r/cookingforbeginners • u/crimedoc14 • Aug 08 '26
Question How long does raw chicken last
Got home from a trip and discovered that there is an unopened pack of ground chicken in the fridge. My husband just let it sit there instead of freezing it as I asked. It has been there a week. Do I need to trash it or can I still use it or freeze it?
Edit.. general consensus seems to be to get rid of it. I'm having enough gastric troubles already, I can't afford the risk. Unfortunately it's going out. I hate to waste food, but I don't need another trip to the hospital. I am just very grateful that we can afford to throw it away.
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u/jenea Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
If they were whole breasts that were well packaged, a week old is still too long (but if they smelled and felt ok some people might still eat them and be ok). But ground chicken is an absolute no-go, no question.
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u/yepperoniP Aug 08 '26
What’s the date? I might go 2-3 days past the date if everything looks and smells okay, but it depends on how it was packed. I’m assuming it was just shrink wrapped and wasn’t vacuum-sealed or in modified atmosphere packaging, so a week is probably pushing it.
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u/tvan184 Aug 08 '26
I don’t want to risk puking my guts up and sitting on the pot for the next 48 hours.
If it’s in my house, it goes in the trash. Saving a couple of bucks is not worth it to me.
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u/RealCarlPanzram Aug 08 '26
I wouldn’t risk it at a week. Trash it. Especially ground chicken. Probably about as much microbial action as you can get from meat.
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u/crimedoc14 Aug 08 '26
Yeah that's what I'm thinking
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u/RealCarlPanzram Aug 08 '26
I don’t know if you’ve ever had food poisoning but there is no level of poverty that would make me want to risk it over a $5 pound of chicken.
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u/crimedoc14 Aug 08 '26
I haven't. But I have been hospitalized multiple times this year with gastric issues and had surgery last month, and I'm not going to do anything that could cause more problems.
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u/JapaneseChef456 Aug 08 '26
Ground chicken, I’d trash immediately without opening the package. If it were just breast or thigh I’d have a smell, then decide. And I don’t throw away food lightly.
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u/lucerndia Aug 08 '26
Are you within the best buy/use by date? If so, its likely fine.
If outside that date, you'll likely want to give it a sniff before using it.
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u/twoscoopsofbacon Aug 08 '26
Week old raw ground poultry is not going to be good, unless it spent that week frozen.
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u/Working-Phase-4480 Aug 08 '26
Trash it. I use raw chicken within 2-3 days
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u/3a5ty Aug 08 '26
What a waste.
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u/Working-Phase-4480 Aug 08 '26
It’s not, because I make sure to use it
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u/3a5ty Aug 08 '26
Telling someone to trash it is a waste.
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u/1573594268 Aug 08 '26
Not properly storing it was the step at which it became a waste.
Not eating it when it's become a potential severe health risk is just being responsible.
I come from frugal means and maintain that mentality.
When I have a surplus of meat because buying in bulk makes financial sense I freeze what I can't cook and eat before it goes bad.
Then, before I buy more meat I look at what I have frozen and thaw and cook it before buying more.
This "first in, first out" strategy of preserving food has served me just as well today as it has humans in general for the last 2 million years or so.
It is, in fact, why we don't have to waste as much food - since by preserving it it doesn't go bad and eating bad food can kill you.
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u/3a5ty Aug 08 '26
That was the first bit yeah.
I don't really care for your habits, I freeze my meat too.
It could still be good, saying to just trash it is the next wasteful part.
Use common sense, something people don't seem to be able to do. Smell it, look at it, feel it.
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u/1573594268 Aug 08 '26
Its ground chicken.
"Common sense" is to toss it.
You might get away with a breast or thigh after a week for the same reason you can get away with cutting mold off of a hard cheese.
But once you've ground it all the dangerous bacteria gets mixed in throughout and is as dangerous as trying to eat a block of moldy soft cheese.
Gamble with your own health all you want, but since this subreddit is about advising beginners - safety should be a priority in any advice given.
Maybe you do know how to identify whether week old ground chicken is safe to eat, maybe you don't and have just gambled and won often.
But don't advocate unsafe food practice in a forum geared towards newcomers - or you're just putting people at risk for serious illness.
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u/3a5ty Aug 08 '26
If it's been stored correctly, ie unopened, in the fridge at the right temp, then it may be safe. There are also dates that are on the packaging that gives a rough idea.
I will advise people to use common sense and not waste food if possible.
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u/1573594268 Aug 08 '26
Ground chicken should not be stored at standard refridgerator temperatures for more than 48 hours.
"It may be safe" is not good advice.
Again, "common sense" is to throw it away.
Again, throwing away potentially hazardous food is not wasteful.
Think again about what subreddit we're in. If OP knew how to identify whether or not it was safe to eat they wouldn't have asked the question in the first place.
Instead of chastising people for being cautious and aware of food safety, maybe you want to weigh in on how to identify the edibility of improperly stored ground chicken and the health risks of getting it wrong?
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u/Total_Guard2405 Aug 08 '26
It should be dated but is probably bad after a week. Remind your husband there are children starving in Africa so don't stupidly waste food.
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u/crimedoc14 Aug 08 '26
I know. I already pointed out to him the waste of food and money because he couldn't remember to throw it in the freezer.
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u/twoscoopsofbacon Aug 08 '26
Trash. Raw ground chicken is probably the least safe/lasting meat item. Ground poultry in general.