How Long Can Cooked Burgers Sit Out?

The 2-hour rule, the hidden danger of E. coli in ground meat, and how to grill, check, and store burgers safely.

Based on what you have learned from our past food safety guides, today we are taking a deep dive into a summer BBQ classic: the hamburger. Under government food safety laws, meat is considered a potentially hazardous food. This is because meat is high in moisture and protein, which provide the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to survive, grow, and multiply. Because burgers are highly hazardous, they require strict time and temperature controls to keep your family and staff safe.

Why burgers are a hazardous food

Under government food safety laws, meat is considered a potentially hazardous food. This is because meat is high in moisture and protein, which provide the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to survive, grow, and multiply.

The hidden danger in ground meat

Why are we so much more careful with ground beef burgers than we are with a solid steak? When you cook a solid piece of meat, like a steak or a roast, almost all of the harmful bacteria are on the surface. When you put that steak on a hot grill, the outside gets thoroughly heated, and the surface bacteria are instantly killed, even if the center is still pink.

However, when meat is ground up in a machine to make burger patties, everything changes. Any bacteria on the surface get mixed all the way through the meat. This means the dangerous germs are hiding right in the center of your burger.

The threat of E. coli

The biggest pathogen hiding inside ground meat is a severe bacteria called E. coli O157:H7. E. coli lives naturally in the intestines of animals, like cattle, and can easily spread to the meat when it is being butchered. When someone eats an undercooked or left-out burger, they can contract a severe infection known as hamburger disease. Symptoms usually start within 3 to 4 days and include severe stomach cramps and bloody or watery diarrhea. In vulnerable people, like young children and the elderly, E. coli O157:H7 can cause permanent kidney damage or even be fatal.

The 2-hour rule: how long can cooked burgers sit out?

So, you have cooked your burgers and placed them on a platter for your guests. How long can they safely sit on the picnic table?

Because burgers are a potentially hazardous food, the strict legal limit for how long they can sit out at room temperature is 2 hours. If your cooked burgers have been sitting out for more than two hours, they must be thrown away immediately.

This rule exists because of the Temperature Danger Zone, which is the range between 4°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F). When a hot burger sits on a table, it begins to cool down and falls right into this dangerous zone. In this warm environment, bacteria wake up and multiply incredibly fast. If it is a hot summer day at the park and the temperature is close to human body temperature, 37°C (98°F), the bacteria are at their happiest and can double their numbers every 10 to 20 minutes.

You cannot simply put the warm burgers in a cooler to save them. Freezing or refrigerating food does not kill bacteria; the cold only slows them down. If they have been out for more than two hours, they are no longer safe to eat.

How to prevent E. coli for your staff or family

If you are cooking burgers at a park or a work gathering, you are the final line of defence against food poisoning. Here is exactly how you prevent E. coli from ruining your party:

1. Cook it right, don't trust your eyes. You can never tell if a ground meat burger is safe just by looking at its colour. A burger can look brown on the inside but still be full of living bacteria. Under Ontario and Canadian food safety laws, ground meat, such as beef or pork, must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). If you are making ground poultry burgers, like chicken or turkey, they must be cooked even hotter, to 74°C (165°F).
2. Use your thermometer like a pro. To ensure the burger has reached 71°C (160°F), you must use a clean, sanitized digital probe thermometer. For thin foods like burgers, insert the food thermometer through the side of the patty, right into the middle. Wait at least 15 seconds to ensure the temperature remains at 71°C.
3. Stop cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs when juices from raw meat come into contact with safe, cooked food. When you are at the BBQ, never use the same plate or tongs for raw and cooked burgers. Once the burgers are cooked, put them on a brand new, clean plate.
4. Wash your hands. Human hands are a major carrier of germs. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 15 seconds before and after you touch raw burger meat.

If you manage to cook your burgers safely and want to save the leftovers, put them in a refrigerator set to 4°C (40°F) or colder within 2 hours. Leftover cooked meats will last for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge. When you reheat them, they must reach 71°C (160°F) again.

Final food safety quiz

Test your memory with these 5 questions, then tap to reveal the answer.

For the full guide to safe holding times for every food type, see the main how long can food sit out guide.