Finding a fish more popular than salmon might be a pretty challenging task. And it makes sense since there aren’t many things that can compare to the taste of cooked salmon.
But the taste isn’t anything; salmon is also healthy and highly filling, too. And because of the last thing, it often happens to us that we simply can’t finish our salmon, although we would like to taste it again. So if you’re anything like us, you might’ve at least once in your life been wondering:
How long can cooked salmon sit out? According to the USDA, cooked salmon cannot sit out for more than two hours. And this goes for any other perishable food as well because bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature.
This is hardly everything there’s to be said, though, so, in this article, we will be discussing this topic a bit more deeply. What are we waiting for, then? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- Does cooked salmon need to be refrigerated?
- How long can cooked salmon sit out at room temperature?
- How long can cooked smoked salmon sit out?
- Can cooked salmon be left out overnight?
- How can you tell if cooked salmon is bad?
- How do you keep cooked salmon fresh?
- What happens when you eat bad cooked salmon?
- Summary
- Resources
Does cooked salmon need to be refrigerated?
Yes, cooked salmon needs to be refrigerated if you want it to stay good for a long time. While in the fridge, cooked salmon is safe to eat for as long as three days. However, when you leave it out of the fridge, you can’t expect it to last for much longer; more about that in the following answer, though.
How long can cooked salmon sit out at room temperature?
The United States Department of Agriculture says that cooked salmon can sit out for only two hours at room temperature. And that goes for basically every other perishable food as well, because, at room temperature, bacteria grow exceptionally rapidly, quickly making the food dangerous to eat.
How long can cooked smoked salmon sit out?
According to the USDA, cooked smoked salmon cannot sit out for more than two hours if you want to be sure it’s safe to eat. The reason for that is the high activity bacteria have at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F.
Can cooked salmon be left out overnight?
As we have explained above, cooked salmon can sit out of the fridge for just two hours – after that amount of time passes, it is not safe to eat, at least in the opinion of the USDA. Therefore, cooked salmon definitely cannot be left out overnight because it would turn rancid without a doubt.
How can you tell if cooked salmon is bad?
If you’re not entirely sure whether you haven’t left your salmon out of the fridge for far too long already, don’t panic; there’s a relatively easy way to tell whether or not it is still eatable. To tell if cooked salmon is bad, just look at it and take a good sniff. If you see or smell anything weird, it’s time to throw the salmon away.
How do you keep cooked salmon fresh?
If you just want to ensure it’ll be safe to eat, putting your cooked salmon into the fridge is enough without a doubt. However, if you want to make sure it’ll stay as fresh as possible, there’s another thing you have to do – to keep cooked salmon fresh, you first have to put it into some airtight sealed containers.
What happens when you eat bad cooked salmon?
Eating bad cooked salmon is just like eating any other bad food – it doesn’t taste much good and may have some ugly consequences. When you do it, chances are high you will be having a stomach ache or diarrhea, so you should never even touch any cooked salmon that looks or smell weird.
Summary
In the opinion of the United States Department of Agriculture, it is not safe to eat any perishable food that was left out of the fridge for more than two hours, cooked salmon not excluded.
Therefore, you should always put it into the fridge if you want to store it for a longer time. If you also seal it into an airtight container before, you can expect it to last in excellent shape for even as long as three days.
Related:
- How Long Can Cooked Pork Sit Out?
- How Long Can Meatloaf Sit Out?
- How Long Can Brisket Sit Out?
- How Long Can Spaghetti Sit Out?
- How Long Can Lasagna Sit Out?
Resources
Image credits – Canva
