So maybe I’m a bit spoiled by the fact that I got a culinary degree and there ALWAYS was cold chicken around me, but I used to shove fistfuls of it into my mouth.
Don’t tell anyone, but I used to love chicken flavored with pesto. I’d eat it cold without hesitation.
That’s why I’m confident considering my education, personal experience, and Food Safety Manager certification that it’s perfectly fine to eat cooked chicken cold.
But, for the skeptics…
Can you eat cold chicken? Yes, you can eat cooked chicken cold. The USDA says cooked chicken will last for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be eaten cold or reheated. If not sealed and packaged correctly, it may spoil so always look first. NEVER eat raw chicken.
I’m sure you have questions because for some people, it’s not a one-and-done answer.
Here’s a helpful table that goes over how long different types of cooked chicken will last.
Table of Contents
How Long Will Cooked Chicken Last?
| Type of Cooked Chicken | How Long Will It Last? |
|---|---|
| Cooked Chicken | 3 to 4 days (can push 6 to 7 days if stored well) |
| Chicken Tenders and Nuggets | 1 to 2 days |
| Chicken Patties | 1 to 2 days |
| Frozen Chicken | Up to 3 months |
I’ll go into all these and more in detail later.
I’ll discuss:
- Eating leftover chicken
- Reheating cooked chicken and if it’s safe
- Eating cold chicken
Let’s get started!
Eating Leftover Chicken
If you’re not already making use of your leftovers, do it!
I’ve been able to scrape together meals for days just repurposing leftovers.
There’s even a Netflix cooking competition on it if you need inspiration.
It’s important that you’re fully informed about eating leftover chicken. I don’t want you getting sick, so don’t gloss over this section and roll your eyeball thinking you know it all.
I’ll go over:
- If it’s okay to eat leftover chicken
- How you can tell if cooked chicken is spoiled
- If you can eat cooked chicken that’s 6 days old
Let’s dive a little deeper!
Is it Okay to Eat Leftover Chicken?
Yes, it’s perfectly okay to eat leftover chicken. You should make use of it before it goes bad.
When eating leftover chicken, make sure there is no mold on it and if you’ve frozen it, defrost it in the fridge, not on the counter overnight. Don’t reheat your chicken so much that it dries out or it won’t be flavorful or moist.
You should also consider repurposing your leftover chicken.
Here are a few different ways to repurpose a cooked chicken breast:
- Salad
- Soup
- Sandwich
- Wrap
Be creative and inventive.
Add different flavors and vary the dish so you don’t get bored eating the same food over and over again.
Unless that’s what you want…
How Can You Tell if Cooked Chicken is Spoiled?
The picture above shows a whole chicken that’s been fried and has gone bad.
If you look closely, you should see bluish-gray fuzzy spots. That’s mold. NEVER EAT MOLD. That’s a surefire way to get sick with an upset stomach.
Here are a few ways to keep your chicken from spoiling:
- Tightly wrap your food before putting it in the fridge
- If using Tupperware, don’t let there be a lot of oxygen (choose the right-sized container)
- Defrost in the fridge and not on the counter
Something important for you to know is that the temperature danger zone is between 41 and 135 F (5 to 57 C). If food begins to stay there for more than 4 hours, it WILL begin to grow bacteria.
That’s no bueno.
If you chronically overstuff your fridge and it’s not to a satisfactory temp, then your chicken will spoil.
If you notice an abnormal color and it smells funky, don’t take the risk. Throw it out.
Can I Eat Cooked Chicken 6 to 7 Days Old?
Yes, provided you followed the steps outlined before, your chicken should hold for 6 days.
You can eat cooked chicken that’s 6 to 7 days old provided that you’ve properly wrapped and sealed it before putting it into the fridge. Cooked chicken should hold a week, but it’s better if you eat it within 3 to 4 days like the FDA recommends. If you anticipate needing it later, consider freezing your chicken.
Freezing your chicken is a great alternative to preserve it for a later date.
Weight-Friendly Tip
Chicken is more nutrient-dense the first time you cook it, so be aware that if you want the maximum nutritional content, eat it ASAP and without applying more heat as heat destroys the proteins.Here are a few warning signs that you should stay away from cooked chicken that’s 6 to 7 days old:
- There’s an abnormal color like blue, gray, or green
- You can see fuzzy spots of mold
- The chicken’s dried out and has no moisture left at all
- It smells funkalicious
I’ve seen broccoli turn purple after being in a calzone filling for over 2 weeks in the fridge, so I’ve seen my fair share of spoiled and rotten food.
Reheating Cooked Chicken
I’ve talked about leftover chicken. Now, it’s time to talk about reheating cooked chicken.
Should you do it? Sure, if you want. Do you need to do it? No.
There are a few things you should be aware of (not warning signs, just things to look out for) when reheating and then eating cooked chicken.
I’ve summarized them into the following questions:
- Is it dangerous to reheat cold chicken? Why should you not reheat chicken?
- Does reheating chicken kill bacteria?
- Is it safe to reheat cooked chicken?
- Can you eat chicken cold after reheating?
These answers will be somewhat nerdy and techy, so follow along and drop a comment afterward if you still don’t understand it.
Is it Dangerous to Reheat Cold Chicken? Why Should You Not Reheat Chicken?
You can absolutely reheat cold chicken and you should NOT be afraid to.
Like most foods, chicken can be reheated up to 2 times, provided that you’re heating it up to 165 F (74 C) to kill off any bacteria that may be present. Keep in mind that the more you reheat the chicken, the more the proteins will denature and the nutrient value will decrease.
And you want to preserve as much nutrition as possible.
Weight-Friendly Tip
You might be wondering whether to go with the conventional oven or the microwave. I recommend the oven. Research published in the Poultry Science Journal suggests that the flavor intensity from chicken reheated in the oven is stronger than the microwave.If you’re just zapping your chicken in the microwave and not repurposing it in another dish that would require you to fully reheat it, make sure you heat it thoroughly.
If steam rapidly billows from the food, you should be good to go.
Or, just go with the conventional oven and you won’t dry your food out as much.
It’s better to let the food cool down than to get sick from it.
Does Reheating Chicken Kill Bacteria? Can You Get Food Poisoning From Reheating Chicken?
If you reheat the chicken to the right temperature, then yes.
Reheating chicken to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) that holds for 30 seconds means that any bacteria will have been killed off and that you won’t get food poisoning. Chicken should never be consumed raw or rare or you may get sick.
Some of the bacteria common to chicken (according to the CDC) are:
- Campylobacter
- Salmonella
- Clostridium Perfringens
You may only recognize salmonella, but all of them could mean a very bad few days for you sitting by the toilet or in the restroom.
It’s better NOT to risk it.
Is it Safe to Reheat Cooked Chicken?
Yes, it’s safe to reheat cooked chicken.
Chicken should only be reheated about 2 times after it’s been cooked originally. Once you’ve reached that threshold, it’s no longer safe to reheat. Consider freezing if you don’t think you can eat it quickly.
Just make sure you reheat the chicken to 165 F (74 C).
Can You Eat Chicken Cold After Reheating?
If you’ve successfully cooled your chicken down, then eating it cold should NOT be an issue.
If your chicken stays in the temperature danger zone of 41 to 135 F (5 to 57 C) for more than 4 hours while it’s cooling down after being reheated, bacteria WILL grow in which case it’s no longer safe for you to eat cold. But, if you cool your chicken down quickly, you can absolutely eat it cold.
But, I will mention this…
If you already reheated it, why eat it cold? Why not reheat it again (just two times, tops)? Or, simply eat it cold to begin with.
You can run into bacteria issues any time you’re cooling down food, so just be aware of that.
Can You Eat Cold Chicken?
Yes, chicken is great for you.
You can even eat cooked canned chicken cold if you really want.
Here’s a helpful table of various circumstances that factor in if cold chicken is safe to eat.
Can You Eat Cold Chicken?
| Can You Eat Cold Chicken...? | Answer |
|---|---|
| Out of the Fridge | Yes |
| When Pregnant | No (although it can, it's advised against) |
| In a Salad | Yes |
| When You're a Baby | Yes, after 7 months |
| Nuggets, Tenders, and Wings | Yes |
In this section, I’ll go over if chicken can be eaten cold:
- Out of the fridge
- When pregnant
- In a salad
- If you’re a baby
- If they’re nuggets, tenders, wings, or patties
Let’s explore these a little more!
Can You Eat Cooked Chicken Cold Out of the Fridge?
In case you haven’t gotten the memo yet, yes, you can eat chicken cold out of the fridge.
Provided your chicken was cooled appropriately, you can eat it cold out of the fridge. Chicken will last about 3 to 4 days according to the FDA, but in my restaurant experience, it can hold up to 6 to 7 days if stored properly.
Just make sure your chicken isn’t moldy, spoiled, or rotten.
Can You Eat Cold Chicken When Pregnant?
Chicken is a great source of protein for expecting mothers.
It’s also one of the foods that will make your booty thicker.
While you can eat cold chicken while pregnant, it’s advised to reheat it to kill off any bacteria. You don’t want your baby to accidentally get sick. It’s not a risk worth taking.
When you’re pregnant, you should avoid eating cold processed meats like:
- Deli meats
- Chicken patties
- Chicken nuggets and tenders
Never take a shortcut if it means the baby gets inconvenienced. You’ll never forgive yourself if something were to happen.
Can You Eat Cold Chicken in a Salad?
Cold chicken goes great in a salad!
Some salads that can use cold chicken are:
- Caesar
- Southwestern
- Chicken salad
- Mediterranean salad with chicken
Chicken is a common protein choice for salads because it’s lean.
Back in my restaurant days, we used to sell grilled chicken and chicken pesto salad to put on top of salads and they were extremely popular.
Can Babies Eat Cold Chicken?
In short, yes, babies can eat cold chicken.
Common medical advice is to not serve chicken to babies until they’ve reached 7 months of age. After that, there is nothing medically wrong with serving a baby cold food or food that hasn’t been warmed up, including chicken. But, your baby may have a preference and you should respect that.
If you do feed your baby cold chicken, make sure the pieces are cut up nice and small.
The last thing you want to do is have your baby choke on the chicken.
Can You Eat Cold Chicken Nuggets, Tenders, Patties, and Wings?
Yes, you can eat these foods cold.
But, chicken nuggets, tenders, and patties have a shorter duration (1 to 2 days) than chicken wings (3 to 4 days), which count as regular old chicken since they’re not processed the same.
Here’s a helpful table with information sourced from the FDA’s regulations that shows the shelf life for different types of chicken.
How Long Will Cooked Chicken Last?
| Type of Cooked Chicken | How Long Will It Last? |
|---|---|
| Cooked Chicken | 3 to 4 days (can push 6 to 7 days if stored well) |
| Chicken Tenders and Nuggets | 1 to 2 days |
| Chicken Patties | 1 to 2 days |
| Frozen Chicken | Up to 3 months |
The more chicken is processed, the less safe it is to eat after a couple of days. It’s just not chicken at that point.
If you’re not sure if it’s still good, look at the sections above for leftovers and reheating.
Conclusion
This may have been a long and boring article with a lot of temperatures and food safety hazards, but it thoroughly addressed the question of if chicken can be eaten cold.
In case you scrolled past the answer, here it is again.
Yes, you can eat cooked chicken cold. The USDA says cooked chicken will last for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be eaten cold or reheated. If not sealed and packaged correctly, it may spoil so always look first. NEVER eat raw chicken.
I also discussed:
- Eating leftover chicken
- Reheating cooked chicken and if it’s safe
- Eating cold chicken
Do you have any questions about cold chicken? Or reheating it? I’d love to hear any questions in the commons below and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Keep me updated on your weight loss journey.
To your weight-loss success!
