How Long Is Grilled Chicken Good In The Fridge?

Americans love chicken more than any other country on the planet. We consume the most chicken in the world by volume (roughly 15,000 metric tons a year), and we're second only to Israel in per capita consumption (and they have kosher dietary restrictions to worry about). Here's how crazy Americans are about eating those birds: the second place country is China, at 12,000 tons with over four times the U.S. population, and all of Europe only eats about 11,000 tons per year. And though fried chicken has a global reputation, grilled chicken is one of America's most common chicken preparations.

But sometimes you can't eat all your chicken at once. There's no shame in that; chicken can fill you up even if it's not fried. You don't want to throw it away, but you have to wonder: How long will it stay good? The simple answer is about half a week, but there's a lot more you should know about what to do with it.

First things first: Via the USDA, leftover grilled chicken should stay good for three to four days as long as it's stored properly — meaning at 40 F or less. So you don't have to eat it immediately, but you shouldn't wait too long, either. Improper storage can shorten this time; if the chicken has been unrefrigerated for over two hours, you shouldn't eat it.

And you're going to want to store it safely. While you don't want to eat any food that's gone bad, you especially don't want to mess around with chicken. Most people are aware that this is especially a problem with raw chicken, where salmonella, campylobacter, and clostridium perfringens are constant worries — but cooked chicken isn't immune to contamination risks. Bacteria get killed by cooking chicken thoroughly, but if it's left to sit after cooking, that bacteria can return with a vengeance.

Chicken is so ubiquitous, particularly in America, because it's so versatile. Various chicken components — breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks — can each be used in different ways, and the number of those ways is pretty much limited only by your imagination. Leftover chicken is no exception here, although ensuring enough moisture in the dish is key.

Mexican-inspired dishes are a great option; flautas, enchiladas, and quesadillas all work well, especially since the other ingredients you use tend to help keep the chicken moist. The same principle applies to dips like buffalo chicken dip and chicken spinach artichoke dip; these dips get a boost from the chicken flavor, and the cheese counteracts any dryness. Leftover grilled chicken also goes great on salads, where the dressing serves the same purpose. And using it in a bowl of ramen is perfect because, at that point, it's literally floating in soup.

That said, while you can certainly use grilled chicken in leftovers, ensuring it hasn't gone bad is important. This isn't as simple as doing math and figuring out what day you cooked it; sometimes grilled chicken can go bad faster than that. There's mold growth, and that's easy to spot, but that's not the only way to tell. The key here is to use your senses: Smell, touch, and vision. Cooked chicken that's gone bad might be a gray-greenish color, or it might be slightly slimy, or it might smell rank. If any of those are true — even if it hasn't been 3-4 days — don't eat it.

Granted, sometimes it can stay good longer than that timespan — but that's a much dicier proposition. If the chicken otherwise seems fine and you want to take that chance, you can, but just know the risk you're taking on.

But let's say you've got leftover chicken and don't want it to go bad. Can you freeze it so it lasts longer? Good news: You can absolutely freeze cooked chicken and keep it for later. As long as it's in a sealed, airtight bag, chicken that's been frozen will stay good for up to three months. When you're ready, simply defrost it over the course of 24 hours in the fridge — you always want to freeze fast and thaw slowly, and thawing it on the counter can lead to bacterial growth. Be aware that if it's chicken breast, it's likely to dry out, so use a bit of oil when cooking to encourage it to stay moist.

And that's it; everything you need to know about what to do with grilled chicken after you've cooked it. Hopefully, you're fully equipped to make the best possible use of that delicious leftover bird.