How long does rotisserie chicken last in the fridge?

How long does rotisserie chicken last in the fridge?

Rotisserie chicken is among the most favorite items on the menu at any time of year. It is golden brown, delicious, and mouth-watering. It’s not only a great Sunday dinner, but you may also store the leftovers in the fridge for later use. But do you know how long a rotisserie chicken lasts in the fridge?

  • Cooked chicken can last 3 to 4 days in a ziplock bag or shallow food storage container in a refrigerator. Covering the chicken in aluminum foil or polyethylene is also an alternative, but it may cause your refrigerator to smell, and juices may drip down the shells, causing a mess.
  • In the freezer, it will stay for two to three months. When in the freezer, it can stay up to 4 months too. Even at chilled temperatures, bacteria can thrive and cause foodborne disease, don’t eat cooked chicken beyond this time.
  • Rotisserie chicken will preserve its best attributes for 1-2 hours if left at room temperature.

Another critical factor affecting the chicken would be the seasons because summers’ room temperature is much higher than during winter or autumn. When it’s hotter outside in the summer, that time is cut in half, and it’s no more than 1 hour.

So, until you and your relatives intend to consume the entire chicken in one sitting, it’s better to let it cool before storing it in the fridge. This is straightforward: germs flourish at room temperature, leading to food poisoning.

How to tell if your rotisserie chicken has gone bad?

If you are not sure about how long your chicken has been in the fridge, there are a few clues for you to decide if your chicken has gone bad or not.

Smell: The old smell test can be helpful when inspecting your chicken for deterioration. The chicken will develop an ammonia-like odor or a general “odd” odor. You can’t depend on smell alone because spices and marinades can cover these odors.

Texture: Another sign of spoiling is a change in texture. A slimy film will cover the lousy chicken, a significant barrier to cutting into that old chicken.

Color: When chicken becomes bad, either cooked or raw, it takes on a green/grayish color.

How can we freeze cooked chicken?

You might be able to freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 days if you place it in a container in the fridge. You should never freeze chicken that has been out at room temperature for further than two hours. Or was inside the refrigerator for more than four days.

You should refrigerate cooked chicken in two hours of cooking within a sealed container. You may also use a sealed plastic bag. If you store the chicken properly at room temperature for more than two hours, it can reach the red temperature zone. The red temperature zone refers to a temperature range between 40 and 140 degrees F where bacteria grows the fastest.

What should we do with leftover chicken?

You can prepare fast recipes with those leftovers, from a basic chicken salad to chicken sandwiches, curry, or BBQ chicken pizza. However, do not stop there! Consider how you could utilize the rotisserie chicken as a filling for burritos, tacos, tortillas, and loaded potatoes. We will always have to be careful when using our leftover rotisserie chicken.

Cooking spoiled chicken is not safe to consume. Even though the heat will eliminate most pathogens that have colonized it, it will not eliminate the bacteria’s toxins in the food. This Is why we need to know how long a rotisserie chicken lasts in the fridge. Before you or anybody else in your family makes the mistake of trying to consume it, throw it away. Also, never feed rotten chicken to your pets; it will make your pets fall sick with stomach-related problems.

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