How Long Do Leftovers Last in the Fridge and Freezer?

Leftover storage chart: fridge and freezer times

The USDA's leftovers guidance sets the baseline: refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours and eat it within 3 to 4 days. The chart applies that rule by food type, with a few common exceptions.

Read the two columns differently. The fridge times are about safety; after them, bacteria that grow slowly even in the cold can reach levels that make people sick, often without any change in smell or look. The freezer times are about quality. Food held at a steady 0°F stays safe indefinitely, because bacteria can't grow while it's frozen, but texture and flavor fade, so the ranges tell you when it's still worth eating. Published freezer ranges vary by source, so treat them as approximate.

The clock starts when the food was cooked, not when it went into a container. A lemon herb roast chicken carved on Sunday night should be eaten by Wednesday or Thursday, and the carcass can go straight into the freezer for stock.

Why does the 2 hour rule matter?

Bacteria multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F, the range food safety agencies call the danger zone. The USDA notes that in that range bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes. That's why it says never to leave food out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F, as at a summer picnic or in a hot car.

Those 2 hours are a total, not a fresh count each time. They include:

• Time the food sits on the stove or counter after cooking.
• Time on the table or buffet while people eat.
• Time in a bag or car on the way home from a restaurant or party.
• Time in a packed lunch without an ice pack.

Reheating doesn't rescue food that has been left out too long. Some bacteria produce toxins that survive heat, so a pot of soup left on the stove overnight isn't made safe by boiling it in the morning. If you can't say how long something sat out, throw it away.

The practical habit is simple. Pack up leftovers as soon as the meal ends rather than after the dishes, and keep your fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. An inexpensive appliance thermometer tells you if they really are; the dial setting often doesn't.

How do you cool a big batch of soup or stew quickly?

Large amounts of hot food hold heat for hours, and the center of a full pot can sit in the danger zone long after the surface feels cool. The USDA leftovers guidance recommends dividing large amounts into smaller portions in shallow containers so they chill quickly. It also says hot food can go straight into the fridge; you don't need to wait for it to reach room temperature.

1. Portion soups, stews and braises into shallow containers no more than about 2 inches deep.
2. Slice large roasts and whole birds into smaller pieces, and take the meat off the bone.
3. For a big pot of liquid, set it in a sink of ice water and stir every few minutes until it's lukewarm.
4. Leave lids loose or slightly ajar until the food is cold, then seal them.
5. Space containers apart in the fridge so cold air can circulate.

A full batch of beef bourguignon, made from 3 pounds of chuck and a whole bottle of wine, is exactly the kind of dish that needs this. Leave it in its heavy pot and it'll still be warm in the middle hours later. Split into three or four shallow containers, it cools fast and freezes well for up to 3 months. Our pan size guide explains how to match cooking area and capacity to a meal.

What makes rice and soups different?

Cooked rice needs extra care. Raw rice can carry spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, and those spores survive cooking. If cooked rice sits warm, they can grow and make a toxin that reheating won't destroy. The fix is speed: spread leftover rice in a thin layer on a tray or in a shallow container, refrigerate it well within 2 hours, and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat it until it's steaming hot all the way through, and the same care applies to other cooked grains and pasta.

Soups are forgiving in the fridge but have their own quirks:

• Bean soups thicken as they chill. A Tuscan white bean soup with kale usually needs a splash of broth when you reheat it.
• Cream separates and turns grainy in the freezer. For creamy tomato basil soup, freeze the base before the cream goes in and stir the cream in while reheating.
• Pasta and rice in soup keep soaking up liquid and turn soft. Store them separately if you plan to keep the soup more than a day.
• Soups with seafood are best eaten within a day or two, since the fish or shrimp overcooks every time it's reheated.

Freeze soup in portions you'll actually use, leaving about an inch of headspace in each container because liquid expands as it freezes.

What's the safest way to reheat leftovers?

The USDA advises reheating leftovers to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part, and bringing sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil. That applies to every method:

• Stovetop: the best choice for soups, stews and sauces. Stir often so the bottom doesn't scorch, and add a splash of water or broth to loosen thick dishes.
• Oven: good for roasts, casseroles and baked dishes. Cover with foil so the food doesn't dry out, at around 325 to 350°F.
• Microwave: cover the dish, stir or rotate it halfway, then let it stand for a minute or two before checking the temperature in several spots, since microwaves heat unevenly.

Avoid reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. It warms food too gradually, leaving it in the danger zone for too long.

A creamy curry like butter chicken with chicken thighs reheats best gently on the stove with a splash of water, stirred until the chicken is heated through to 165°F. For the temperatures to cook food to in the first place, see our chart of safe internal cooking temperatures.

Frozen leftovers can be reheated straight from the freezer, in a saucepan or the microwave, or thawed first in the fridge overnight. Reheat only the portion you'll eat, so the rest stays cold and keeps its quality.

Is labeling leftovers worth the trouble?

Yes, because memory is the weakest part of any fridge. By day four, few people can say for sure whether the chili went in on Saturday or Monday, and guessing is how food gets eaten too late or thrown away too early. A strip of masking tape and a marker take ten seconds.

Write two things on every container: what's inside and the date it was cooked. For the freezer, add the portion size, since a frozen block of stew looks much like a frozen block of soup. Some cooks also write the use by date, 3 or 4 days out for the fridge, so there's no math later.

Then set up the fridge so the labels get read:

• Use clear containers when you can, so nothing hides.
• Put the newest leftovers at the back and move older ones to the front.
• Keep one shelf for leftovers only and check it before you cook.
• Wrap freezer food tightly and press out the air; freezer burn hurts flavor but isn't a safety problem.

Don't rely on a sniff test. The bacteria that cause food poisoning usually don't change how food smells, looks or tastes. If the date is past, or there's no date at all, the safe call is to throw it out.