Fish is considered to be the healthiest kind of meat, which often leaves us thinking that the water simply gives fish some kind of psychic powers – really, how can something so healthy and beneficial be also so freaking tasty?
This question, it seems, will have to stay unanswered, though, because now, we have a more important one regarding fish:
How long can cooked fish sit out? Cooked fish can sit out for no more than two hours, because as the USDA says, the high activity bacteria have at room temperature may make it dangerous to eat after that amount of time passes.
This was just to put it briefly, though, and if we want to understand this topic, we’ll have to dive deeper. Let’s not waste any more time, then, and just jump right into it!
Table of Contents
- Does cooked fish need to be refrigerated?
- How long can cooked fish be left at room temperature?
- Can cooked fish be left out overnight?
- How long can cooked tilapia be left out?
- How long can fish sit out before cooking?
- How can you tell if cooked fish is bad?
- How do you keep cooked fish fresh?
- What happens when you eat bad cooked fish?
- Summary
- Resources
Does cooked fish need to be refrigerated?
Yes, cooked fish needs to be refrigerated because it spoils very quickly at room temperature. In fact, according to the USDA, no perishable food should ever be left out of the fridge for more than two hours if you want to be sure that it is safe to eat it.
Therefore, storing the cooked fish in the refrigerator is absolutely crucial if you’re planning on storing it for a while because otherwise, you would have to eat it in a few hours.
How long can cooked fish be left at room temperature?
We’ve already touched this in the previous answer – cooked fish can only be left out at room temperature for two hours. The reason for that is the safety guidelines by the USDA, according to which no perishable food should ever sit out of the fridge for more than two hours.
Why? Well, because bacteria grow exceptionally quickly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, meaning food like cooked fish can be dangerous to eat even after a short time at room temperature.
Can cooked fish be left out overnight?
Since the United States Department of Agriculture says no perishable food, including cooked fish, should ever sit out for more than two hours to be safe to eat, cooked fish cannot be left out overnight.
Because bacteria proliferate at room temperatures, eating cooked fish that sat out of the fridge just for two hours may be dangerous. And that means eating cooked fish left out overnight would simply be a health hazard, and you should, therefore, rather throw it out immediately.
How long can cooked tilapia be left out?
According to the USDA, it is dangerous to eat any perishable food left out of the fridge for more than two hours. Therefore, cooked tilapia can be left out only for two hours. Due to the high activity bacteria have at room temperature, it simply isn’t safe to eat your tilapia after more than two hours of sitting out.
How long can fish sit out before cooking?
No perishable food should ever sit out for more than two hours, says the United States Department of Agriculture, and that goes even for fish. Hence, fish can sit out for no more than two hours before cooking.
Because bacteria overgrow at room temperature, eating your fish may very likely be dangerous if you leave it out of the fridge for a longer time before cooking and eating it.
How can you tell if cooked fish is bad?
Eating bad fish may have some nasty consequences, but, fortunately, it is easy to tell them from the good ones – to tell if cooked fish is bad, make sure that the meat is not mushy and that there’s no peculiar smell coming from it.
If you’ve checked the fish thoroughly and nothing weird has crossed your eyes or nose, the fish is good to go!
How do you keep cooked fish fresh?
Just like with cooked beef or pork, keeping cooked fish as fresh as possible is a pretty straightforward task. To keep your cooked fish fresh, pack it into some airtight sealed containers and then put it into the fridge.
That way, it can stay in excellent shape for even as long as three days!
What happens when you eat bad cooked fish?
When you eat bad cooked fish, there is a high chance you will get sicked or food poisoned, if you will. What does that mean specifically? Well, after eating rotten cooked fish, you may very likely vomit or have a stomach ache or diarrhea.
With that in mind, though, it’s more than fair to mention that these symptoms shouldn’t be that bad; however, if it starts to get serious, don’t hesitate and call your doctor as soon as possible.
Summary
As the United States Department of Agriculture guidelines say, all perishable food can sit out just for two hours for it to be entirely safe to eat, and this goes for cooked fish. So if you want to be sure that it’s not dangerous to eat, cooked fish cannot be left out of the fridge for any more than two hours.
Therefore, putting it into the fridge is necessary if you want to store it for a bit longer. If you also carefully seal it into some airtight containers before, you can expect it to stay in excellent shape for even as long as three days in the fridge!
Related:
- How Long Can Seafood Sit Out?
- How Long Can Cooked Steak Sit Out?
- How Long Can Potato Salad Sit Out?
- How Long Can Mashed Potatoes Sit Out?
- How Long Can Cooked Sausage Sit Out?
Resources
Image credits – Canva
