The turkey is carved, everyone is stuffed, and the platter is still sitting in the middle of the table while the pie comes out. Unless it has been held hot, the clock on that turkey started when it left the oven. Here’s how long cooked turkey can sit out, what changes on a hot day, and what to do if it has already gone past the limit.
How long can cooked turkey sit out?
The Short Answer
Two hours. USDA says perishable foods, including a cooked turkey dinner, should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. Its Thanksgiving page says to store leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, unless they’re being held above 140°F. If the room is above 90°F, the limit drops to 1 hour. After that we’d throw the turkey away rather than reheat it, because reheating may not make it safe. To hold it longer, keep it at 140°F or hotter and check with a food thermometer.
For a complete pantry storage reference, see our Food Storage Guide. Serving gravy too? See our guide on whether gravy goes bad.
Cooked Turkey Sitting Out: At a Glance
Room temperature
2 hours maximum, per USDA
Above 90°F
1 hour maximum, per USDA
Why
Bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F and can double in as little as 20 minutes
Keeping it hot
Hold at 140°F or warmer, per FDA. Check the turkey with a thermometer, not the warmer
Past the limit
Discard. Reheating may not make it safe, per University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Fridge
3 to 4 days in a fridge below 40°F, per USDA. Count from the day it was cooked
Freezer
USDA’s Turkey Basics: 4 months for plain slices, 6 months covered with broth or gravy
Reheat
165°F, and a rolling boil for gravy, per USDA
Safety
We don’t suggest tasting or sniffing turkey to decide. Time and temperature are the test
Key Takeaways
Cooked turkey can sit out for 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F, per USDA. USDA words the limit as 2 hours from cooking, if the food isn’t being held above 140°F. Unless you’re holding it hot, we’d start the clock when the turkey comes out of the oven.
The reason is the Danger Zone. USDA says bacteria grow most rapidly between 40°F and 140°F and can double in as little as 20 minutes.
Turkey kept at 140°F or above is outside the Danger Zone. FDA says hot foods on a buffet should be held at 140°F or warmer.
Past the limit, we’d discard it. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension says reheating may not make food that sat out too long safe, because some bacteria form a toxin that cooking can’t destroy.
Cut the turkey up and refrigerate it in shallow, covered containers. FoodSafety.gov says to do it even while the food is still steaming.
Leftover turkey keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. USDA’s Turkey Basics gives 4 months in the freezer for plain slices and 6 months for turkey covered with broth or gravy.
Some sources mention four hours. That is a food-service procedure with written rules and time marking. For a turkey dinner at home, every USDA and FDA consumer page
