How long does chicken salad last? 3 to 4 days
Chicken salad keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The USDA does not recommend freezing it, so make it in amounts you will finish within the week.
By Zain Nazeer, founder and editor
Photo by Dillon Lobo on Unsplash
Chicken salad keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, counted from the day you made it. That is the USDA FoodKeeper time, and the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart gives the same 3 to 4 days for egg, chicken, ham, tuna and macaroni salads. Both sources say chicken salad does not freeze well, so plan to eat it fresh and do not count on the freezer as a backup.
How long does chicken salad last in the fridge?
Three to four days at 40°F (4°C) or colder. If you made the chicken a day or two before you mixed the salad, the clock still starts on the day the chicken was cooked, so count from the earliest cooking date. Put the salad in the fridge within 2 hours of making it, in a sealed container, and keep it cold until you eat it. For the same rule across other foods, see how long meal prep lasts in the fridge.
Can you freeze chicken salad?
The USDA FoodKeeper lists freezing as not recommended, and the cold storage chart says it does not freeze well. Freezing is not the safe-or-unsafe question here: it is a quality one. The texture of the sauce and the other ingredients changes after thawing, and the salad turns watery. If you want a freezer-friendly option, freeze plain cooked chicken instead and mix the salad after it thaws. Plain cooked chicken freezes for 4 to 6 months by the USDA time; see can you freeze cooked chicken.
How to make chicken salad last the whole week
- Cook the chicken, cool it fast, and chill it before mixing, so the salad goes into the fridge cold.
- Make half the batch on Sunday. Keep the other half of the cooked chicken plain, and mix it on Wednesday.
- Use clean utensils each time you scoop, and close the lid straight away.
- Label the container with the day you made it. See how to label meal prep.
- Keep raw chicken apart from ready-to-eat food in the fridge.
How can you tell if chicken salad has gone off?
A sour smell, a slimy surface or a changed colour means throw it away. The opposite is not a guarantee: the bacteria that cause food poisoning often do not change how food smells or looks. If it has been in the fridge for more than 4 days, throw it out even if it seems fine. If it sat out for more than 2 hours, throw it out.
Does it matter how the chicken was cooked?
Cook chicken to 165°F (74°C) before you chill it; that is the safe minimum temperature. Grilled, baked and poached chicken all work in a salad. Leftover roast chicken is fine too, as long as it is still inside its 3 to 4 days when you mix the salad. For the cooked chicken on its own, see how long cooked chicken lasts.
What goes well with it?
Chicken salad is a good no-reheat work lunch. The Greek chicken boxes recipe is built the same way, with chicken and cold sides in one container. For lunches that need no fridge at work, see work lunch with no fridge.
Related questions
- How long does tuna salad last
- How long do hard-boiled eggs last
- How to prevent freezer burn
- Printable fridge and freezer storage chart
Sources
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