How Long Can Defrosted Chicken Stay In The Fridge?

Defrosted chicken is useful for leveraging a chicken for all kinds of recipes. Chicken is usually frozen after it has been purchased and definitely should be defrosted before it can be cooked. There are ways by which you can thaw a chicken and do it in the right way.

Due to many other commitments, thawed chicken cannot be immediately cooked or reheated. Hence it needs to be preserved right so that the quality is not compromised.

Thawed chicken can be kept in the fridge for 2 days after completely defrosting. This article will show how long you can keep a defrosted chicken in the fridge and give some pointers about storing it right.

Whatever the duration required to store a chicken is, it all boils down to the right way of preserving it as well. This article will elaborate on the duration of defrosted chicken and how it can be stored.

How Long Does Defrosted Chicken Stay In The Fridge?

According to USDA standards, the thawed chicken can be stored in the fridge for additional two days. Although, if you want to have it at its best taste and quality, it is better to cook it within one day. 

This rule applies to small chicken breasts and whole chicken meat. This is also applicable if the temperature is constantly below 40 degrees F. If there is a power loss or shortage of power, then the chicken is prone to go bad within minutes.

Will The Thawed Chicken Be Good After 4 Or 5 Days?

The answer to this question is no. Raw chicken or thawed chicken is bound to go bad after four days. No matter how you preserve it, the thawed chicken will definitely turn bad after four days, even if it is kept in the fridge. Hence it should be cooked sooner than later.

How To Store Thawed Chicken Properly?

Be careful when handling a chicken that has been thawed. It has to be preserved in a plastic bag with a vacuum seal where there is no leeway for the external air to intrude, even to a minimal extent.

Another option that deems a better alternative is storing it in an airtight container without any leaks. This will also prevent all the chicken’s juices from permeating into other foods. The odors might also get into other food items.

It is also a better practice to date the chicken on the wrapping paper or the top of the container. This will also inform me when I can cook the meat.

Can You Refreeze The Defrosted Chicken?

It is always better to cook the thawed chicken sooner than later. You can still refreeze the thawed chicken if you are not planning to cook it in the near future. Placing it back in the freezer can retain its shelf life for some months.

However, it is better to cook the thawed chicken without much delay. The chicken that has been thawed would have been compromised a little bit in its freshness or quality.

The taste and texture would have already gone for a toss. Hence, cooking should be a relief and a better way to consume fresh chicken.

Does The Method Of Thawing Determine How Long You Can Store The Chicken?

There are different methods to thaw a frozen chicken, and the methods actually determine the duration of the storage of the thawed chicken. Hence the safest way to thaw a chicken is to move it to the fridge from the freezer. 

1. Refrigerator Thawing

The frozen chicken is kept away from the microbes and directly shifting it into the fridge serves the purpose. This is the best way to thaw a chicken. This also makes the frozen chicken stay in the fridge longer.

2. Cold Water Thawing

This is another method of thawing with a lot of following due to the pace at which it is thawed. It is a speedy process that uses a refrigerator which is why it is leveraged extensively.

The chicken is not removed from the package, and it is placed in cold water along with the package. To speed up the process further, you can keep refilling the cold water once every half hour.

Using hot water in place of cold water is definitely not recommended due to a possible drop of the chicken to 40 and 135 degrees F, which is slightly dangerous. 

3. Room Temperature

This is another method of thawing which could be more advisable. The chicken has a higher chance of being spoiled in this way as the bacteria multiply at room temperature.

If you are using this method, then make sure you keep the chicken for an hour at maximum. If you see any signs of spoilage on the surface of the chicken, it is better to discard it.

4. Microwave Thawing

This is another not so consumer-friendly thawing process that has the ability to defrost the chicken faster. However, this process leads to uneven chicken cooking, with hot and cold spots pervading the skin.

So because of the above risk, this process is not recommended, as eating a half-baked chicken could lead to many health risks.

What Are The Signs Of Spoiled Chicken?

1. Texture

The texture of the spoiled chicken would be slimy and runny in nature. There can also be a slippery feel to the touch when you have to understand that the chicken has been spoiled.

2. Appearance

The appearance of the spoiled chicken is another obvious indicator to realize that it has gone bad. It would have brown or green patches across the surface. The complete meat would have had discoloration as a whole and look a little grayish.

3. Smell

The smell of the chicken would be rancid and repulsive. It would smell off from miles away to discern that it has gone bad.

Cooking a spoiled chicken will not revert its quality, and it should not be risked in any further cooking process.

Tips For Cooking Thawed Chicken

1. Once you have taken the thawed chicken out of the fridge, then it is better to cook it as soon as possible. If you don’t want to cook it immediately, keep it in the refrigerator immediately.
2. Make sure that the chicken reaches near room temperature before it can be cooked. It has to be thawed perfectly when it is ready to be cooked. This way, the chicken would get cooked faster and evenly.
3. When roasting or grilling the chicken, ensure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
4. Follow the duration of storage of thawed chicken without fail. Storing it for any more than 2 days will be rendered dangerous.

Conclusion

Thawed chicken kept in the fridge makes it ready to be cooked. Hence two days is the perfect option when it comes to thawed chicken.

The above pointers would help in dealing with thawed chicken to a great extent. It will help you handle it properly and store it properly to be used to make many recipes.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)