Is chicken safe to eat if left out overnight?
Whether raw or cooked, food can be chock-full of dangerous bacteria long before you can smell it. Perishable food (like chicken and other meats) should be tossed if left out at room temperature more than two hours (much less if in a warm room).
What happens if you leave chicken out for 5 hours?
Cooked chicken should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. After two hours, bacteria will have had enough time to multiply and potentially cause food poisoning. When this happens, you may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Can chicken sit out for 8 hours?
Cooked chicken that has been sitting out for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90xb0 F) should be discarded. The reason is that bacteria grow rapidly when cooked chicken is kept at temperatures between 40xb0 F and 140xb0 F. To prevent foodborne illness, try to refrigerate the cooked chicken as soon as you can.