If you plan on making bacon for breakfast, you may be wondering how long bacon can sit out after it has been cooked.
This is a good question to ask as you need to be very cautious when it comes to leaving meat out of the fridge.
Like any kind of food that comes from an animal, there is a great risk of it spoiling before you get to eat it. Not only is that frustrating for you after you have taken the time to cook your bacon, it is also a huge waste of food in general.
It is very unsafe to consume meat that has gone bad, which is why it is so important to understand how cooked meat should be stored. Keep reading to find out how long you can leave bacon at room temperature after you have cooked it.
How Long Can Cooked Bacon be Left Out?
If you have cooked bacon but are not going to be eating it immediately, you should put it in the fridge as soon as possible. Cooked bacon should not be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours, like most meats.
All meat in general, should not be left out of the fridge for longer than two hours. Any longer than two hours and the meat is at a greater risk of becoming spoiled and unsafe to consume.
It is very important to not leave meat out of the fridge longer than it should be left out as bad meat can make you very sick. This is one type of food that is very sensitive to its environment and should not be left out at room temperature for very long.
Many people may assume that cooked meat is safer than raw meat and can be left out for longer, but that just isn’t the reality. Whether meat is cooked or raw, it is still at risk of going bad if not kept cold in the refrigerator until you consume it.
This is why it is better to err on the side of caution and avoid leaving cooked bacon out for longer than two hours. You should either eat it after you cook it or store it in the fridge until you plan on eating it.
Can Cooked Bacon be Left Out Overnight?
It is safe to say that cooked bacon should never be left outside of the fridge overnight. Even on the coldest night, cooked meat is not going to stay good if it is left out overnight to be at room temperature.
Many people may do this if they have cooked the meat and want to let it cool down, but this is a very unsafe thing to do. Whether bacon is cooked or not, it is unsafe for it to be at room temperature for more than two hours.
Like most meats, bacon is very vulnerable to spoiling if it is not kept very cold in the refrigerator. This is why you should be cautious and avoid leaving cooked bacon out on the counter for very long.
You can avoid this issue by only cooking bacon right before you plan on eating it or storing it in the fridge overnight for the next morning. These are the only options that you have, as leaving cooked bacon out overnight is never going to turn out very good.
Does Cooked Bacon Need to be Refrigerated?
Many people cook meat thinking that this is going to help prevent it from spoiling. The reality is that cooked meat is just as vulnerable to spoiling as raw meat is.
This also does not depend on the kind of meat that you are talking about. All kinds of meat tend to spoil at the same rates and have the same risks involved if not stored properly when raw or after being cooked.
If you have cooked bacon, you will need to refrigerate this bacon if you do not plan on eating it within two hours of making it. This is the small window that you have where the bacon can be left out of the fridge before there is a risk of it spoiling.
Cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated because there are bacteria present in the bacon itself as well as the environment that it is in. No matter what you do, there are bacteria all over the place and all over your food that are creating a great risk.
Bacteria thrive at room temperature and can grow at a startling rate, if food is left out for too long. This is what can happen to cooked bacon if it is not refrigerated after it has been cooked and is left at room temperature.
It will quickly become a breeding ground for bad bacteria, which can cause the meat to go bad before you ever eat it. This is dangerous because it can be hard to know when meat has gone bad if you have just left it out for a few hours too long.
How Do I Know If Cooked Bacon Has Gone Bad?
Now that you know how long cooked bacon can be left out of the fridge, you may be wondering what signs to look for in bacon that may have gone bad. It can be hard to tell when cooked bacon has spoiled, much harder than if it were raw.
That being said, there are ways of finding out whether or not cooked bacon has gone bad. The first thing you should do is always put cooked bacon in the fridge if you do not plan on eating it within two hours.
This will help you to avoid eating bacon that has gone bad without realizing that it is no longer good to eat. Bacon can spoil within a day and show no signs of having spoiled but end up giving you a very bad stomach ache.
Here are some signs to look for if you suspect that your cooked bacon may have gone bad already:
- Change in color
- Bad smell
- Sliminess
These are subtle signs that your cooked bacon may no longer be good to eat because it has spoiled. Good bacon should have a red hue even after being cooked unless it turned brown in the cooking process.
The most common sign that cooked bacon has gone bad is the color turning gray or a green shade. It may also develop a rancid or musky odor or even become a bit slimy.
How Should Cooked Bacon be Stored?
If you have cooked some bacon but do not plan on eating it within two hours, you will need to store it away for later. This is important as it not only keeps the bacon fresh but keeps it from spoiling before you get to eat it.
You should store cooked bacon in a plastic bag with as much air removed as possible. Make sure the bacon has cooled completely, and put the bags in the fridge until you’re ready to eat the bacon.
Conclusion
Cooked bacon cannot be left out of the fridge for any longer than two hours. If left at room temperature for longer, the bacon is at a greater risk of breeding bad bacteria that will cause it to spoil.
All meat should not be left out at room temperature for any longer than two hours, whether it is cooked or raw.