Raw salmon holds for one to three days in the fridge, cooked salmon for three to four days, and both keep for months once they are in the freezer. Those numbers come from USDA and FDA guidance, and they run shorter than beef or chicken because salmon is an oily fish. Oil turns rancid on its own schedule, on top of the usual bacterial clock that governs how long any protein stays safe to eat.
Raw salmon
Fresh raw salmon is a fatty fish, and USDA groups it with tuna, mackerel and catfish under the same window: one to three days in the fridge, two to three months in the freezer for best quality. USDA FSIS That is a shorter fridge life than the three to five days you would get from a beef steak, which is why the standard advice for any fish, salmon included, is to cook it the day you buy it or freeze it the day you buy it. There is not much useful middle ground. The full breakdown for fatty and lean fish alike is in the meal prep storage chart, alongside every other protein in this silo.
If the salmon is going into a dish that gets cooked before eating, none of this changes. But if the plan is sushi, poke or ceviche, cooking is not part of the process, and “sushi-grade” is not an official grade the FDA regulates. What actually matters is whether the fish was frozen first to destroy parasites: FDA’s Food Code calls for freezing at -4°F for at least seven days, or -31°F until solid and holding it there for fifteen hours. FDA Food Code Most salmon sold for raw preparations has already been through this, but it is worth asking rather than assuming.
Cooked salmon
Once salmon is cooked, whether baked, grilled, pan-seared or poached, it follows the same rule as any other cooked protein: three to four days in the fridge at 40°F or below. FDA Frozen, cooked salmon holds its quality for about four to six months, a wider window than raw salmon gets, since cooking has already broken down some of the texture that freezing damages further. Portion it into meal-prep containers before it goes in the freezer instead of one large block. A single serving thaws overnight in the fridge, where a family-size portion can take a full day or more.
Cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F kills off the bacteria and parasites that might be present, the same benchmark USDA sets for other whole cuts of fish. FDA, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures A thermometer reads more reliably than the usual flake test, since salmon can look opaque and separate into flakes well before it has actually reached that number.
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon lasts a good deal longer than either raw or cooked: about 14 days in the fridge unopened, and up to two months in the freezer. FDA That longer window comes with a caveat worth taking seriously. Cold-smoked salmon, the thin, translucent style usually sold as lox or nova, is not actually cooked. The curing and smoking process does not reach a temperature that kills Listeria monocytogenes. FDA specifically advises pregnant women, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system to avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it has been baked or cooked into a hot dish, like a quiche or a pasta bake. FDA, People at Risk Hot-smoked salmon, the flakier, fully cooked style, does not carry the same restriction, because the smoking process itself cooks it through.
How to tell if salmon has gone bad
Fresh salmon should smell like the ocean: mild and clean, not fishy. A sharp, sour or ammonia-like smell is the clearest sign it has turned, and it usually shows up before anything looks obviously wrong. Texture is the second tell. Raw salmon should feel firm and spring back when pressed, not slimy or tacky. Color matters less than people assume, since salmon ranges naturally from pale pink to deep orange-red depending on the species and diet, but a grayish or dull cast layered on top of a slimy surface is a bad sign regardless of the starting shade. Cooked salmon that has been in the fridge past four days should go in the freezer or the trash, not back on a plate. The smell test still applies, but the calendar is the more reliable check once it is already cooked.
Storing salmon so it actually lasts
Keep it cold on the way home
Salmon should be one of the last things picked up on a grocery run, ideally bagged separately or packed with ice for the drive. Every extra minute above 40°F eats into the one-to-three-day window before it even starts.
Refrigerate it right away, in its original wrap
Store it in the coldest part of the fridge, usually the back of a lower shelf, still in its store packaging or wrapped tightly in plastic. Set it on a plate or tray first in case the packaging leaks.
Freeze it the same day if it will not be cooked tomorrow
If salmon will not be cooked within a day of purchase, freeze it right away rather than letting it sit in the fridge on the chance it gets used. Wrap it tightly in plastic, then foil or a freezer bag with the air pressed out, to hold off freezer burn.
Thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter
Move frozen salmon to the fridge the night before cooking. It is slower than a countertop thaw, but it never lets the surface climb into the danger zone while the center is still frozen, which is exactly what a counter thaw does.
Frequently asked questions
How long does cooked salmon last in the fridge?
Three to four days at 40°F or below, the same window as any other cooked protein. After that, move it to the freezer, where it holds good quality for about four to six months, or throw it out.
How long does raw salmon last in the fridge?
One to three days. Salmon is a fatty fish, and USDA gives it a shorter fridge window than lean fish like cod or halibut, which last six to eight months in the freezer against salmon’s two to three months.
How long does smoked salmon last in the fridge?
About 14 days unopened, per FDA guidance. Cold-smoked salmon (lox, nova) is not fully cooked, so pregnant women, older adults and anyone immunocompromised should avoid it unless it has been cooked into a hot dish first.
Can you refreeze salmon?
Yes, if it was thawed in the fridge and never left below 40°F. Salmon thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked before refreezing rather than refrozen raw, since those faster methods can let it sit in the danger zone.
Salmon runs on a tighter clock than beef or chicken, but the rules come down to the same three numbers: a few days raw, a few more days cooked, and months once it is actually frozen. For every other protein in this silo, the full storage chart covers more than sixty foods line by line, and the containers section covers what to actually store it in once it is portioned.
