My mom roasted a chicken last night for dinner around 7pm. She's now up cooking lunch of chicken and rice. Only problem is, she left it sitting out overnight and still thinks its good to eat. I thought the rule was after the food is room temperature you have around 4 hours to eat it. It's been out well over 12!
How long do you leave chicken out before throwing it away?
71 votes
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
ack! I'm obsessive and put everything in the fridge.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I grew up with food left out on the counter overnight so I say it's fine.
honeydew / 7586 posts
I won't go any longer than 4 hours or so. DH has no qualms eating anything that's been out over night though and it's never made him sick.
cherry / 220 posts
I thought you were only supposed to leave it at room temperature for 2 hours! No way I would eat chicken left out overnight.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I definitely wouldn't eat chicken that was left out overnight! Can't it grow all kinds of bacteria??? Although maybe if she's recooking it to kill anything, it'd be okay??
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
Not safe. 
I've read as little as 2 hours (cooking can kill bacteria, but not necessarily the toxins they produce).
pomegranate / 3872 posts
I'm a freak about this so I would say it's unsafe. I'm positive a lot of people do this though.
grapefruit / 4862 posts
Gross... I would not eat ANYTHING that sat out overnight. (Except things like cookies that can sit out, but only if they were covered.) DEFINITELY not meat.
persimmon / 1085 posts
I won't let meat sit for more than about 90 minutes before throwing out. The bacteria will grow quickly once it gets to room temperature for a certain amount of time. That is definitely not safe.
persimmon / 1167 posts
Yeah- I don't like eating food that has been sitting out too long. ESPECIALLY poultry. EEEEK!
The Food Standards Agency in the UK recommends no more then 4 hours.
pear / 1861 posts
Nope, that's too long. Only thing I eat that's sat out is baked goods that were covered.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
That's what I thought!!! I'm pregnant so there's no way I'm eating it and she has specific instructions not to give any to DD! GROSS
grapefruit / 4400 posts
@locavore_mama: Ditto, my mom left (and continues to leave) food overnight all the time. I'd eat it, but probably wouldn't give it to LO.
nectarine / 2433 posts
OMG please throw it away!
You should never eat anything (even if it is cooked) that has been at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Both my SO and I have jobs which require us to have food safety certifications.
watermelon / 14206 posts
I'm not a germaphobe but I wouldn't eat that...especially while pregnant!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
I throw it out after 2. That's the max limit recommended by the FDA.
But my mom always leaves food out overnight! And I've never gotten sick.... but I'd never leave out food longer than 2 hours for the kids.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@locavore_mama: me too, my parents didn't care. Now I wrap things up within 3-4 hours at most.
papaya / 10343 posts
I wouldn't even eat it after 4 hours. Chicken goes in the fridge after an hour, maybe 2 max.
grapefruit / 4136 posts
Ahhhh!!!! Nooooo!!! I didn't vote bc 4hrs is longer than I'd let it go! 
nectarine / 2690 posts
I wouldn't even let it sit out for four hours LOL an hour tops for me.
pomelo / 5678 posts
@luckypenny: DH works in food safety and he just said 4 hours is the limit. I was so disturbed I had to tell him.
coconut / 8681 posts
Ewwwww. I definitely wouldn't eat it. A couple of hours max for me.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: haha maybe this is why I have a steel stomach and never get a stomach bug etc?!?
nectarine / 2973 posts
I wouldn't even consider eating that! I would say 4 hours TOPS. More like 2 hours though. Definitely not all night ewwww
grapefruit / 4819 posts
@babyjmama: Right there with you!!
I get worried when food is at room temp for more than the time it takes to eat a meal, no way in the world would I eat something left out overnight (referring to meat/dairy products of course)!
pomelo / 5621 posts
I definitely wouldn't eat it. As soon as it cooled to room temp it would be covered and in the fridge.
bananas / 9227 posts
If she's nuking it for reals, then I'd eat it, but I wouldn't touch it if I was pregnant nor will I give it to LO.
pomelo / 5258 posts
I work in food safety (which I think actually makes me more willing to take risks) and I wouldn't do it. Definitely don't do it pregnant. Poultry is contaminated with lots of bacteria - that's just a given, look at the recent Foster Farms stuff - it's hard to kill everything in a roasted bird and a leaving it out overnight provides a terrific breeding ground for growth of any little thing that didn't die in cooking. Sorry for the waste but it's not worth it.
grapefruit / 4817 posts
What?! This just made my jaw drop. I wouldn't touch meat after 2 hours sitting out. Ewww, no! People do this?!
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