How long can tuna steaks stay in the fridge? Fresh, raw tuna steaks should be kept in your refrigerator for no more than one to two days before you cook or freeze them. This rule helps keep you safe from bad germs that can grow on fish. It is important to follow these rules.
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Why Keeping Tuna Cold Matters
Tiny things called bacteria live everywhere. They are in the air. They are on surfaces. They are on food. Some bacteria are okay. Some are bad. Bad bacteria can make you sick. They grow fast in warm places. Your fridge is cold. It slows them down. But it does not stop them completely.
Tuna is like other fresh fish. It has a lot of water. It has nutrients that bacteria like to eat. This means bacteria can grow fast on tuna. They grow much faster than on food like dry crackers or canned goods.
Keeping tuna cold is key. It makes the bacteria grow very slowly. This gives you a short time to use the tuna safely. If tuna stays too long, even in the fridge, bad bacteria can grow to high levels. Eating tuna with too many bad bacteria can cause food poisoning.
What the Food Safety Experts Say
Groups like the USDA and the FDA give rules for food safety. The USDA is the United States Department of Agriculture. The FDA is the Food and Drug Administration. They study how germs grow on food. They tell us the safest ways to store food.
For raw fish, like tuna steaks, the rules are clear. They say to keep it cold. They also say to use it fast. The standard rule for raw fish in the fridge is one to two days. This is a USDA guideline for raw fish storage. It is a good rule to follow.
Why just one or two days? Because even in the fridge, bacteria are still active. They multiply. After a couple of days, there might be too many bad bacteria. Or the fish might start to spoil. Spoilage makes the fish taste bad. It can also mean germs are growing.
The Right Temperature for Fish
Keeping your fridge at the right temperature is a big part of this. The safe storage temperature for tuna and other cold foods is 40°F (4°C) or below. You should check your fridge temperature. Use a thermometer if you can. Food stays safe longer at 35°F than at 40°F. But it must be at least 40°F or colder.
If your fridge is warmer than 40°F, food will spoil faster. Bacteria will grow more quickly. Always make sure your fridge is cold enough. This helps with keeping tuna fresh in the refrigerator.
How Long Can Raw Tuna Steaks Stay In The Fridge?
Let’s look closely at the raw tuna steak storage time. As we said, the simple rule is one to two days. This is for raw, fresh tuna steaks. This time starts from when you get the tuna home. Or from when you take it out of the freezer to thaw.
Why the range? Why one or two days? A few things can change the exact time.
- How fresh was it when you bought it? Was it just caught? Or had it been at the store for a day? Fresher fish lasts longer.
- How was it stored before you bought it? Was it on lots of ice? Or just sitting in a case?
- How fast did you get it home and into the fridge? Did you stop at other places? Or did you go straight home?
- How did you store it in your fridge? Was it wrapped well? Was it in the coldest spot?
Because of these things, it is safest to aim for one day. If you buy it today, plan to cook it tomorrow. If you can’t use it tomorrow, it is best to freeze it today. Two days is the max. Going beyond two days in the fridge for refrigerated fresh tuna duration is risky.
Getting the Picture on Tuna Steak Shelf Life
The tuna steak shelf life in the fridge is short. This is true for all fresh fish. It’s not just tuna. Fish spoils faster than meat like beef or chicken. Fish has different fats and proteins. These break down quickly. This makes it a good place for certain bacteria to grow.
Think about it this way: A steak from a cow might last 3-5 days in the fridge. Raw chicken might last 1-2 days. Raw fish, like tuna, lasts only 1-2 days. This shows that fish needs extra care and speed.
Factors that shorten the shelf life:
- Warm temperature: If the fridge is not cold enough.
- Poor wrapping: If air can get to the fish easily.
- Sitting out: If the fish was left at room temperature for a while.
- Older fish: If the fish was not super fresh to begin with.
Factors that might help it last the full two days (but never longer):
- Very cold fridge: Close to 32°F (0°C).
- Excellent wrapping: Keeping air out.
- Super fresh fish: Caught and sold quickly.
- Kept on ice in the fridge: Some people put the wrapped fish on a bed of ice in a dish in the fridge. This keeps it extra cold.
How to Tell If Tuna Steak Is Bad
Your senses are your best tool to know how to tell if tuna steak is bad. You can look, smell, and touch the tuna. Spoiled tuna will show signs of spoiled tuna steak. Do not taste it to check! If you think it might be bad, it is safer to throw it away.
Here are the main signs of spoiled tuna steak:
- Bad Smell: Fresh tuna has a mild smell. It smells like the ocean, maybe a bit metallic or clean. It should not smell strongly fishy. Bad tuna will smell very fishy. It will smell sour, like ammonia, or just plain rotten. This is the strongest sign. If it smells bad, it is bad.
- Dull Color: Fresh tuna steaks are bright red or sometimes pinkish-red. Some types, like albacore, are lighter pink. But the color should look vibrant and moist. Spoiled tuna will turn dull. It might look gray, brownish, or greenish. It loses its bright look.
- Slimy Feel: Fresh tuna steaks feel moist and firm. They are not sticky or slimy. Spoiled tuna will feel slimy on the surface. If you touch it and it feels slick or sticky in a bad way, it is likely spoiled.
- Change in Texture: Fresh tuna is firm. It holds its shape well. Spoiled tuna might feel soft. It might fall apart easily. It might look mushy in spots.
Let’s put this in a table for easy reading:
| Sign of Spoilage | What to Look/Smell/Feel For | Fresh Tuna Should Be… |
|---|---|---|
| Smell | Strong, bad, sour, like ammonia | Mild, clean, ocean-like |
| Color | Dull, gray, brown, green | Bright red or pinkish-red, moist |
| Feel | Slimy, sticky surface | Moist, firm, not slimy |
| Texture | Soft, mushy, falls apart | Firm, holds shape well |
If your tuna shows any of these signs, do not cook it. Do not eat it. Throw it away. Food poisoning is not worth the risk. Even if it’s only been one day, if it looks or smells bad, it is bad.
Best Ways to Store Fresh Tuna Steaks
Using the best way to store fresh tuna steaks helps it last the full one to two days safely. Good storage starts the moment you buy it.
At the Store
- Buy fish from a place you trust. The fish should be on a thick bed of ice. The area should look clean.
- Make the fish the last thing you buy.
- Ask the store to put the fish in a plastic bag. Then put it on ice in a cooler bag for the trip home. This keeps it very cold.
At Home in the Fridge
- Get the tuna into your fridge right away. Do not leave it in the car. Do not leave it on the counter.
- The fish needs to be kept cold and away from air. Air helps bacteria grow.
- Original wrapping: The tray and plastic wrap from the store might be okay for a few hours. But it is often not the best way for storage.
- Better wrapping: Take the tuna out of the store package. Pat it dry gently with a paper towel.
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Get as much air out as you can.
- Then wrap the plastic-wrapped fish again. Use foil or put it in a zip-top bag. This double layer helps a lot. It keeps air out. It also keeps fish smells from getting on other food in the fridge. It also keeps other smells from getting on the fish.
- Put the wrapped tuna in a dish or on a plate. This catches any liquid that might drip out. Fish liquid can spread germs to other food.
- Place the dish with the tuna in the coldest part of the fridge. This is usually the bottom shelf. It is also often the back of the fridge. The door is the warmest part.
Keeping it Colder with Ice
For the best way to store fresh tuna steaks and truly maximize the time (up to two days), you can use ice.
- Get a shallow dish or pan.
- Put a layer of ice in the bottom. Crushed ice works well.
- Put your well-wrapped tuna steak on top of the ice.
- The melting ice will make the dish wet. Make sure no water gets into the tuna wrapping.
- Pour out the melted ice water from time to time. Add fresh ice as needed.
- This keeps the tuna steak very close to 32°F (0°C). This is much colder than the rest of the fridge (which is 40°F or below). This extra cold helps slow down spoilage even more. This method is great for
keeping tuna fresh in the refrigerator.
How Long Is Raw Tuna Good For?
This question gets asked often. How long is raw tuna good for? The answer is the same one to two days in the fridge. This time frame is key for safety.
Eating raw fish carries more risk than eating cooked fish. This is because cooking kills most bacteria. When you eat raw fish, like in sushi or sashimi, it must be very, very fresh. Sushi chefs use fish caught the same day or the day before. They store it perfectly cold.
For home cooks, the one to two day rule for raw tuna steak storage time is for tuna you plan to cook. If you want to eat tuna raw (like searing it very little), you should only keep it in the fridge for one day at the most. Some people say raw fish for sushi should only be used the same day it is bought.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry with raw fish. If you are not sure how fresh it is or how long it has been, it’s best to cook it thoroughly. Cooking tuna steak until it is opaque all the way through makes it much safer.
Previously Frozen Tuna Steaks
Many “fresh” tuna steaks sold in stores were actually frozen first. This is very common. Freezing fish helps kill some tiny bugs (parasites) and stops bacteria from growing. It lets fish travel long distances safely.
If you buy a tuna steak that was frozen and then thawed at the store, treat it like fresh fish. The clock for the 1-2 days starts when it was thawed at the store. You usually don’t know when that was. So, use these steaks quickly, preferably within one day of buying.
If you freeze a fresh tuna steak at home:
1. Wrap it very well to prevent “freezer burn.” Use plastic wrap, then foil, or a freezer bag. Get all the air out.
2. Write the date on the package.
3. Tuna steaks can stay in the freezer for 3-6 months for best quality. They will stay safe longer, but the taste and texture might get worse.
4. To use frozen tuna, thaw it safely in the fridge. Put the frozen steak (still wrapped) in a dish. Let it thaw in the fridge. This takes about 12-24 hours depending on the thickness.
5. Once thawed in the fridge, treat it like fresh fish. Cook it within 1-2 days. Do not refreeze raw tuna after thawing it in the fridge.
Beyond the Fridge: Freezing and Cooking
We talked about freezing. It’s a great option if you can’t use your tuna within 1-2 days. Freezing pauses the clock on spoilage.
Cooking the tuna steak also makes it safe for longer. Once you cook a tuna steak, it becomes cooked food. Cooked fish can stay in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. This is longer than raw fish.
Make sure you cook it fully. Cook tuna until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Use a food thermometer. This kills most harmful bacteria and parasites.
If you cook a tuna steak and then decide not to eat it all, cool the leftovers fast. Put them in a sealed container. Store them in the fridge. Eat cooked tuna leftovers within 3-4 days. Reheat them properly until hot.
Risks of Eating Spoiled Tuna
Eating tuna that has gone bad is risky. You can get food poisoning. This happens when bad bacteria or toxins from spoilage get into your body.
Symptoms of food poisoning from fish can include:
* Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
* Throwing up (vomiting)
* Stomach cramps
* Diarrhea
A special type of food poisoning from fish like tuna is called scombroid poisoning. This happens when tuna (or mackerel, mahi-mahi, or other similar fish) is not kept cold enough. Certain bacteria on the fish make a chemical called histamine. Histamine is not killed by cooking. Eating fish with high levels of histamine can cause symptoms that look like an allergic reaction:
* Flushing or rash on the face and body
* Headache
* Dizziness
* Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
* Burning or tingling in the mouth
* Fast heartbeat
Scombroid poisoning can happen even if the fish looks and smells okay, though it often has a peppery taste. The best way to prevent it is strict temperature control. Keep the fish very cold from the moment it is caught until you cook or freeze it. The safe storage temperature for tuna is key here. Always store it at 40°F (4°C) or colder, and use it fast.
Making Tuna Last: Tips and Tricks
Here are some extra tips for keeping tuna fresh in the refrigerator for its short lifespan:
- Buy last: Get your tuna at the very end of your shopping trip.
- Use a cooler: Bring a small cooler with ice or ice packs to the store, especially in warm weather or if you have a long drive home.
- Store quickly: Put the tuna in the coldest part of your fridge as soon as you get home.
- Re-wrap: Do not trust the store packaging for long storage. Wrap it tightly yourself.
- Use ice in the fridge: For the best results, store the wrapped tuna on a bed of ice in a dish in the fridge. Change the ice as it melts.
- Plan ahead: Only buy fresh tuna if you plan to cook it within one or two days. If your plans change, freeze it right away.
- When in doubt, throw it out: If the tuna looks strange, smells bad, or feels slimy, do not risk it.
- Wash your hands and surfaces: Always wash your hands, cutting boards, and knives with hot, soapy water after touching raw fish. This stops germs from spreading.
Following these simple steps for best way to store fresh tuna steaks helps make sure you enjoy your tuna safely.
Learning How Long Tuna Lasts
Getting familiar with how long is raw tuna good for is part of being a smart shopper and cook. You want your food to be safe and taste good. Fresh tuna is a wonderful food. It is full of good stuff for your body. But like all fresh foods, it needs care.
The short tuna steak shelf life in the fridge is just a fact of this food. It’s not a problem if you know the rules. Buy it fresh, keep it very cold, store it well, and use it fast. Or freeze it if you can’t use it quickly.
Remember the one to two day rule for refrigerated fresh tuna duration. Look for the signs of spoiled tuna steak. If you see any, do not eat it. Using USDA guidelines for raw fish storage is the path to safe meals.
Summary: The Clock is Ticking
Here is the main point again: Raw tuna steaks can stay in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. That’s it. This is based on food safety science. Your fridge should be 40°F (4°C) or colder.
Storing it well helps it last the full two days. This means wrapping it tight. Putting it in the coldest spot. Using ice is even better.
Checking for spoilage signs is important. Smell, color, and feel tell you if it is bad. A bad smell or slimy feel means throw it away.
If you cannot use the tuna within two days, freeze it right away. If you thaw it, cook it within 1-2 days. Cooked tuna lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.
Being careful with raw tuna steak storage time keeps you and your family safe. Enjoy your tuna the right way!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long can raw tuna be left out?
Raw tuna should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. If the room is warm (like 90°F or hotter), it should only be left out for one hour. Bacteria grow very fast at room temperature. This is true for all raw fish and meat. Put it in the fridge or cook it fast.
Can I eat raw tuna after 3 days in the fridge?
No. It is not safe to eat raw tuna after 3 days in the fridge. The safe limit for raw tuna steak storage time in the fridge is 1 to 2 days. By day 3, harmful bacteria can be at unsafe levels. Even if it looks okay, throw it away.
Does vacuum packing tuna make it last longer in the fridge?
Vacuum packing removes air. Removing air helps slow down some types of bacteria. However, other types of bacteria can grow even without air. For raw fish like tuna, vacuum packing does not safely extend the 1-2 day fridge storage time. It might help keep it fresh for the allowed time, but it does not make it safe to keep longer than two days. You still need to keep it very cold and use it fast or freeze it.
What if my tuna steak changed color a little?
Fresh tuna can sometimes turn a little darker red or brownish from being in the air. This is not always a sign of spoilage if it just happens on the surface and it still smells and feels fine. However, if the color is dull, gray, brown all the way through, or has greenish spots, and has a bad smell or is slimy, it is bad. When in doubt, use the smell and feel tests too. If there is any doubt, it is safer to throw it away.
Can I refreeze tuna that was thawed?
It is not safe to refreeze raw tuna that was thawed in the refrigerator. When food thaws, bacteria can start to grow. Freezing again stops them, but it doesn’t kill them. When you thaw it a second time, these bacteria start growing again from a higher number. This makes the food less safe. Only refreeze raw tuna if it was thawed in cold water (and cooked right away) or in the microwave (and cooked right away). The best way to thaw is in the fridge, and once thawed this way, cook or use it within the safe time (1-2 days) and do not refreeze raw.