Store cooked chicken in a clean, covered container and keep the refrigerator at a safe temperature. For best safety and quality, eat refrigerated leftovers within a few days or freeze them if you want to keep them longer.
When reheating chicken, make sure it becomes thoroughly hot all the way through. Avoid repeatedly warming and cooling the same leftovers, and discard chicken that develops an unusual smell, slimy texture, or suspicious appearance.
Proper storage helps reduce the risk of food poisoning from bacteria such as Salmonella and other germs. When in doubt about how long chicken has been sitting out or stored, it is safer to throw it away than risk getting sick.
