Quick Answer
Raw chicken can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. After 3-5 days, raw chicken starts to become risky to eat due to potential bacterial growth like salmonella. To maximize freshness and food safety, it’s best to cook or freeze raw chicken within 1-2 days of purchasing it.
How Many Days Can Raw Chicken Stay in the Fridge?
Most experts agree that raw chicken can be kept refrigerated for 1-2 days before cooking or freezing it. Here are some general food safety guidelines for maximum fridge storage times for raw chicken:
- 1-2 days: Best for food safety and quality
- 3-5 days: Risky, possible bacterial growth
- 5-7 days: Dangerous, higher risk of food poisoning
As the chicken sits in the fridge, bacteria on the meat can start multiplying, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. The longer raw chicken is stored past a couple days, the more these bacteria multiply to potentially dangerous levels.
Why You Shouldn’t Keep Raw Chicken for 5 Days
Here are the main risks of keeping raw chicken in the refrigerator for 5 days or more before cooking:
- Salmonella – Raw chicken is often contaminated with this bacteria. It can multiply quickly at fridge temperatures.
- Campylobacter – Another bacteria commonly found on raw chicken.
- Listeria – Can grow even at cold fridge temperatures.
- E. Coli – Also present on raw chicken and prone to rapid growth.
These bacteria on chicken typically don’t make you sick in low numbers. But after several days of sitting in the warm, moist environment of the fridge, the bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels capable of causing food poisoning.
Changes in Quality After 5 Days
Aside from food safety issues, the quality and freshness of raw chicken also starts to degrade after sitting for 5 days in the fridge:
- Texture – The meat starts to become slimy.
- Smell – Raw chicken develops an increasingly offensive odor.
- Color – The flesh starts to appear dull, sticky, and slightly gray.
While these quality issues don’t necessarily mean the chicken is unsafe, they do indicate that the freshness is declining after the 5 day mark.
How to Maximize Fridge Life of Raw Chicken
To help raw chicken last as long as possible in the fridge, follow these tips:
- Buy fresh – Check sell-by dates and pick the freshest pack.
- Use within 1-2 days – Cook or freeze right after purchasing.
- Clean surfaces – Sanitize areas chicken touches to avoid cross-contamination.
- Store tightly wrapped – Keep chicken in its original bag or an airtight container.
- Place on bottom shelf – Colder back area of the fridge inhibits bacteria growth.
- Cook to proper temperature – Heat chicken to 165°F internally before eating.
Proper cooking is especially important if you do end up storing the chicken for longer than a couple days. Thorough cooking to an internal temperature of 165°F can destroy potentially dangerous bacteria.
What If Chicken Has Been in Fridge 5 Days?
If you discover raw chicken has been sitting in the fridge for almost 5 days, it’s best to throw it out. At this point, bacteria may have multiplied to unsafe levels that can still cause illness even after cooking.
However, if the chicken was store-bought and kept cold the entire time, there’s less risk of dangerous bacteria levels. You can cook the chicken thoroughly until no pink remains and the juices run clear. But keep in mind that the quality likely will be compromised.
Here are some signs leftover raw chicken should be discarded after 5 days in the fridge:
- Slimy texture and foul, rotten smell
- Graying flesh and dull, sticky appearance
- Chicken was defrosted more than 2 days ago
- Raw chicken juices touched other foods
When in doubt, remember the old adage “if it’s smells funny, throw it away.” Don’t risk getting sick from chicken that’s been kept too long.
Freezing Raw Chicken
For longer storage, freezing raw chicken is the best option. According to USDA guidelines:
- Raw whole chicken – 9 months in the freezer
- Raw chicken pieces – 9 months
- Raw chicken giblets – 3-4 months
To freeze raw chicken safely:
- Place chicken in freezer bags or airtight containers.
- Remove as much air as possible.
- Label package with date and contents.
- Freeze immediately at 0°F or below.
Never refreeze raw chicken once it has been thawed. Cook raw chicken within 1-2 days after defrosting in the fridge.
Fridge Storage Times for Other Types of Raw Chicken
Chicken Nuggets/Patties
- Unopened package – 2 weeks past sell-by date
- After opening – 3-4 days
Lunch Meat (Chicken)
- Unopened package – 2 weeks past sell-by date
- After opening – 3-5 days
Ground Chicken
- 1-2 days max in the fridge
- 3-4 months in the freezer
Cooked Chicken
- 3-4 days in the fridge
- 4-6 months in the freezer
Follow the same tips for maximizing fridge life by storing different raw chicken preparations on the bottom shelf, tightly wrapped, for the recommended number of days.
How to Know If Raw Chicken Has Gone Bad
Trust your senses to determine if raw chicken has gone bad after sitting in the fridge for several days. Signs that raw chicken has spoiled and may not be safe to eat include:
- Bad odor – Rotten, sour, or sulfurous smell
- Gray, dull flesh – Instead of pink or white chicken color
- Slimy texture – Indicates bacterial growth
- Discoloration – Green, blue, or black spots
- Spoiled liquid – Leaking pinkish juices
When in Doubt, Throw It Out
If there’s any doubt about whether raw chicken is still fresh and safe to cook, it’s not worth the risk. Discard it. The USDA says when mishandled, chicken is the food most often associated with food poisoning.
So follow the recommended fridge storage times, freeze for longer-term storage, and discard chicken with any foul odors or signs of spoilage. Don’t taste questionable chicken to check if it’s bad or not. With proper handling, raw chicken should remain fresh in the fridge for 1-2 days. Discard it if it’s been sitting any longer than that.
How to Safely Handle Raw Chicken
To prevent foodborne illness when storing raw chicken, always follow these safe handling guidelines:
- Wash hands and surfaces before and after handling raw chicken.
- Don’t rinse raw chicken, which spreads bacteria everywhere.
- Never place chicken in the fridge while still warm. Refrigerate immediately.
- Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw chicken.
- Store raw chicken sealed and on the bottom shelf away from other foods.
- Discard marinades used on raw chicken.
- Cook to safe internal temperatures of at least 165°F.
By keeping raw chicken refrigerated for no more than 1-2 days and frozen for longer storage, you can ensure it stays safe and high quality. Follow the refrigeration guidelines and handle chicken properly to minimize the chance of food poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat raw chicken that’s been in the fridge for 5 days?
No, raw chicken that’s been refrigerated for 5 days or longer should not be consumed due to the risk of salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, and other dangerous bacteria. Cooked thoroughly, it still may not be safe to eat.
How can you tell if raw chicken is still good after 5 days?
Check for sliminess, foul odor, dull or graying flesh, and slime or juices leaking from the package. If present, the raw chicken should be discarded after sitting for 5+ days in the fridge.
What happens if you eat bad chicken?
Eating spoiled raw or cooked chicken can cause food poisoning symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, and chills. In rare cases, severe illness and hospitalization is possible.
Can you freeze raw chicken after 5 days in the fridge?
It’s not recommended. At 5 days, the quality has likely diminished. Freeze raw chicken right away for best quality and food safety.
Should raw chicken smell bad in the fridge?
Raw chicken that smells bad or has a foul odor should be discarded. Fresh raw chicken has a very mild smell. A sour, rotten, or ammonia-like smell means it has spoiled.
Conclusion
For optimal food safety and quality, raw chicken should only be kept refrigerated for 1-2 days before cooking or freezing. Storing raw chicken for 3-5 days introduces risks of bacterial contamination. Beyond 5 days, the risk of foodborne illness from raw chicken increases greatly due to potential high levels of dangerous bacteria like salmonella.
To keep raw chicken as fresh as possible, store it tightly wrapped on the bottom shelf of the fridge upon returning home from the grocery store. Follow safe handling tips and cook chicken thoroughly. Any chicken that smells bad, has changed color, or feels slimy after being refrigerated for 5 days should be thrown out.
When kept at proper refrigerator temperatures and handled safely, raw chicken can keep well for 1-2 days before cooking. But it’s best not to take risks by trying to extend the fridge life much beyond that. For longer-term storage, freeze raw chicken instead.
