How long do Thanksgiving leftovers last?
Turkey, stuffing and gravy keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Ham keeps a little longer. Here is the clock for each, and the 2-hour rule that starts it.
3 to 4 days in the fridge for turkey, stuffing and gravy, and 2 to 6 months in the freezer for best quality, if they go in within 2 hours.
The time
The leftover clock starts when the food comes off the table, not when you finally get around to the dishes. USDA's rule: anything left at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour when it is above 90°F or 32°C) should be thrown out.
Put it away in time and the leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. That makes the Monday after Thanksgiving the last safe day for Thursday's turkey sandwiches.
Times by food
| Leftover | In the fridge | In the freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked turkey | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months for best quality |
| Stuffing | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months for best quality |
| Gravy | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months for best quality |
| Leftover ham you cooked, or a spiral-cut ham | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months for best quality |
Frozen leftovers stay safe beyond those months. The ranges are about taste and texture.
Ham you bought cooked
Christmas and Easter tables often have a ham as well as, or instead of, a turkey, and ham follows its own clock. USDA's storage chart for cooked ham:
| Ham | In the fridge | In the freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum-sealed at the plant, unopened, no date | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Vacuum-sealed at the plant, opened | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Whole cooked ham, wrapped in store | 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Half cooked ham or slices, wrapped in store | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
If the plant packaging has a use-by date, go by that date while it is still sealed.
How to put them away
- Carve the turkey off the bone. Smaller pieces cool faster.
- Divide everything into small portions.
- Use covered, shallow containers, so the middle cools quickly.
- Get them into the fridge or freezer within the 2-hour window.
- Label the containers with the date, because by Sunday nobody remembers which tub is from Thursday and which came from Friday's cooking.
Why shallow containers? A deep tub of stuffing or a whole turkey crown holds its heat in the middle for hours, even in a cold fridge. Spread the same food across two or three shallow containers and it chills much faster, which is the point of the 2-hour rule: getting food out of the warm range quickly.
How to reheat
Cooked turkey can be eaten cold or reheated. To reheat:
- Oven: set it to at least 325°F (163°C), add a splash of broth or water, cover, and heat until it reads 165°F (74°C).
- Microwave: cover the food, rotate it partway through, let it stand, then check that it reads 165°F.
- Ham leftovers: reheat to 165°F as well. The lower 140°F (60°C) only applies to a cooked ham still in its original plant packaging.
Work it back
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Thursday, by 6:00 p.m. | Dinner ended at 4:00, so everything is in the fridge. |
| Friday to Sunday | Sandwiches, soup, turkey hash. |
| Sunday night | Anything you will not eat by Monday goes into the freezer. |
| Monday, 30 November | Last day for fridge leftovers from Thursday. |
Food safety
- Turkey, stuffing and gravy that sat out for more than 2 hours go in the bin, not the fridge.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (storing and reheating leftovers).
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Hams and Food Safety (ham storage chart and reheating temperatures).
