The safest way to store raw chicken is cold, contained and low: in a refrigerator at 40°F or below, in a sealed container or wrapped securely on the bottom shelf, away from anything you will eat without cooking. Raw chicken can carry Salmonella, and the CDC’s chicken-safety page reports that about 1 in 25 packages at the grocery store is contaminated, so storage is mostly about slowing bacterial growth and keeping juices off everything else. Below is the full routine, including how long it keeps, what to do if a package leaks, and how to freeze and thaw it safely.
The short answer: do not leave raw chicken at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the air is above 90°F), and throw it out if it has been. Keep the fridge at 40°F or below, store the chicken on the bottom shelf in a sealed container or wrapped securely, away from ready-to-eat food, and do not wash it. Cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days. Freeze at 0°F or below, thaw in the refrigerator, and cook to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer.
How to store raw chicken in the refrigerator
Get it cold fast, and keep it cold. The FDA says to refrigerate or freeze meat and poultry within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing, and within 1 hour when the air temperature is above 90°F. Time spent unrefrigerated counts, including in a warm car on the way home. It also says to keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F, and recommends a freestanding appliance thermometer in each, checked often.
Put it on the bottom shelf, sealed or wrapped. The CDC says to keep chicken on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a sealed container or wrapped securely, and to keep raw chicken and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
Add a second barrier if you can. Our practical tip: set the package inside a lidded container or on a rimmed plate or tray. If the package leaks, the mess stays in one place and off your produce and leftovers.
Do not wash it. The CDC says raw chicken is ready to cook and does not need to be washed first, and reports that 1 in 7 people who cleaned their sink after washing chicken still had germs in it. A USDA observational study found that 60% of participants who washed poultry had bacteria in the sink afterward and 26% transferred bacteria to salad lettuce. If you need to remove something from the chicken, USDA says to pat the area with a damp paper towel, throw the towel away and wash your hands right away. Skipping the rinse does not replace handwashing, separating raw chicken from other foods and cleaning surfaces.
Cook it or freeze it within 1 to 2 days. See the storage times below.
How long does raw chicken last in the fridge?
The most common answer online is two days. The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension food storage chart, which draws on foodsafety.gov, gives a range: 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator for whole chicken, chicken pieces and ground chicken. Planning around the shorter end is the safer habit. The freezer times are fo
