# Frozen chicken in the fridge, how long will it keep? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266 "2005-05-03T20:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266/1 "2005-05-03T20:04:55Z")
The title pretty much says it all; Last Wednesday I took a package of chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to defrost. I promptly forgot about them until yesterday. I tossed them but got curious. So, how long can frozen chicken breasts remain in the fridge before it would be unwise to cook them? On a related note, how long can chicken be kept in the freezer before it should be tossed? Thanks in advance - DESK ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266/2 "2005-05-03T20:21:09Z")
I’ve found that it depends on my fridge. I’ve kept frozen chicken frozen for months on end without problem. Once I put them in the fridge to defrost, I’ve got about 3-4 days to cook them before they start to smell bad. I won’t cook them once their funky. Even if you do kill the germs, they still smell weird. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266/3 "2005-05-03T20:45:16Z")
I’m not certain, but I think it may depend on how fresh they were when you froze them in the first place. I usally keep my meats in the fridge until the date on the sticker and if I hadn’t consumed them by then I throw them in the freezer. I know that I do this so I never unthaw anything unless I am going to eat it that day. On a side note, it may also depend on how cold your freezer was set at. I seem to recall from my HVAC class from college that it is recomeended that you keep it your freezer between 10 and -10 degees F in order for the cells in the food to form a strong bond. Any lower or higher and the food could come out mushy, even though it was technically “frozen”. Never eat smelly meat, that’s just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266/4 "2005-05-03T20:52:15Z")
Also be careful to store them near the back of your freezer, and not in or near the door, if you’re planning on keeping them a long time. That way they won’t have any fluctuations in temperature when you open the door to get stuff. When you finally do get an informed estimate, it’l likely be a range of time they might be good for, and keeping them consistently cold will help you maximize that. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-chicken-in-the-fridge-how-long-will-it-keep/302266/5 "2005-05-03T20:53:16Z")
Ah, you asked about fridge AND freezer. It still applies with the fridge, in fact more so because you open the fridge more! I do it because Alton says so…