Does Cooked Bacon Need to Be Refrigerated? (Explained!)

To be honest, it doesn’t happen very often that you would have some leftover cooked bacon, but it definitely can, for instance, when you’re in a rush in the morning. Because of that, it may still come in handy knowing the answer to this question:

Does cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? Yes, cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated if you’re not sure you’ll eat it within two hours. The reason for that is that no perishable food should ever be consumed after it has sat out for longer than that, at least according to the safety guidelines by the USDA.

This is hardly anything that can be said about this topic, though – so now, we’ll take a more in-depth look at it.

What are we waiting for then? Let’s just jump right into it!

Does cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

Yes, cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated if you’re not sure you’ll eat it within two hours. The reason for that is that no perishable food should ever be consumed after it has sat out for longer than that, at least according to the safety guidelines by the USDA.

Does fully cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

And as you have probably guessed, nothing really changes when talking about fully cooked bacon. Even though thoroughly cooking it will make it a little more sustainable because it will eliminate the vast majority of the moisture, even fully cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated to be safe to eat.

Does cooked turkey bacon need to be refrigerated? 

Yes, cooked turkey bacon needs to be refrigerated because it is, just like regular pork bacon, a highly perishable item. And as the USDA says, no perishable food should be consumed after being left out for more than two hours.

Does cooked bacon fat need to be refrigerated? 

Although many of us can remember that our grandparents kept their bacon fat on the counter, this is definitely not recommended nowadays. So yes, cooked bacon fat needs to be refrigerated because otherwise, it could quickly become dangerous to consume.

Does crispy cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

As you can probably guess by now, even crispy cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated. And the reason is still the same – leaving perishable food outside of the fridge may result in it spoiling very quickly, meaning refrigerating it is simply necessary if you’re not sure you’re going to eat all of it within two hours or so.

Does Hormel’s fully cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

The rule of thumb regarding storing Hormel’s fully cooked bacon is pretty simple – first, you should always keep it in the fridge, and second, you should consume it within three days after opening if possible.

Does Smithfield fully cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

Believe it or not, Smithfield fully cooked bacon is a fully shelf-stable product. Because of that, Smithfield fully cooked bacon doesn’t need to be refrigerated, although it is very recommended, at least after opening.

Does pre-cooked bacon need to be refrigerated? 

While pre-cooked bacon usually doesn’t need to be refrigerated until the original packaging is broken, we can still recommend you to do it. And additionally, remember that after the opening, it is simply a necessity.

How long does cooked bacon last in the fridge? 

Coming up with a clear and common answer to this question is nearly impossible; however, we can at least try. Generally speaking, it can be said that cooked bacon lasts in the fridge for something about five days, but remember that this will vary a lot in each case.

Can unopened cooked bacon be unrefrigerated? 

Since the United States Department of Agriculture says that it is dangerous to leave any perishable food outside of the fridge for more than two hours, not even unopened cooked bacon can be unrefrigerated because it would quickly become dangerous to consume.

Does cooked bacon need to be refrigerated after opening? 

Yes, cooked bacon needs to be refrigerated after opening because it should be refrigerated all the time. That is because otherwise, it could spoil even as fast after any more than two hours.

How to store cooked bacon without refrigeration? 

We have explained above that cooked bacon should always be refrigerated. And that, unfortunately, means that there is no way to store cooked bacon without refrigeration.

How long can cooked bacon stay unrefrigerated? 

As we have already mentioned a couple of times, the USDA has safety guidelines that say perishable food can sit out for only two hours before becoming dangerous to eat. Because of that, cooked bacon can stay unrefrigerated for not more than two hours to be entirely safe to consume.

Is it safe to leave cooked bacon at room temperature? 

No, it is not safe to leave cooked bacon at room temperature because cooked bacon is highly perishable. And as the USDA states, no perishable food should ever be consumed after being left out for any more than two hours.

What happens if you leave cooked bacon unrefrigerated? 

Since cooked bacon should always be stored in the fridge, it will quickly get spoiled if you leave it unrefrigerated. According to the USDA, that’ll happen even as fast as after any more than two hours.

How do you know if cooked bacon has gone bad? 

Believe it or not, telling bad cooked bacon from a good one isn’t anything complicated – to know if cooked bacon has gone bad, you just have to look at it and smell it.

Have you noticed any disgusting odor coming from it or any weird changes in its appearance, such as signs of mold? If yes, it’s time to throw that bacon out, but otherwise, it’s probably still good to go.

Summary 

Cooked bacon is a highly perishable food, and as the USDA says, no perishable food can be safely eaten after it was left out for more than two hours. And that means that refrigerating your cooked bacon is crucial because that way, it can stay good for even as long as five days on the contrary.

Also Read:

• Do Peppers Need to Be Refrigerated?
• Does Chick-fil-A Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
• Do Bitters Need to Be Refrigerated?
• Does Ranch Need to Be Refrigerated?
• Does Molasses Need to Be Refrigerated?

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Image credits – Canva