Everyone loves a delicious slice of pizza, but none can finish the entire pie in one sitting. Two or three slices is our limit, and it should be so since ingesting too much fast food is unhealthy.
Hence, after eating pizza, leftovers are bound to grace your tabletop. But what to do with the remaining slices?
Store them in your fridge for another treat, of course! But how long does pizza last in the fridge?
One can enjoy leftover pizza slices for the next four days if one keeps them in the fridge. Ensure the temperature is below 40⁰ Fahrenheit during storage to prevent bacterial growth. Otherwise, it will lead to several health issues like stomach aches, diarrhea, acid reflux, and gastritis.
If you want to enjoy your leftover pizza to the fullest, check out all the tips we intend to share!
How Long Is Pizza Good For In The Fridge?
A refrigerator can elongate a pizza’s life span by up to four days as it maintains an unsuitable environment for bacterial growth.
Pizza quickly loses its moisture and develops bacteria or mold when it is left at a temperature between 40⁰ and 140⁰ Fahrenheit.
Room temperature is, therefore, not a suitable storage place for your leftover pizza. Inside the fridge, a temperature lower than 40⁰ Fahrenheit is maintained constantly, avoiding unwanted formations on the topping or crust.
However, after you cross the four days limit, the pizza starts to spoil away like every other cooked leftover.
Bacteria start eating away the topping and crust, so anyone who has the pizza after this time might end up suffering from food poisoning.
You should also remember that the pizza’s longevity usually depends on the type of topping you use.
Shrimp toppings, for example, are liable to rot more quickly than chicken or beef. This means that you can only store such a pizza for 24 hours.
Lifespan Of Different Pizzas In The Fridge
On average, pizza lasts four days in the fridge if stored properly, but that is not the case for every pizza. Here is a chart of the life span of different pizzas on the fridge
| Pizza Name | Duration |
| Cheese Pizza | 4 Days |
| Pepperoni Pizza | 4 Days |
| Sausage Pizza | 3 days |
| Shrimp or other seafood pizza | 24 hours |
| Hawaiian or other fruit pizza | 2 days |
How To Store Pizza In Your Fridge:
While putting your pizza leftovers into the fridge will help you with preserving them, the process does not merely involve shoving your pizza box in. Instead, you will have to prevent air from being in contact with your pizza.
There are two ways of doing this:
- Place your leftovers on a plate and use transparent plastic wrap or aluminum foil to cover the pizza and dish completely. The plate does not absorb the pizza’s moisture and is also kept away from the air.
- Put your pizza in an air-tight plastic container and shut its mouth tightly. The plastic does not suck up any moisture from your food, and the container cuts down the air passage.
If you follow the process mentioned above for storing, your pizza will not go bad in your fridge for the first four days.
Ways To Reheat Your Leftover Pizza
Reheating leftover pizza is a bigger deal than people make it out to be. Wrong moves destroy the finger-licking goodness, whereas doing it properly can give you access to a fresh new pizza!
Reheating In Microwave
Most people think that they have this method covered, but that is not the actual case!
Putting your pizza on a plate and then heating it in a microwave for 30 seconds is not the correct way to reheat a pizza.
Doing so causes the crust to become extremely soggy due to the steam given off. The toppings are also likely to harden after a few seconds.
The right way to heat pizza involves wrapping it with aluminum foil and then placing it on a plate. Using a toothpick or fork, poke holes onto the top and place the plate into the microwave.
The foil will seal off the pizza from any steam and keep it fresh and crispy. You should heat the pizza for about 2 minutes now; the time will vary depending on how many slices of pizza you place into the microwave.
Reheating In A Toaster Oven
Have a counter toaster oven?
Well, I suggest you avoid all other methods and try this!
Place your pizza on a plate and let it heat on high for five to 5 minutes, on medium for three minutes, and lastly on low for 2 minutes.
This is known as the 5-3-2 rule, and it gives you an incredibly fresh pizza that is not rubbery in the slightest.
Reheating In An Oven
To start this process, heat your oven at 500⁰ F for a few minutes. You should then place the pizzas on the rack – without any plate – and let them get heated for five minutes.
Afterward, pull out, flip, and heat for another 4 minutes. You will now be able to enjoy a piping crispy-crusted pizza.
Reheating In A Skillet
Want grilled pizza?
Trust your skillet! Place the skillet on your stove and turn the heat to medium. Toss in one tablespoon of oil and allow the pan to heat up for the next three minutes.
Once this is done, add a tablespoon of oil per two slices of pizza before throwing your leftovers in.
All you have to do now is grill until the pizza browns according to your taste.
How To Tell If Your Pizza Is Bad
One of the biggest tell-tale signs of a bad pizza is the rancid odor of rot. Bacteria start growing, reproducing, and feeding on your pizza, causing it to decay slowly.
As the food perishes away, it will begin to discolor – a sign you should easily be able to notice.
After this happens, if you still do not throw away your pizza, you will begin to see mold formation.
FAQ’s:
- Is pizza good after 7 days in the fridge?
No, at most, your pizza will be in the fridge for four days. Afterward, bacterial growth will begin, and mold will start to form on your pizza’s surface. The pizza should be discarded, as eating it would cause food poisoning.
- How can you tell if pizza is bad?
Smelling your pizza is the easiest way to discover if it has gone bad. A slightly pungent odor is given off on the top as bacteria start growing on the toppings. Changes in the color of the topping can also act as an indicator.
- How long does leftover pizza last in the box?
Leftover pizza starts to deteriorate after being kept in the box for a few hours. This is because the cardboard box absorbs the moisture from your pizza, inviting bacteria. So, instead of leaving your pizza in the box, place it on a plate as soon as possible.
- Does pizza get spoiled overnight?
If you have not stored your pizza correctly, it can get spoilt overnight. The crust hardens, and the toppings become soggy, resulting in bacterial growth. Eating such a pizza would put you at risk of suffering from food poisoning.
Final Words
Unless you are a pizza monster (in which case we admire your strength), you will most probably have leftover slices after a feast, and you will be asking yourself, how long does pizza last in the fridge?
If that is the case, safely store them away in your fridge after putting them in an airtight container. Remember to enjoy the delicacy within the next four days, though, and try reheating it with the techniques we suggested to get the best outcome!
