How long do leftovers last in the fridge?

The short answer

Cooked leftovers that were cooled and refrigerated properly should be eaten within two days (48 hours) or frozen. Cooked rice should be eaten within 24 hours. Keep the fridge between 0°C and 5°C, and reheat leftovers only once, until they are steaming hot all the way through.

Cooked leftovers: within two days

Food Standards Agency guidance says leftovers that were cooked, cooled and put in the fridge properly should be eaten within 48 hours or frozen. Food Standards Scotland advises not keeping leftovers longer than two days.

Cooked rice: within 24 hours

Cooked rice is a special case. It should be cooled quickly, refrigerated and used within 24 hours. Do not apply the general leftover window to cooked rice. Official guidance also says never to reheat rice more than once. For more on cooling it, see rice left out.

Cooling comes first

The two-day window assumes the food was cooled and refrigerated promptly. The Food Standards Agency says to put cooked food in the fridge within one to two hours, and that leftovers can be eaten cold if they were cooked properly, cooled and put in the fridge within two hours. Food that sat out before it reached the fridge does not get a fresh two days. That is why the checker asks about prompt refrigeration before it asks about fridge time.

Getting the fridge right

Both authorities say a fridge should be set between 0°C and 5°C. The Food Standards Agency says a fridge thermometer is the best way to check this and recommends checking about once a week.

Food Standards Scotland also advises trying to keep food in sealed bags or containers, keeping raw meat in a clean, sealed container on the bottom shelf, and putting the contents of an opened tin into a clean bowl or container in the fridge.

Counting the days

Say a casserole is cooked on Sunday at 6:00pm and in the fridge by 7:00pm. The two-day guidance means eating it by about 7:00pm on Tuesday. Rice cooked at the same time should be eaten by about 7:00pm on Monday, or 6:00pm if you count from cooking, which is the simplest cautious habit.

The guidance we have read does not spell out the exact moment the clock starts, so the checker asks how long the food has been in the fridge after prompt chilling. If you are unsure, round towards the shorter time.

Freezing instead

If you will not manage to eat leftovers within two days, the Food Standards Agency says to freeze them. Freeze them as soon as possible, and cool warm dishes before they go into the freezer. Dividing food into smaller portions in containers or freezer bags helps it cool and freeze faster.

Eggs and egg dishes

Food Standards Scotland says to cool egg dishes quickly, keep them in the fridge and eat them within two days, and that a hard-boiled egg can be kept for up to two days in the fridge, with or without the shell.

Use the checker for your situation

The checker asks whether food was cooled and refrigerated promptly, then uses simple fridge-time choices. Its discard recommendations beyond an official storage window are conservative site policy, rather than a claim that an authority defines a minute-perfect cutoff.

For leftovers other than rice, under two days is within guidance, about two days means use it now, and longer is a discard. For rice, under 24 hours is within guidance, about 24 hours means use it now, and longer is a discard. If you cannot confirm the food was cooled promptly, the checker says that it cannot confirm the answer safely.

Check food stored in the fridge

Common questions

Can I eat leftovers on day three?

That is beyond the 48 hours in the Food Standards Agency guidance. The checker treats it as a discard under its conservative policy.

Does the fridge reset the clock?

No. Time spent warm before refrigeration still counts. See food left out after refrigeration and food left out overnight for those situations.

Is Scotland different?

Not on the main figures. Food Standards Scotland also says not to keep leftovers for longer than two days and not to store cooked rice for longer than 24 hours.

Official guidance

Looking for US guidance? Read US leftovers in the fridge guidance.

Use the checker for your situation

This page gives general UK guidance. Check your food for the situations Safe to Eat? currently covers.

Sources and scope

Last checked: 5 September 2026.

This resource is based on UK food-safety guidance and does not replace the checker’s personalised questions. Read how the checker works and see the official sources.

Safe to Eat? is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the authorities cited above.