I did exactly the same some months ago, and binned the chicken and only afterwards consulted the oracle ( Google). This is what I found and saved for the next forgetfulness:
Can packaged raw chicken or lamb meat sitting at room temperature for 24 hours still be safe to eat after cooking it to the right internal temperature?
Timothy Sly, Food-borne diseases epidemiologist
Updated Mar 14, 2018
Ready for the real facts? These meats do not present a health problem!
RAW MEATS we know are contaminated (especially poultry), but they are quickly overgrown by "spoilage" bacteria, not pathogenic types. If it was a particularly warm day, say in summer, it is just possible that at the end of 24 hours, the chicken (and less so the lamb) may have developed a little grey-green coloration and could smell a little sour, due to the overgrowth of 'spoilage' bacteria. It may be unpleasant to consume, so best to discard it. But if it smells ok, doesn't feel slimy, not greenish, go ahead, cook it PROPERLY, cook it THOROUGHLY, and all will be well. I've been investigating and researching food borne disease for decades, and eating cooked meat that became a little ripe before cooking is not an identified cause of illness.
This is TOTALLY different to cooked meats. Because most of the 'spoilage' organisms have been eliminated by cooking, the pathogenic bacteria can now grow and do their damage, or produce their toxins. A piece of ham with Salmonella typhi on it may make you seriously ill (or even kill you) but you may never detect or suspect it. Potato salad may have grown more than a million Bacillus cereus per gram and you'd never know.
COOKED meats (and many other potentially hazardous ready-to-eat-foods) should be kept cool or hot, not 'warm', unless they are already too 'dry', too salty, to acidic, too sweet, too 'preserved' to grow bacteria.
Bottom line: Raw meats we know are contaminated, but they will tell you clearly if they are OK to cook and serve - colour, texture, smell.... You decide.
(Note that I didn't refer once to "best-before" dates! They are NOT as helpful or informative as many people think, and certainly add to the tragic amount of wasted food in all countries)
48.7k views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Marice Kratz