thoroughly defrosted).

The cooked, thawed chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days (after it has been fully defrosted)

How to Thaw Chicken?

Typically, cooked chicken can last for two to six months. For longer storage, you can freeze cooked chicken. Be sure to label freezer bags with the date you cooked and froze them. It’s important to follow USDA guidelines when thawing meat. You should not place it on a counter or in hot water; you should never thaw meat at room temperature.

Before cooking frozen chicken, you should thaw it thoroughly. Cooking chicken from frozen requires a minimum internal temperature of 160°F. Then, you can store thawed chicken in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Be sure to use the meat soon after thawing it, because raw meat should not be kept in the refrigerator.

Thawing frozen chicken in the fridge is the safest, but it takes the most time. If you can, place it on a large plate at the bottom of the refrigerator to keep it from dripping. The total time to thaw a kilogram of chicken takes around ten hours. However, if you are in a hurry, you can thaw the chicken in the microwave. Be sure to keep it loosely covered and turn the pieces periodically.

The shelf life of thawed chicken varies. Depending on the method you use to defrost the meat, your chicken should last up to two days in the fridge. If you cook the chicken before thawing, it may take a little longer.

1. Thawing Chicken in the Fridge

Place the frozen chicken in the refrigerator and let it defrost completely there to thaw. This is a simple strategy, but it requires that you arrange your meals in advance.

For instance, chicken breasts will thaw in 24 hours if we’re talking about them. However, thawing frozen chicken chunks with bones in the refrigerator often requires 48 hours.

To have enough time to defrost all the chicken parts, you must plan the meals you will prepare.

2. Thawing Chicken in Cold Water

The frozen chicken is defrosted using this technique by letting it thaw completely in a dish of ice-cold water. Once the chicken has thawed, take it out of the water and cook it any way you choose.

This method of defrosting the chicken is significantly quicker than placing it in the refrigerator. Chicken breasts, for instance, defrost completely in about one to two hours. The defrosting process for larger chicken parts takes around two hours.

Although it is a simple and efficient procedure, defrosting the whole chicken is challenging.

3. Thawing Chicken in the Microwave

The microwave is our go-to appliance when we need to defrost anything quickly. You won’t have any major problems defrosting the chicken using the defrost option. Because you can cook the chicken instead of thawing it, please do not make the mistake of thawing it in the heating function.

You must pay closer attention if your microwave lacks a defrost setting. While the chicken is in the microwave, check its appearance and turn it over so that all of its portions defrost uniformly.

The microwave is our go-to appliance when we need to defrost anything quickly. You won’t have any major problems defrosting the chicken using the defrost option. Because you can cook the chicken instead of thawing it, please do not make the mistake of thawing it in the heating function.

You must pay closer attention if your microwave lacks a defrost setting. While the chicken is in the microwave, check its appearance and turn it over so that all of its portions defrost uniformly.

If you decide to use this defrosting technique, you should start cooking the meat right away. The main drawback of defrosting in the microwave is that you can’t store it in the refrigerator for later (unlike other methods).

How Long can Thawed Chicken Stay in the Fridge Before Cooking?

You have greater flexibility in terms of your starting time if the chicken has been thawed in the refrigerator. Once it has fully defrosted, the chicken should last for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

The exact time will, of course, depend on how fresh the chicken was when it was frozen. If it had been in the refrigerator for three days before being placed in the freezer, you should cook it as soon as it has defrosted. On the other hand, if you immediately put it in the freezer, it can take 3–4 days before it begins to change.

Can you Cook Chicken When it’s Still Frozen?

Assume for the moment that you are in a rush and cannot thaw the chicken. Is it okay to begin the cooking procedure using frozen meat?

Yes, but it will still take longer to cook than chicken that has been defrosted. When using frozen beef as the starting point for your recipe, you should account for at least a 50% increase in cooking time. This implies that if the chicken breasts are to be grilled for 10 minutes, it will take at least 15 minutes to prepare them from frozen.

Make careful to cook the chicken over medium-high heat if you decide to go this route. It will take longer to cook and may even dry out if the temperature is too low. On the other hand, if you cook it fast over high heat, the chicken can come out with a charred outside and an interior that is still frozen.

Reference: Identification of Fresh-Chilled and Frozen-Thawed Chicken Meat and Estimation of their Shelf Life Using an E-Nose Machine Coupled Fuzzy KNN

How to Tell When Thawed Chicken is Going Bad?

It’s important to be aware of the signs that your thawed chicken is going bad. Eating chicken that’s too old or undercooked can make you sick and potentially lead to severe food poisoning. Before you decide to eat your chicken, check the color, smell, and texture. You should also check for mold or freezer burn. If you suspect that your chicken is bad, toss it out.

Fresh, raw chicken should have a pink, fleshy color. Once it goes bad, the meat will turn grey and start to feel slimy. You should not eat chicken that has a grey or grayish color. Also, you should check the date on the packaging.

Another sign that your chicken is old and has gone bad is if it has a gray or green color on the outside. A chicken that’s gray or green will have bacteria growing in it. If the chicken has a gray color inside, it’s probably bad and you should throw it out. If the chicken has been marinated, it may be hard to detect a gray tint. A gray-colored chicken could be dangerous if it is contaminated with bacteria.

When it comes to chicken, the best-by date isn’t a magic deadline – it’s a tool that helps you avoid food poisoning. If it’s past the best-by date, it’s probably okay, but if it’s not, it might be time to throw it out. Another way to tell if your thawed chicken is going bad is to look at the texture. If the flesh of the chicken is dry and grey, then it’s probably not worth eating.

How to Store Thawed Chicken for Long Term in the Fridge?

You should use some of our advice if you want to store thawed chicken in the refrigerator for an extended period without having it lose quality.

The meat burns from the cold. You should wrap the chicken in foil until it’s time to cook it to prevent it from happening. It not only prevents cold burns but also keeps the smell of meat out of other meals in the refrigerator.

Does Cooking Chicken Kill Bacteria?

Although cooking does eliminate pathogens, ruined chicken cannot be safely eaten again. Even when the bacteria are dead, they still leave behind poisons that might make you sick. Never attempt to cook hazardous meat so that it is safe to consume. Discard chicken that has gone bad.

This is even more true for freezing; it stops microbial spread, but it doesn’t kill bacteria or get rid of toxins. Chicken that you suspect has gone bad or is about to go bad shouldn’t be frozen. Later eating won’t be secure as a result.

Conclusion

After fully defrosting in the refrigerator, the raw thawed chicken should be safe to cook for one to two days, and cooked thawed chicken should keep for up to four days. Never defrost meat at room temperature and make sure you defrost it by food safety regulations.