How long turkey lasts after Thanksgiving The star protein will last four days in the fridge. In the freezer, it can last four months for best quality -- after that span it will dry out and lose flavor.

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Thanksgiving Day is over and the race is on—not to score the best deals on Black Friday, but to eat the copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie before they go bad.

Make sure to refrigerate dense foods like sliced turkey, cooked sweet potatoes or gravy in shallow containers to help them cool down fast. Schaffner’s recent research showed that foods cooled in containers at a depth of no more than 2 inches posed little risk of growing dangerous germs.