How Long Do Leftovers Last?
Most cooked dishes get a short refrigerator clock, and the official times below assume the food was chilled promptly. Pick any row to see every storage method for that food and turn the range into a date.
Storage times
| Food | Where | Official time |
|---|---|---|
| Leftovers | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked poultry dishes | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked rice | Refrigerator | 4 to 6 days |
| Cooked pasta | Refrigerator | 3 to 5 days |
| Cooked fish | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Casseroles | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Egg dishes | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Gravy | Refrigerator — after opening | 1 to 2 days |
| Potato salad | Refrigerator | 3 to 5 days |
| Egg salad | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Chicken salad | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Ham salad | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Pasta salad | Refrigerator | 3 to 5 days |
| Soup, stews | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Pizza | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
Refrigerator times assume a fridge at or below 40 °F (4 °C) and food refrigerated within two hours of cooking (one hour above 90 °F / 32 °C).
Every time above is quoted from the USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (v128, snapshot 2026-07-24) — nothing here is averaged or estimated. A storage window is a guideline, not proof that a specific item is safe. See the methodology.
More guides
- How Long Does Food Last After Opening?Once a package is opened the clock changes.
- How Long Can You Freeze Food?Official USDA FoodKeeper freezer times.
- Thanksgiving Food Storage TimesTurkey, ham, gravy, cranberry sauce, casseroles, potatoes and pies — official USDA FoodKeeper storage times for the Thanksgiving table and the leftovers.