How Long Food Lasts

Deli & Prepared Foods

How long do leftovers last?

Quick answer

Leftovers (with meat, fish, poultry, or egg) keep 2-3 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.

  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg 2-3 days in the fridge · 2-3 months in the freezer
  • Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes) 1 day in the fridge · 1-2 months in the freezer
  • Pizza 3-4 days in the fridge · 1-2 months in the freezer
Form

Fridge

After cooking

2-3days

Freezer

Can be frozen: yes

2-3months

Pantry

No known time

-

Mine has been in the fridge for

Refreeze after thawing in the fridge?

United States
Yes
United Kingdom
Only after cooking

How long do leftovers last in the fridge?

  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg2-3 daysAfter cooking
  • Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes)1 dayAfter cooking
  • Pizza3-4 days
  • General guidance48 hoursAfter cooking

Your fridge should be set between 0 and 5°C.

Refrigerators should be set to maintain a temperature of 40 °F or below.

How long do leftovers last in the freezer?

  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg2-3 months
  • Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes)1-2 months
  • Pizza1-2 months

Freezer times are for quality; frozen food stays safe.

Your freezer should be around -18°C

A freezer acts as a pause button - food in a freezer won’t go bad and most bacteria cannot grow in it.

Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage.

Can you freeze leftovers?

  • With meat, fish, poultry, or eggYes
  • Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes)Yes
  • PizzaYes
  • General guidanceNot recommended

How to defrost leftovers safely

  1. In the fridge
  2. In cold water, cook it straight after defrosting
  3. In the microwave, cook it straight after defrosting
  4. Cook it from frozen

You should defrost your food in the fridge so that it doesn’t get too warm

It’s also important to use food within 24 hours after it’s been fully defrosted

There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.

Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately.

It is safe to cook foods from the frozen state. The cooking will take approximately 50% longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry.

Can you refreeze leftovers?

  • In the United KingdomOnly after cooking
  • In the United StatesYes

You can freeze food again once cooked, but you’ll only be able to reheat it once after that

Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality.

Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.

Can leftovers be kept out of the fridge?

Official sources give no room-temperature (cupboard) storage time for leftovers.

All forms at a glance

FormFridgeFreezerPantry
With meat, fish, poultry, or egg2-3 days2-3 months-
Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes)1 day1-2 months-
Pizza3-4 days1-2 months-
General guidance48 hours--

What the official sources say

“Do not keep leftover rice for more than 1 day.”

“It’s safe to eat cold cooked rice if it’s cooled down quickly, stored in the fridge and eaten within 24 hours.”

“Eat refrigerated leftovers within 2 days (1 day for rice).”

“Leftovers, wrapped or put in airtight containers, can be kept in the fridge for 2 days.”

Frequently asked questions

How long do leftovers last in the fridge?

With meat, fish, poultry, or egg: 2-3 days; Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes): 1 day; Pizza: 3-4 days; General guidance: 48 hours.

How long do leftovers last in the freezer?

With meat, fish, poultry, or egg: 2-3 months; Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes): 1-2 months; Pizza: 1-2 months. Freezer times are for quality; frozen food stays safe.

Can you refreeze leftovers?

In the United Kingdom: Only after cooking; In the United States: Yes.

Can leftovers be kept out of the fridge?

Official sources give no room-temperature (cupboard) storage time for leftovers.

Good to know

Other figures given by the sources for close variants:

  • Cooked Meat, Poultry, and Fish Leftovers: Pieces and cooked casseroles Fridge 3-4 days
  • Leftovers, Cooked meat or poultry Fridge 3-4 days Freezer 2-6 months

Related foods

Sources

We always show the most cautious time among official sources. Last checked: 1 October 2026.

Values we do not display (12)

Values below were set aside: unconfirmed by a second independent source, or contradicted by a shorter time.

  • General guidance, fridge: 3 days (mangerbouger.fr, a source gives a shorter time)
  • Pizza, fridge: 3-4 days (fsis.usda.gov, not confirmed by a second source)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (fsis.usda.gov, not confirmed by a second source)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (fsis.usda.gov, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (foodsafety.gov, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (elpaso.extension.colostate.edu, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (fcs.uga.edu, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (ndsu.edu, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (vdh.virginia.gov, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (food.unl.edu, a source gives a shorter time)
  • With meat, fish, poultry, or egg, fridge: 3-4 days (extension.illinois.edu, a source gives a shorter time)
  • Without meat, fish, poultry, or egg (such as cooked vegitables, rice, or potatoes), fridge: 3-4 days (fsis.usda.gov, not confirmed by a second source)