Food and Recipes Dish Deviled Eggs How Long Do Deviled Eggs Last In The Fridge? Best practices for dealing with deviled eggs. By Southern Living Editors Updated on March 15, 2023 Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Khara Scheppmann has 12 years of marketing and advertising experience, including proofreading and fact-checking. She previously worked at one of the largest advertising agencies in the southwest. brand's fact checking process Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith Spring is upon us. And by "spring," we mean "deviled egg season." 'Tis the season for suppers, showers, picnics, and Easter lunches, none of which would be complete without a tray of deviled eggs. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when preparing, serving, and storing deviled eggs. These best practices will help to ensure that your deliciously deviled eggs are safe to eat. How Long Do Deviled Eggs Last in the Fridge? When dealing with eggs, refrigeration is key. Because eggs are perishable, they should be kept chilled at all times. Once prepared, deviled eggs should be stored in the refrigerator immediately. They should be consumed within three to four days, which is generally considered the maximum amount of time deviled eggs remain safe to eat when stored in the refrigerator. While preparing the filling for deviled eggs, the FDA recommends keeping the boiled egg whites refrigerated as well. While you can make deviled eggs ahead of time, it's important to pay attention to refrigeration and make a note to throw out the prepared, refrigerated eggs after—at most—two days. How Long Do Deviled Eggs Last Outside the Fridge? On the other hand, you should also be mindful about how long you leave deviled eggs unrefrigerated. According to the FDA, two hours is the maximum time deviled eggs and hard-boiled eggs can be stored at room temperature. (Unless they're exposed to high temps in the hot summer sun, in which case they should be thrown out after an hour.) And, of course, it's important to keep the eggs chilled and refrigerated until time to transport or serve them. We recommend employing a cooler filled with ice when it comes time to transport deviled eggs, as it will help keep them chilled en route. Why So Perishable? We were curious, so we looked to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to answer the question, "Why do hard-cooked eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs?". They explain, "When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away, leaving bare the pores in the shell for bacteria to enter and contaminate it. Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within a week." A similar time frame applies to deviled eggs, but because of their perishability and the ingredients included in the filling, the length of time prepared eggs can be stored in the refrigerator is shorter, often just a few days. Safety is key, so be aware and throw out deviled eggs if they're left unrefrigerated at room temperature for more than two hours or if they've been stored refrigerated for more than a few days. Now that we've completed our (very) short course in egg safety, it's time to devil them. WATCH: Muffuletta Deviled Eggs Will you be making deviled eggs this spring? What's your go-to recipe for this classic Southern side? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What you need to know about egg safety. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shell eggs from farm to table.