Can fried chicken be left unrefrigerated?

Years ago, I read the longest you could leave RAW chicken out after getting out of the grocery store refrigerator was 4 hours. Theoretically, you should be able to leave cooked chicken out longer than raw, and I have to admit to having left it out by accident longer than that and taking a chance and still eating it, without any adverse consequences.

How long the fried chicken can last in the open will ultimately depend on whether it was cooled after cooking, how it is stored (i.e. in a picnic basket next to cool ingredients is better than left out on a counter), the temperature, and the like. The hotter it is, the sooner it will go bad.