When it comes to raw poultry, food safety is paramount. Knowing exactly how long you can safely store chicken in your refrigerator can prevent foodborne illness and ensure you are cooking with the best quality ingredients.
Refrigerator Storage Times
According to food safety guidelines, the window for keeping raw chicken in the fridge is quite short.
- Raw whole chicken, chicken parts (like breasts, thighs, and wings), and ground chicken should be used within 1 to 2 days of being placed in the refrigerator.
- Your refrigerator must maintain a temperature of 40 °F or below to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria.
- While the “sell-by” date on the package might be as long as a week away from when you bought it, the USDA recommends cooking the chicken within one or two days of purchase.
Freezing Raw Chicken
If you do not plan to cook the chicken within the 1-to-2-day window, your best option is to freeze it immediately.
- Chicken should be frozen at 0 °F or below.
- When kept frozen continuously at this temperature, the chicken will remain safe to eat indefinitely.
- However, for the best quality and taste, it is recommended to use frozen raw whole chicken within 1 year.
- Frozen raw chicken parts should ideally be used within 9 months for the best quality.
- Raw ground chicken and giblets maintain their best quality in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Signs It Has Gone Bad
Even if you are within the 1-to-2-day window, you should always inspect raw chicken before cooking it. You should throw the raw chicken out if:
- It smells sour or like ammonia.
- The texture feels excessively slimy or sticky.
- The color of the meat has turned dull or gray.
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