How Long Can Cooked Hamburger Sit Out Before It Goes Bad?

As a meat lover who appreciates hamburgers, ground beef is a staple in my carnivore diet.

It's a versatile ingredient, perfect for burgers, pasta, tacos, and casserole dishes.

To ensure safety and flavor, I did some research and consulted both the USDA guidelines and my local butcher. I carefully reviewed the USDA's recommendations on food safety and discussed best practices with my butcher to ensure I was properly handling cooked hamburger meat.

Here's everything you need to know about how long cooked hamburger meat can be left out.

Quick Summary

How Long Can Cooked Hamburger Sit Out?

The maximum time cooked hamburger meat can sit at room temperature is two hours [1]. It should sit for only one hour when the temperature is 90°F.

The cooked ground beef may develop bacteria after two hours, which could make you ill. Discarding any hamburger meat that has been out for more than two hours is recommended.

"Bacteria can double in number in less than 20 minutes at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, where they proliferate the fastest."

- U.S Food Safety & Inspection Service

It would be best if you made arrangements to keep the meat either warm or cold to prevent it from reaching this temperature.

I recommend using a crockpot or a warm fish if you want your hamburger meat kept safe and available for your guests.

How to Safely Store Cooked Ground Beef?

The best way to store burgers is in a refrigerator for three to four days [2]. Consider freezing them as an alternative if you don't intend to use cooked or raw ground beef by then.

Ground hamburgers or patties made from them can be kept in freezer-safe bags. For optimum storage, ensure you ultimately push the air out of the bags and watch for leaks, especially for raw ground beef.

Leaks during defrosting can be avoided by double bagging the frozen hamburger meat.

How to Tell If Hamburger Meat is Bad?

Check for color, smell, or texture changes to tell if your raw or cooked ground beef is still safe for consumption.

1. Color
Check for evidence of deterioration and mold growth (white or green). You should discard your meat if it is any color other than brown.

2. Smell
The best approach is to check whether there is a potent smell. It will smell sour, but it could also be rotten or acidic.

All of these are red flags that your cooked meat has been stored too long and must be thrown out.

3. Feel
Grab a little bit of ground beef. It has gone rotten if it has a slimy or mushy texture to the touch. Only eat cooked ground beef that has a dry texture.

4. Temperature
Don't eat ground beef if it seems clammy and cold. The hamburger has been left out for too long and could be contaminated with bacteria.

Dangers of Leaving Ground Beef At Room Temperature

Two main risks associated with leaving cooked or raw ground beef at room temperature include bacteria buildup and foodborne illnesses.

1. Bacteria Buildup
Ground beef left out at room temperature encourages the growth of disease-causing bacteria, which are more likely to be present in ruined food.

Use a digital meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the ground beef reaches 160°F (71°C) to kill these bacteria and lower your chance of contracting food poisoning.

2. Foodborne Illnesses Risks
Because spoiled ground beef could contain harmful bacteria, which cause foodborne illnesses, it is dangerous to consume. Fever, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea—which may be bloody—are among the symptoms [3].

Avoid storing your cooked ground beef close to other raw meat to prevent contamination.

Related Articles:

• How Long Can Raw Meat Sit Out
• How to Know if Steak Is Bad
• How to Tell if a Turkey Is Bad
• How to Tell if Pork Is Bad

Reheating Hamburger Meat

Here's how to reheat a burger so it tastes just as good the next day, supposing you followed the instructions for safe handling and storage.

Toaster Oven

1. Turn the toaster oven on and warm it to 400 degrees. The cooked hamburger patty should sit out while the toaster heats up for optimal results.
2. Place the ground meat on the rack in the toaster oven. Place a sheet of aluminum foil underneath the shelf to collect any drips.
3. The cooked beef should be reheated for 3 minutes before being rotated and heated for an additional 2 minutes or so. It could take longer to cook through particularly thick patties.

Microwave

1. Stack the patty on a microwave-safe plate and place it in the microwave.
2. Depending on thickness, reheat the burger using the "Reheat" setting for 1-2 minutes.
3. Use the tip of your finger to gently press down on the center of the patty to see whether it is cooked through. It is prepared for eating when it is warm to the touch.

Oven

1. Turn the oven's temperature to 400 degrees. To catch the drippings, place a baking sheet underneath the hamburger patty as it is set straight on the oven rack.
2. Heat for three minutes before turning it over and heating it for two more minutes.
3. After flipping the patty, add a hamburger bun if you'd like. They will both be prepared at the same time in this manner.

FAQs

References:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html
2. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
3. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/symptoms.html