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 refrigerator and 2-3 months in the freezer.

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

  • 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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 thaw leftovers safely

  1. In the refrigerator
  2. In cold water, cook it right after thawing
  3. In the microwave, cook it right after thawing
  4. Cook it from frozen

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.

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

Can you refreeze leftovers?

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

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.

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

Can leftovers be stored at room temperature?

Official sources give no room-temperature (pantry) 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

“Pieces and cooked casseroles 3-4 days”

“Leftovers Cooked meat or poultry 3 to 4 days 2 to 6 months”

“Cooked meat and meat dishes 3-4 days 2-3 months”

“Meat and meat dishes, cooked 3-4 days 2-3 months”

Frequently asked questions

How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator?

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

Can leftovers be stored at room temperature?

Official sources give no room-temperature (pantry) 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 verified: October 1, 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)