How Long Does Greek Yogurt Last?

Greek yogurt's fridge window closely tracks plain yogurt's — roughly 1-2 weeks past the printed date on an unopened tub — since the extra straining that makes it thicker doesn't meaningfully change how quickly it spoils once opened and exposed to air. A sharp sour smell beyond its normal tang, visible mold, or a texture that's turned watery and separated well beyond the usual thin layer on top are the real signs a tub has gone off.

Because Greek yogurt's thicker texture already looks a bit separated even when perfectly fresh, judging spoilage by texture alone is less reliable here than for plain yogurt — a sniff test and a genuine look for mold matter more than eyeballing the surface for liquid, since some pooling on top of a good tub is completely normal for the straining process that makes Greek yogurt what it is. An opened tub kept tightly sealed and scooped with a clean spoon each time holds its quality noticeably longer than one left loosely covered. Higher-fat, whole-milk Greek yogurt tends to hold up a touch longer once opened than a nonfat version, for the same reason full-fat dairy generally outlasts its lower-fat counterparts elsewhere in the fridge. Flavored Greek yogurt with fruit or granola mixed in should be watched a little more closely than the plain tub, since the added ingredients can introduce their own moisture and sugar that spoil somewhat faster than the cultured yogurt base alone would.

See Greek Yogurt's full storage & shelf-life guide (with spoilage signs) →