How Long Can Cooked Eggs Sit Out?
When you buy through our links, The Breslin may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Have you ever thought to yourself how long can cooked eggs sit out? I know I have! I often find myself cooking more eggs than I can eat and I always end up looking for ways in which I can preserve the eggs for the following days.
To be honest, eggs are my favorite because they are so delicious and so healthy. They contain so much protein, vitamins, zinc, copper, and iron that they can easily help you get healthier. Because of this, I find myself making egg salads or just cooking eggs every so often.
If you also like to eat eggs and you just find yourself cooking one too many, you will need to learn how long they can sit out before they go bad as well as how you can store them properly and keep them fresh for longer. With my detailed guide, you will learn all this for all types of cooked eggs.
If you are ready to learn the best tips on making and preserving eggs, stay with me as I cover all related information. Let’s get to it!
How Long Can Cooked Eggs Sit Out Before They Go Bad?
If you want to know how long cooked eggs can sit out before they go bad, the easy answer would be to say that they can sit out for only two hours. After that, bacteria can start growing on them and that can make you feel sick if you eat them.
Of course, you can make cooked eggs last longer if you refrigerate or freeze them. Different types of cooked eggs have different expiration dates – keep reading to learn more about this!
Let’s see this video to collect more understandings:
The Truth About The Longevity Of Cooked Eggs!
Here’s the deal: the simplest way to explain how long cooked eggs can sit out is to say that cooked eggs can only be left at room temperature for about two hours. If it has been two hours already and your eggs are still out, you should probably reconsider eating them.
No matter if you have eggs only or some kind of dish made with eggs, you will always have to pay attention to it possibly becoming contaminated. It is best to immediately put the dish in the fridge or freeze it to avoid it going bad.
With that being said, there is a slight difference in how long different types of cooked eggs can last at room temperature or when stored in a fridge or freezer. You should know all this as it can be very beneficial for your health in the future.
What Is The Expiration Date Of Cooked Eggs?
Some people think that cooked eggs can be left out for longer, but that is not true. In fact, the opposite is true because when cooking eggs, the eggshell’s protective film gets destroyed and this makes them more likely to develop bacteria.
If you have a boiled egg you want to eat later on, you can leave it at room temperature for up to an hour. When that hour passes, you either need to refrigerate it or freeze it to keep it from going bad.
Does It Help If I Leave My Cooked Eggs Unpeeled?
I would advise you to keep your cooked eggs with their peel on until the time comes for you to eat them. However, if you have already peeled them, you should not leave them at room temperature at all.
It is best to refrigerate peeled cooked eggs immediately to keep them from going bad. When put in the fridge, it is best to consume them within a week to avoid any health problems.
What Should I Do With Scrambled Eggs?
Usually, scrambled eggs will stay good for about two hours when left at room temperature. After that, as with all other types of eggs, it is best to throw them away instead of eating them because they can develop bacteria.
Let’s see this video to collect more understandings:
Here Are My Results About Refrigerating Cooked Eggs!
I have mentioned how long can cooked eggs sit out and now I would also like to talk a bit about how long can cooked eggs sit in the fridge. Keeping them in a cold place like a fridge will keep your cooked eggs fresh for up to 4 days generally. After those 4 days, you would be better off throwing away the eggs than keeping them.
Let’s take a look into all the types of cooked eggs and what their longevity looks like when they are put in a fridge!
Hard-Cooked Eggs
Once you make hard-cooked eggs, you will need to store them in the fridge as soon as possible if you are not planning on eating them. It takes about two hours for them to go bad, so make sure to refrigerate them before that period.
When put in the fridge, hard-cooked or hard-boiled eggs can last up to a week. I advise you not to peel the eggs if you are planning on storing them as peeled eggs generally last only a few days.
Deviled Eggs
Unlike regular hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs can only last two days when put in the fridge. After making the deviled eggs, you should immediately put them into the fridge to avoid the development of bacteria on them.
If you have a party and you are responsible for the deviled eggs, I advise you to cook the eggs two days in advance and divide the yolk and the egg white before putting them in the fridge. Make sure that you use a good container or plastic wrapping to keep the eggs fresh before using them!
Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs can last anywhere from three to four days when left in the fridge. When storing them, you should use a container and shut it close with the lid to avoid the eggs going bad.
Eggs In Shells
The shell of the egg can serve as a protective coat for the egg not only when it is fresh, but when it is cooked as well. Peeled eggs will last only a couple of days in the fridge, but cooked eggs with shells will last up to a week.
Put the eggs in the fridge in a food container that has a lid. Proper storage can be very beneficial and can make the eggs last longer!
Egg Whites
I have read several comments by people saying that they leave egg whites in the fridge for a couple of weeks and find them still fresh after that. Even though I am tempted to see if that is the case, I would not recommend it to everyone.
A general rule is that egg whites will last only a couple of days in the fridge, 4 days tops. Anything after that is a bit risky and I would not want to put my health in danger by eating egg whites that have sat in the fridge for so long.
Egg Yolks
Raw egg yolks and cooked egg yolks should be kept in the fridge for only 3 to 4 days. Any yolks that have been left in the fridge for longer than that should be disregarded if you want to avoid the possibility of getting sick.
Let’s see this video to collect more understandings:
Does Freezing Eggs Actually Help with Their Longevity?
After covering how long can cooked eggs sit out sit in a fridge, I would also like to mention how long all types of cooked eggs can last when left to sit in the freezer.
You can prolong the expiration date on all types of food if you properly store them in the fridge – you can certainly freeze simple products like cream cheese, while you can also freeze entire meals like chicken salad.
As with these products, proper storage is key when freezing eggs as well. You should not just leave them in the freezer because the cold can lead to breaking in the shell of the egg. Remember to always store them properly before freezing them!
Hard-Cooked Eggs
When it comes to hard-cooked or hard-boiled eggs, I would have to advise against freezing them because of the egg white – it tends to get tough or watery if put in the fridge. With that being said, you can always remove the egg white and keep the yolks frozen.
Frozen egg yolks can last about three months. After three months, you will need to throw them away because they will start going bad and you would not want to make yourself sick by eating them.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs can be frozen for up to three weeks but that does not include the egg white. As I have mentioned, the egg white should not be frozen because of the bad taste that it gets that way.
If you want to freeze the rest of the deviled eggs you can certainly do so. Make sure to use aluminum foil on the eggs first and then put them in an airtight container. Only after doing this should you put them in the freezer!
Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs can be left in the freezer anywhere from three to six months. If you store them properly, you will find that they still taste great even six months after initially preparing them!
Eggs In Shells
I would advise against putting cooked eggs in shells in the freezer for the same reason I mentioned above – the egg white will get rubbery. If you accidentally made more eggs than you need, you should separate egg whites from egg yolks and keep only the egg yolks in the freezer.
Egg Whites
You can surely freeze raw egg whites, but you should not freeze cooked egg whites. They will become tough fast and will also release a lot of water when you take them out.
To save yourself from a lot of unnecessary work, you should throw out the cooked egg whites if you do not plan on eating them immediately.
Egg Yolks
You can freeze cooked egg yolks for a couple of months but make sure to do so using an airtight container. Also, you can try adding a bit of salt and sugar to prevent gelling.
Simple Trick To Check If Your Cooked Eggs Have Gone Bad!
After learning how long cooked eggs can sit out, you do need to learn how to inspect the eggs before you eat them. Even if you refrigerate or freeze them, eggs can still sometimes go bad, and eating contaminated eggs can be harmful to your health.
With that being said, the best way to check if your cooked eggs have gone bad is to do a smell check. If you find that the eggs have a rotten, unpleasant smell – that is a clear sign you need to throw them away.
With some kinds of cooked eggs, you can also check the color of the yolk. If you find that it has started going green or even grayish – that is also a sign that the eggs are past their eating date.
In short, you should eat your cooked eggs immediately after preparing them to get the most from them. Anything past that point is a gamble and you could be better off if you just throw them away.
Let’s see this video to collect more understandings:
Essential Tips On Egg Safety You Have To Know
When it comes to cooked eggs, you need to know a lot more than how long they can last if they are left to sit out. There is a lot more that goes into it – from buying them to storing them and preparing them properly.
First off, always make sure that you purchase eggs that are clean and kept in a fridge in the store. Before you take the carton of eggs home, make sure that the eggshells are not cracked in any way because this will make the eggs go bad faster.
Once you purchase the eggs, put them in the fridge immediately and use them within 21 days of purchasing them. You can also consider freezing them and in that way, you can prolong their expiration date for about a year from the day you have purchased them.
As for preparing and serving eggs, you should always serve them immediately after cooking them. Otherwise, you can put them in the fridge for two hours and keep them away from hot places.
If you are planning on taking eggs or a meal with eggs on a trip, you can benefit from investing in a well-insulated lunch box that will keep the meal cool before you get to eat it!
It Is Time To Start Cooking Some Eggs!
I hope that this detailed guide taught you more about how long you can let all types of cooked eggs sit out before they go bad. The bottom line is that you should not leave them to sit out at all but if you have no other option, make sure that it is no longer than two hours.
Let me know if this guide helped you learn more about egg safety and all things egg-related. If you know any tips and tricks about eggs that I have not mentioned, make sure to add them in the comment section and help others out!
