How Long Can Cooked Bacon Sit Out? - Sprint Kitchen

Cooked bacon shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. If it’s been more than 2 hours, throw it out to be on the safe side.

BUT…there’s actually a lot more to be explained here. If you don’t want to get sick, keep reading:

How Long Can Cooked Bacon Sit Out?

Cooked bacon is a delicious treat that most people enjoy. Sometimes, we make more bacon than we can eat in one sitting. It’s good to know how long cooked bacon lasts and if you can reheat it to prevent wasting food.

The truth is, how long cooked bacon lasts depends somewhat on the temperature of your kitchen. The warmer your kitchen, the faster your bacon will go bad.

If your kitchen is room temperature, you have about three hours before your cooked bacon will go bad. If your kitchen is any warmer than that, you shouldn’t eat it past two hours.

You have to remember that cooked bacon is a type of meat. It will begin to grow bad bacteria when left out for too long at warm temperatures. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

If you can’t eat all your bacon in one sitting, the best thing to do is wrap it up and store it in your refrigerator. When stored in the refrigerator, cooked bacon can last for about 3-4 days.

If you don’t plan to eat your bacon within that time frame, you should consider freezing it instead. Cooked bacon can last for up to two months in the freezer when placed in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to eat it, simply thaw it out in your refrigerator.

Is It Safe To Eat Bacon That You Left Out Overnight?

You should never eat cooked bacon that you left out overnight. Cooked bacon is not good for more than two or three hours when left at room temperature. Bacon that has sat out overnight has been exposed to harmful bacteria that can make you sick.

If you accidentally left your cooked bacon out overnight, do yourself a favor and throw it away. It’s much safer to cook yourself a new batch.

How Do You Know If Cooked Bacon Is Spoiled?

If you’ve accidentally left your bacon out for a couple of hours, there are ways to tell if it’s still good. The last thing you want to do is eat spoiled bacon and wind up with food poisoning.

Smell It

The easiest way to tell if your bacon has gone bad is by smelling it. Fresh bacon should have a delicious, savory scent. Once it begins to go bad, the meat will smell sour.

This is also a good way to tell if uncooked bacon has gone bad.

Look At The Color

Another easy way to tell if your bacon has gone bad is to look at the coloration. Cooked bacon should be pinkish-brown when it’s fresh. If it’s begun to go bad, the meat will take on a grayish color. Sometimes, it may even appear somewhat green.

If the bacon is really old, you may even notice some black or white spots of mold across the meat.

Touch It

If you’re still uncertain if your bacon is good, you can feel it. Fresh bacon is generally crispy. As long as it’s fresh, the texture won’t change very much.

Once the bacon has gone bad, the bacon will become tough. As time goes on and the bacon spoils further, it may become rubbery, dry, or even slimy.

If you have any doubt, make sure to throw out the bacon and make a new batch. Food poisoning is a very unpleasant experience that is easily avoided in most cases.

What Happens If You Eat Spoiled Bacon?

If you eat spoiled bacon, you’re likely to develop food poisoning and become very sick. Cooked bacon will begin to develop harmful bacteria when it’s left at room temperature for too long.

You may experience food poisoning as soon as 30 minutes after eating the spoiled bacon. In other cases, it might affect you weeks after eating the spoiled food.

In most cases, you’ll begin to experience symptoms 1-3 days after eating the spoiled bacon.

Some symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and fever.

Can You Reheat Cooked Bacon?

The good news is that you can reheat cooked bacon, so you never need to worry about wasting food. If you can’t eat all your bacon in one sitting, just put it in the fridge! You can heat it back up later.

If you want your bacon to keep its original crispiness, then your best option is to reheat it in the oven. Set your oven to 400°F, and place your bacon on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the bacon in the oven for about 10 minutes, then take it out and enjoy your crispy bacon.

If you want an easier and faster method, simply warm your bacon up in the microwave. Line a microwave-safe dish with a paper towel and place your bacon on top in a single layer. Then, microwave your bacon on high for 30-60 seconds.

Does Cooked Bacon Last Longer Than Other Foods?

In most cases, you shouldn’t eat perishable food if it’s been left out for more than two hours. But, this isn’t always true for cooked bacon.

Whether your cooked bacon lasts longer than other foods depends on the type of bacon.

Cured bacon will last longer than most other meats because salt has been added as a preservative. Some people will say it’s safe to eat cured bacon that has been left out for many days.

Still, it’s not recommended to leave cured bacon out for more than two to three hours.

Fresh bacon, on the other hand, will go bad more quickly.

How Long Can Raw Bacon Sit Out?

Raw bacon is even more likely to cause food poisoning if exposed to bacteria. You should refrigerate raw bacon immediately. But, if you can’t, you shouldn’t leave it out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Once you put it in the fridge, raw bacon will last much longer than cooked bacon in the fridge. Raw bacon will stay fresh for up to one to two weeks when it’s unopened. If you’ve opened the package, raw bacon will stay fresh for about five to seven days.

Raw bacon also stays good in the freezer longer than cooked bacon. Cooked bacon will stay fresh in the freezer for about two to three months. Raw bacon in the freezer will last for about three to six months.

Conclusion

Like most food, it’s not a good idea to let bacon sit out for more than two hours. Cooked bacon left at room temperature will begin to grow bad bacteria that can make you sick.

If you have any doubts, just throw the bacon out. It’s safer to make a new, fresh batch than to gamble with your health.