If you’re about to bite into your eggs and realize they’re grey, you may be wondering if it is safe to eat. Here’s what you need to know.
Even Dr. Seuss might agree that one thing that looks less appetizing than green eggs would be grey eggs. We’re inclined to agree. If you’ve ever noticed a touch of grey in your egg dish and wondered what went wrong, we’re here to provide some answers — including whether or not it’s safe to eat grey eggs.
Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Do Eggs Turn Grey?
Have you ever opened a hard-boiled egg and noticed a coating of grayish green around your bright yellow yolk? It can be kind of alarming to wonder if your deviled eggs are going to boast a less-than-desirable hue when you serve them to loved ones.
Nobody likes to discover that their food isn’t the color they expect — have you ever discovered your sweet potato was white, for example? It can be a bit unsettling until you learn why.
The reason eggs turn grey is a chemical reaction involving sulfur found in the egg white and iron found in the egg yolk. This reaction is usually caused by overcooking the egg. When you’re boiling eggs, this can also be caused by higher-than-average amounts of iron in the cooking water.
Scrambled eggs can also adopt a greyish hue. Sometimes they also have a different texture, which can be equally alarming. Don’t worry — as long as they smell good (or as good as eggs ever smell), it’s just a result of overcooking.
In short, is it safe to eat grey eggs? Yes!

How to Prevent Grey Eggs
If you’re looking to stop your eggs from going greyer than grandma’s hair, we have advice!
You can help avoid overcooking hard-boiled eggs by placing them in an ice bath immediately after cooking them. Check out our article on how long it takes to boil an egg to make sure you’re not exceeding the recommended timeframe in the pot.
If you can’t prepare an ice bath, you can run cold tap water over your eggs to cool them quickly.
Refrigerating eggs in their shells until you’re ready to use them is another way to help.
Hard-boiled eggs in the shell can be refrigerated for a few days.
If your scrambled eggs become discolored, it’s time to turn down the temperature. It’s recommended to cook scrambled eggs at a medium-low temperature to avoid overcooking, which makes eggs tough and can change their color.

Using stainless steel cookware can also help keep eggs from overcooking by heating them evenly.
Eggs continue to cook for as long as they are exposed to the pan they were prepared in because the pan retains heat. Removing your eggs from the heat source entirely and placing them on your plate or in your bowl will help prevent overcooking.
If you can’t serve your scrambled eggs right away, turn off the heat when they are still slightly runny. Move the pan of eggs off the heat source and allow the residual heat to finish them to perfection!
Not in the mood for scrambled eggs? Here are our best tips on making over-easy eggs that will rock your world.

How to Tell if an Egg Is Bad
Still worried your egg isn’t safe to eat? Let’s cover some simple ways to tell if an egg is bad.
- Float test. Place your whole, uncooked egg in a glass of cold water. Fresh eggs sink, and bad eggs float. Why? Bad eggs contain a large air cell at the base, making them buoyant.
- Shake it. Hold the egg to your ear and give it a good shake. Silent eggs are usually fine, whereas bad eggs might slosh or make sounds. This is also due to the air inside the egg.
- Take a look. Crack the egg open. Bad eggs have a visibly discolored yolk or egg white. Fresh eggs have a yolk that is bright yellow or orange. A healthy yolk is rounded over at the top, rather than flat. Bear in mind that normal yolk color varies widely depending on the variety and diet of the chicken.
- Take a whiff. Bad eggs smell… well… bad. Eggs that have gone by have a distinctly sulfuric smell and are putrid. Freshly cracked raw eggs have almost no smell if they’re still good. While eggs adopt a sulfuric smell throughout the cooking process, the egg should still smell appetizing.
- Expiration date. If you purchased your eggs at a store, you likely have a pretty accurate stamp on the container that says when to “sell by” or “use by.” Sell-by dates are typically within 3-4 weeks of when the eggs were packed, giving you a rough idea of how old the eggs are at the time of purchase.
If you’re concerned you won’t be able to use up your eggs before they go bad, try freezing them.

Some of our favorite egg recipes worth trying today:
- Broccoli Cheddar Zoodle Bake
- Cheesy Grits Recipe
- Toaster Oven Egg Bake
- Mushroom Quiche with Cheese & Onion
- Broccoli Rice Casserole

How To Tell Food Has Gone Bad
It only takes one bout of food poisoning to accept the fact that food doesn’t last forever, and that you definitely don’t want to feel this way again.
We’ve put lots of effort in throughout the years to research some of your favorite foods so we can bring you accurate info and health and safety tips! Now that you know if it is safe to eat grey eggs, here are some of our top articles about foods you might love and how to know when it’s time to toss it:
- Is Yellow Chicken Safe to Eat?
- How Long Does Sushi Last in the Fridge?
- How Long Do Hot Pockets Last in the Freezer?
- How Long Does Ground Beef Last in the Fridge?
