Keep your fridge at 40°F (4°C) or colder and your freezer at 0°F (−18°C). The fridge times below are for safety, so throw food out once they pass. The freezer times are for best quality: frozen food stays safe indefinitely but loses flavor and texture over time.
Poultry
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken or turkey, whole, raw | 1–2 days | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey pieces, raw | 1–2 days | 9 months |
Ground meat and fresh meat
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger and other ground meats, raw | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
| Beef, veal, lamb or pork steaks, chops, roasts | 3–5 days | 4–12 months |
Bacon, sausage and hot dogs
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | 1 week | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw (chicken, turkey, pork, beef) | 1–2 days | 1–2 months |
| Sausage, fully cooked | 1 week | 1–2 months |
| Hot dogs, opened package | 1 week | 1–2 months |
| Hot dogs, unopened package | 2 weeks | 1–2 months |
Deli and luncheon meat
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Opened package or deli sliced | 3–5 days | 1–2 months |
| Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1–2 months |
Ham
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh ham, uncured, uncooked | 3–5 days | 6 months |
| Fresh ham, uncured, cooked | 3–4 days | 3–4 months |
| Cooked ham, store-wrapped, slices, half or spiral | 3–5 days | 1–2 months |
| Cooked ham, store-wrapped, whole | 1 week | 1–2 months |
Fish and shellfish
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, catfish) | 1–3 days | 2–3 months |
| Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole) | 1–3 days | 6–8 months |
| Shrimp, crayfish | 3–5 days | 6–18 months |
| Fresh crab meat or lobster | 2–4 days | 2–4 months |
| Shucked clams, mussels, oysters, scallops | 3–10 days | 3–4 months |
Eggs
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Raw eggs in the shell | 3–5 weeks | Don't freeze in the shell; beat yolks and whites, then freeze |
| Raw egg whites and yolks | 2–4 days | 12 months |
| Hard-cooked eggs | 1 week | Don't freeze |
| Egg, chicken, ham, tuna or macaroni salad | 3–4 days | Doesn't freeze well |
Leftovers
| Food | Fridge (40°F / 4°C) | Freezer (0°F / −18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked meat or poultry | 3–4 days | 2–6 months |
| Chicken nuggets or patties | 3–4 days | 1–3 months |
| Pizza | 3–4 days | 1–2 months |
| Soups and stews with vegetables or meat | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| Casseroles with eggs, after baking | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
Five ways to use food before it goes bad
- Put new groceries behind old ones. What's at the front gets eaten first.
- Freeze on day one, not day three. Raw chicken and ground meat only last 1–2 days in the fridge; if they aren't for tonight or tomorrow, freeze them right away.
- Label leftovers with the date. Most cooked food keeps 3–4 days, and it's easy to lose count.
- Plan one meal around what's closest to its date. One "use it up" dinner a week clears the fridge.
- Check what you have before you shop. A second pack of something you already have is an easy way to end up throwing one out.
Common questions
How long does raw chicken last in the fridge?
Raw chicken or turkey, whole or in pieces, keeps 1–2 days in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Frozen at 0°F, whole birds keep their best quality for about a year and pieces for about 9 months.
How long does ground beef last in the fridge?
Raw ground beef and other ground meats keep 1–2 days in the fridge and 3–4 months in the freezer.
How long do leftovers last in the fridge?
Cooked leftovers, including cooked meat, poultry, pizza, soups and stews, keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Freeze them within that window if you won't eat them in time.
How long do eggs last in the fridge?
Raw eggs in the shell keep 3–5 weeks in the fridge. Hard-cooked eggs keep about 1 week.
How long does deli meat last once opened?
Opened or deli-sliced luncheon meat keeps 3–5 days in the fridge. An unopened package keeps about 2 weeks.
Is frozen food safe forever?
Food kept frozen at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe indefinitely. The freezer times here are for best quality: after that, food can dry out or lose flavor, but it is not unsafe.
Source: FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. This page is general information, not medical advice. When in doubt, throw it out.