You might buy a lot of meat but find you might not be able to use it all. You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to cook it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has detailed recommendations for the best storage methods for various meats.

First, let’s learn the correct ways to refrigerate or freeze raw and cooked meats.

How to Refrigerate or Freeze Various Meats

Let’s learn how to refrigerate or freeze meat to extend its shelf life.

Refrigerate Meat

To refrigerate raw meat, first place it in a freezer-safe vacuum container and then refrigerate it.

If the meat is packaged, it’s recommended to place the meat and packaging on a plate and refrigerate it together. This prevents any liquid from accidentally leaking from the packaging from contaminating surrounding food.

Freezing Meat

When freezing raw meat, remove the outer packaging if it’s available (except for raw ground meat). Then, simply place the meat in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and freeze.

However, if you’ll be freezing it for more than a week, it’s recommended to wrap the meat in several layers of non-toxic plastic wrap before placing it in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Again, squeeze out the air and seal the bag before freezing.

You can also wrap several pieces of meat in several layers of non-toxic plastic wrap and place them together in the same ziplock bag. When freezing raw ground meat, it’s recommended to leave the outer packaging on unless you want to portion it first, in which case you can portion it and freeze it in ziplock bags.

When freezing cooked meat, let it cool to room temperature before placing it in a ziplock bag, squeezing out the air, and sealing the bag before freezing.

Shelf Life of Various Meats After Refrigeration or Freezing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that shelf life is primarily for food safety reasons. Consumption after this expiration date is not recommended. The following are the FDA’s recommended shelf life for various meats after refrigeration or freezing.

Shelf Life of Raw Bacon and Raw Sausage

Raw bacon can be refrigerated for approximately 7 days and frozen for approximately 1 month. Raw sausage, whether made from pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, should be consumed within 1-2 days if refrigerated and frozen for approximately 1-2 months if frozen.

Shelf Life of Cut, Shredded, and Ground Meats

Shredded or cut raw meat can be refrigerated for approximately 1-2 days and frozen for approximately 3-4 months. Raw ground beef, pork, chicken, and other ground meats can be refrigerated for approximately 1-2 days and frozen for approximately 3-4 months.

Shelf Life of Large Cuts of Raw Meat (excluding Chicken)

Large cuts of beef, lamb, or pork will keep longer than smaller cuts. Cuts of raw meat into steaks will keep for about 3-5 days in the refrigerator and about 6-12 months in the freezer. Bone-in steaks will keep for about 3-5 days in the refrigerator and about 4-6 months in the freezer.

Shelf Life of Cooked Meat (excluding Chicken)

Whether the meat is cooked or prepared in a dish, it will keep for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator and about 2-3 months in the freezer. Meat already in a sauce or broth will keep for about 1-2 days in the refrigerator and about 2-3 months in the freezer.

Shelf Life of Raw Chicken

A raw whole chicken can be refrigerated for about 1-2 days and frozen for about a year. However, cuts of raw chicken, such as breasts or drumsticks, can also be refrigerated for 1-2 days, but can only be frozen for about 9 months. Raw chicken cut into smaller pieces, such as chicken strips or diced chicken, can be refrigerated for about 1-2 days and frozen for about 3-4 months.

Shelf Life of Cooked Chicken

If you’ve simply cooked chicken, not cooked it, you can refrigerate it for about 3-4 days and freeze it for about 4 months. If you’re cooking it, you can refrigerate it for about 3-4 days and freeze it for about 4-6 months. If you’re serving it in a sauce or broth, you can refrigerate it for about 3-4 days and freeze it for about 6 months. Fried chicken can be refrigerated for about 3-4 days and frozen for about 4 months.