Once the pack is opened, raw bacon lasts 7 days in the fridge kept at or below 4C (40F). Unopened raw bacon keeps up to 2 weeks, or until the use-by date on the pack, whichever comes first. Cooked bacon lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
Standing at the open fridge with a half-used pack of bacon (British: rashers) and a nagging doubt? Here is the straight answer. How long bacon keeps depends on three things: whether it is raw or cooked, whether the pack has been opened, and whether it has been anywhere near the use-by date. The times below are the USDA and UK FSA figures, not a rounded-up guess, because getting this wrong can make you ill.
| Type of bacon | In the fridge (4C / 40F) | In the freezer (-18C / 0F) |
|---|---|---|
| Unopened raw bacon | Up to 2 weeks, or by the use-by date | 1 month |
| Opened raw bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| Cooked bacon | 4 to 5 days | 1 month |
| Bacon fat (rendered, cooked) | 4 to 5 days | 1 month |
How long is bacon good after opening?
Once you break the seal, the clock changes. Opened raw bacon is good for 7 days in the fridge, even if the use-by date on the pack is further off, because opening the pack lets air and bacteria in.
Unopened raw bacon is different. A sealed, pre-packaged pack keeps up to 2 weeks, or until the use-by date on it, whichever comes first. Do not push past a use-by date to reach the 14 days; the date on the pack always wins.
A good habit: write the date you opened it on the pack with a marker. Seven days is easy to lose track of.
How long does cooked bacon last in the fridge?
Cooked bacon lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container or wrapped well once it has cooled. That covers a batch you fried on Sunday to pick at through the week, or the rashers left over from a fry-up.
The same 4 to 5 days goes for rendered bacon fat (bacon grease) kept in a jar in the fridge. It is lovely for frying, but it is still cooked meat fat, so treat it like the bacon it came from.
Cool cooked bacon quickly and get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking (within 1 hour if the kitchen is above 32C / 90F). Leaving it sitting out on the plate all day is where trouble starts, not the fridge.
Can you freeze bacon, and for how long?
Yes, bacon freezes, but not for as long as you might hope. Give it 1 month in the freezer at or below -18C (0F). It stays safe indefinitely while frozen, but the fat turns rancid (British: goes off) well before the lean meat would suffer, so 1 month is the quality window, not a safety cliff.
To freeze it well, separate the rashers with baking parchment or freeze them in small flat portions, so you can pull out two or three without defrosting the lot. Cooked bacon and jarred bacon fat also take a month.
Thaw bacon in the fridge overnight, never on the counter. Freezing stops bacteria but does not kill them, and the clock starts again the moment it thaws. Use thawed bacon within its normal fridge window.
How to tell if bacon has gone off
Trust your nose and your fingers, and when they disagree with the calendar, believe the worst of the two.
Smell: fresh bacon smells faintly meaty and smoky. Off bacon smells sour, sharp, or faintly like ammonia. A rotten-egg or sulphur whiff means bin it.
Feel: fresh bacon is a touch moist but not wet. A slimy, sticky, or tacky film on the surface is bacteria multiplying. That is a throw-it-out sign on its own.
Look: normal bacon is pink with white or creamy fat. Dull grey, green, or brown patches, or any fuzzy mould, mean it is done. A little colour dulling right at the use-by date can be normal, but grey plus slime plus a sour smell is three strikes.
And the honest bit: some of the bugs that make you ill are invisible and give off no smell at all. If bacon is past its window, do not taste-test it to decide. When in doubt, throw it out.
Storing bacon so it lasts
Keep the fridge at or below 4C (40F). Bacon likes the coldest part, usually a lower shelf at the back, not the door, where the temperature swings every time it is opened.
Keep unopened bacon in its original sealed pack until you need it. Once opened, press the air out and reseal it tightly, or move it to an airtight container or a zip bag; wrapping it back in loose foil lets it dry out and pick up fridge smells.
Remember the danger zone: 4 to 60C (40 to 140F) is where bacteria thrive. Raw or cooked, bacon should not sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours total (1 hour if it is above 32C / 90F). Shop it, chill it, and get leftovers back in promptly.
Questions we get asked
How long does bacon last in the fridge once opened?
Opened raw bacon lasts 7 days in the fridge at or below 4C (40F), even if the use-by date is later, because opening the pack lets bacteria in. Write the opening date on the pack so you do not lose track.
How long is unopened bacon good for in the fridge?
Unopened, sealed raw bacon keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or until the use-by date on the pack, whichever comes first. Never push past a use-by date to reach the full 14 days.
How long does cooked bacon last?
Cooked bacon lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The same 4 to 5 days applies to rendered bacon fat (bacon grease) kept in a jar. Cool it and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
How long can you freeze bacon?
Freeze bacon for 1 month at or below -18C (0F). It stays safe indefinitely frozen, but the fat turns rancid well before the lean meat suffers, so 1 month is the quality limit. Thaw it in the fridge, never on the counter.
Is bacon still good 2 weeks after opening?
No. Opened raw bacon is only good for 7 days in the fridge, not 2 weeks. The 2-week figure is for an unopened, sealed pack. After 7 days opened, bin it rather than risk it.
How can I tell if bacon has gone bad?
Off bacon smells sour or like ammonia, feels slimy or sticky, and turns dull grey, green, or brown. Any of those means throw it out. Some harmful bacteria are invisible and odourless, so if it is past its window, do not taste-test it, just bin it.