How long do hard boiled eggs last?
In the fridge, hard boiled eggs keep for 1 week from purchase.
Where these times come from. USDA FoodKeeper has no entry named "hard boiled eggs". The times on this page are the USDA figures for hard boiled eggs, copied without change from its Eggs entry. The full entry lists other kinds too.
No guideline
1 week
from purchase
No guideline
Do hard boiled eggs go bad?
Yes. The fridge time above is the window USDA gives for good quality; after it, hard boiled eggs may still be safe for a short while but quality drops and spoilage signs start. The date on the package is the maker's quality promise; the times here count from purchase unless marked "from the package date".
Two numbers to keep in mind: a fridge at 40 F (4 C) or below, and no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90 F / 32 C) for anything perishable.
How to tell hard boiled eggs have gone bad
- A spoiled egg gives off an unpleasant odour as soon as you break the shell, raw or cooked. Crack each egg into a separate bowl so one bad egg does not spoil the rest.
- An egg that floats in water has a large air cell. USDA says that makes it old and of poor quality, not necessarily unsafe: crack it and check for an off odour or an unusual look before deciding.
- Cracked or leaking shells let bacteria in. Do not buy cracked eggs; if one cracks on the way home, break it into a clean container, keep it refrigerated and use it within 2 days.
- A grey-green ring around the yolk of a hard boiled egg comes from overcooking. It is harmless and not a sign of spoilage.
- Eggs in the shell keep 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge from the pack date; hard boiled eggs about 1 week. Past those windows, use the odour test and throw out anything doubtful.
Sources: Shell Eggs from Farm to Table (USDA FSIS). The times on this page are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
How long do other dairy products & eggs last?
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.