Here's How Long You Can Safely Leave Cooked Chicken Out

Whether you're serving a whole roasted chicken, perfect 2-ingredient chicken wings, or tasty chicken adobado street tacos, it's important to avoid leaving any chicken dish sitting out for too long. When hosting a party and mingling with guests, it's easy to forget about food sitting out on the table or countertop. But according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, poultry left out for more than two hours at room temperature should be thrown away, and if the meat is sitting out at a temperature of 90 degrees or higher, it should be tossed after one hour. So if you're at an outdoor barbecue or a house without air conditioning in the summer, take extra care not to leave your chicken out for too long. 

The reason chicken and other perishable foods cannot go unrefrigerated for too long is because harmful bacteria grows quickly in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the "danger zone," the temperature range between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken is a common carrier of the foodborne pathogens salmonella and E. coli. This type of bacteria, as well as others like staphylococcus and campylobacter, can double in just 20 minutes on food left for too long in the temperature danger zone. Following are some more tips for safely serving and storing your chicken to keep you safe from foodborne illness.

If your cooked chicken has been sitting out for over two hours at room temperature or one hour above 90 degrees, putting it in the refrigerator or reheating it will not kill all of the newly-grown bacteria, and it is still recommended to throw it out. Keep an eye on the clock or set a timer to help you remember when you should store leftover chicken in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Also, bear in mind that despite what you might have heard, you can safely put hot foods in the refrigerator. Just make sure to separate large portions of food into multiple shallow containers to allow it to cool faster in the fridge. According to the USDA, cooked chicken that has been properly stored in the refrigerator can last three to four days. Refrigeration decelerates but doesn't entirely prevent the growth of bacteria.

If you keep your chicken in a slow cooker, like the Crock-Pot 6 Quart Slow Cooker, Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker, or other warming device, the food safety rules change slightly. It's recommended to leave cooked chicken or other cooked food on the warm setting in a Crock-Pot for no more than four hours. While slow cookers can differ depending on the brand and model, the warm setting typically keeps the food above 140 degrees, which is out of the bacteria-growth danger zone.