My research and experience has concluded that the possible reason for the off texture is the saline brine injected in most frozen and brand name chicken. Are any other types of chicken having this issue like chicken thighs cause if not I'll switch to chicken thighs but if chicken breasts continue down this path it might push me off of chicken forever. Perdue can have chicken. Hit or miss these days and so as not to ruin a whole meal (not to mention all the time and expense involved), I have just been cooking the meat to death, which, of course, makes it dry. I found this thread tonight after making a sheet pan dinner with green beans baby potatoes and chicken drumsticks. No issues since. Cooked what I thought would be a lovely pan-fried honey garlic chicken breast dinner - but to my disappointment the chicken bounces back when you bite into it. I noticed this trend of unappetizing weirdness where some of the chicken breads us normal but prices of it are off. I haven't had this issue with local market that sells fresh chicken (not previously frozen and not injected). I doubt there's any way to tell without some specific control tests. I just experienced this yesterday, I sous vide a bone in chicken breast at my normal temp and time I've been using and it was like biting into a raw chicken breast. started buying from somewhere else but then had a bad batch from there too (still organic.) Its filthy. citou 2 yr. ago. I was in the dark since the sun was in my eyes directly setting and the light was not good on my table. Maybe that's the issue. If you notice any texture changes, such as increased softness, sliminess, stickiness, or residue, it's likely no longer safe to eat. Everyone needs to call the USDA and voice your concern. I just had this experience with Trader Joe's organic chicken breasts. I returned about 5 lbs of chicken to a reputable place where we get all our meat. - kettultim I had the same problem I thought maybe because I didn't pound it out. I know I was vague, but the thing is that this has happened to me with very different cooking methods. Eating grisly chicken is just gross. I am so frustrated with the cost of food vs the current quality. The last time I made chicken I splurged and got organic and when it was done the texture was as most are saying rubbery but Id also like to describe it as fatty? Assuming you are doing so, your commentary would indicate that your problem is with the ingredient itself. Not sure how the market will respond to this unsavory tasting chicken, I know what I have done. About 15 minutes ago I went to cut the "gargantuan" (LOL, someone elses's word used here) breast to grill up for chicken salad and after rinsing it noticed the stringiness, and I could literally pick and pull off srtingy pcs super easy, that type of thing totally creeps me out I had chills all over immediately, eww! So relieved to know I'm not going mad. Never a problem. Older hens generally produce thinner shells as their oviducts wears out. Many people also like to coat the chicken in lemon juice and/or vinegar. Then you realize something different is happening and it's not something you can finish eating. I almost went weak and filled with fear. Roasters can be more tender than stewing hens. Manager asked me to call right away if it happens again, so they can trace the provider. I KNEW that my chicken was safe to eat; temped at 161 when it came out of the oven, even nuked it after cutting and plating because the texture was so convincingly raw! Especially Tyson's chicken. Pay attention to what is really going on! While the politicians keep focusing our attentions and dividing us with the same old topics or issues that have been going on in my lifetime for at least the last 40 years they allow corporations to do whatever they want. Oh, I know, we arent eating those, but funny how our big sick looking Chicken Breasts came at the same time they gene edited chickens. This is bad, i am going to talk to two local butchers about this issue. It isn't a woody texture at all, but it is dubbed just that; woody breast. Sous Vide is cooking vacuum packed meat, right. It's all Soylent Green!!! I made that mistake with a dish in which the chicken was supposed to marinade for an hour in a mixture based on fresh lemon juice. Its like Americans have no idea what is patented and distributed for profit in deregulated America. Many people feel they need to wash their poultry to remove fat, feathers, and yellow surfaces of the bird. We had to throw the whole meal away. I'm hopeful all of these posts become recognized and addressed. Same problem year, been noticing a weird texture issue with chicken for years. >.<. But then the industry would have to admit to lying for profit for the last 20 years. Not very "liquid". The breasts are where the money is. They were like chicken used to be. I've had the bad texture ones from Costco - the fresh organic, pack of 3. My guess is all the saline/ other solutions that are pumped into the chicken while raw, so that it can be sold for more profit. Either way, it's not normal. It is also enjoyed as a snack food. Hope they do better with a COVID vaccine (Ill just wait to see on that one, like everything else in the last 35 years.) This has happened to my more than once- I thought at first I had overcooked, or even cut it the wrong way (with the grain vs. against). Consider trying to tenderize them by using a marinade or brine with yogurt or buttermilk which has enzymes that make the meat less tough. It's almost as if it's a tire rubber texture in my mouth. Yech! It's commonly confused with white striping, which is when fat replaces muscle tissue. . Chicken is the only meat I eat, but do no longer because of this same inconsistent and tasteless result of chicken production. Even cooking it for an extra hour does nothing for the texture. https://www.iatp.org/news/terminator-chicken. After I finished the salad there was a smaller piece of the chicken left in the bowl. Yeah, you can't do much worse. I never thought poultry suppliers would do this to chicken just to increase the weight/selling price. This woodiness is not found in thighs, wings or other cuts. It's Nasty. First time to hear about this problem with drumsticks. I have been having this problem for about 5/6 years now ,from store bought and butcher shop chicken breast,Still can't figure it out HELP PLEASE! I read someone say they have no problems when they sous vide. Mix well. Here's a short white paper we put together on it in case of interest: https://www.ciwf.com/media/7429726/declining-nutritional-value-of-factory-farmed-chicken.pdf. Just tried to make white chicken cream stew without thinking, two packs of two breasts both had this problem. I bought a bag of Chicken wing parts and it doesn't look like Chicken parts!!! Guys! Woody chicken breast meat is more coarse with fibers that feel "woody" hence the name. some were very thin and a couple were thick breasts. I will try as some have suggested, smaller breasts and tenderloins. See also Why Is My Chicken Sitting On Eggs All Day? "Weve only been dealing with woody breasts for about eight years," says Dr. Casey Owens, Professor of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas. I love chicken, I need to find something that works though. We threw away what would have been a perfectly good dinner of chicken breasts with honey mustard sauce and broccoli. There's more than one reason your chicken came out rubbery. I'm from Brazil and same situation. CBS news story from 2016 link at the end of my post, but this is clearly still happening. Im surprised that this is happening in higher welfare chicken also.. just had a skim through the article written about it and its very concerning. This apparently (according to the article) is not dangerous to humans, but because of the now excessive muscle fiber in the breast meat, the taste and texture has changed. How do they do it?! And is there any way to counteract the rubberiness? Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic. I recall them being more saltybut this was back in the land before time, so probably shouldn't have included them. It has to have something to do with corporate profits, but, eventually, more and more people will become aware of this weird situation and start to back off a bit. Cant do raw feeling chicken , I work for a farm animal welfare NGO (we work with companies to improve their policies) and we've been seeing this issue come up a lot, as it's not only a quality issue, but a welfare issue as well. The "Woody Breast" disease or symptom is pretty specific to the breast. The boneless skinless chicken breasts have been cooked past 165F in MULTIPLE spots and we even bought a new thermometer. His response was startling to me. It's clearly a worldwide problem. I have noticed the odd texture for the last decade. This happens because the heat causes the muscle fibers in the chicken to shrink, and as they shrink, they push out the water and other liquids. Then, dredge it in seasoned flour and shake off the excess. So strange. Mary's is one brand name. I must say though Ive never had bad chicken from KFC! Contact your local representatives and tell them what you think and stop letting them use their typical weapons of mass distraction against you. I wonder what goes into our food these days. The Purdue Organic Chicken has been the gross stuff most of the time. Except the neighbors heirloom tomatoes sprayed with 7 dust every 5 days. If you think for 1 minute that they havent been playing around with everything profitable, and inserting it into the most lucrative systems, you are mistaken. It is so gross. I know this is an older thread but it's still happening and now I can't find any stores that don't have chicken with the same problem. My husband insisted the chicken was done. Thank you for sharing this information. Cooked thoroughly and smelled and looked just fine. at first the thin cut breasts were better but have even had a couple of those with the weird texture. I would think that, given the number of complaints here alone, this situation would find its way to chicken raisersbut then as long as their sales aren't affected, they won't lift a finger. I've been noticing this for a couple of months now. Usually when this happens to me, there are some pieces of chicken that are fine, but others that are decidedly not. These days, Caggiano only buys organic chicken breasts, and he seldom gets woody breasts. Why does my chicken have a weird texture? For me, the taste of perfume or cigarette smoke in my food is the biggest turn off. But last night, this happened when I roasted some never frozen bone in breasts from the fridge. I took back 5 lbs and they gave me a refund. That is interesting and it's clear why I have never run into Jessica's problem: I buy smaller birds. If you cook chicken in a skillet, oven, or grill for an excessive amount of time, the moisture will be sucked out of the meat, leaving you with a dry, rubbery bird. my daughter mentioned it too. Wondering if the chicken is imported these days. After breaking down 3 Springer chickens for regular dinner meals in the last few weeks--- and each time when it came to the breasts, the distinctive and unpleasent "rubbery crunch". I get notifications of people complaining about the smell of their chicken tenders now? The moment of panic was real biting into the sandwich I purchased, but upon further inspection it was fully cooked. I have only run into this issue with breast meat. It very could be the "woody breast".or could be the frozen breaded piece of chicken was cooked ALMOST throughleaving behind a water center? I thought that was a better brand and I was buying good chicken. :(. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry . While humans have been eating chicken for 2,200 years, woody breasts are relatively new. To the point where I feel inclined never to eat chicken again. The chicken is fully cooked through (I can tell based on internal temp, time in the oven, color of the chicken and juices), but the texture of the chicken is funny, almost like it hasn't been thoroughly cooked. Start here and then look at all the peer reviewed journal articles and patents. I just wonder if these chicken related issues have anything to do with "live agriculture slaughter" which is boiling chickens ALIVE! If not, profits are always going to win out. Tonight we cooked chicken breasts on the grill, I had marinated them in soy sauce and thought they would be good. Happened a third time today a week or so since the last bag though I think they were in the same set of 6 Never knew it was called woody. We talked to the owner and he said he hadn't changed vendors for many years. Stephanie , you are exactly right. Thank God I'm not crazy! It happens quite a bit with their sandwiches to the point we stopped getting them. It has happened when i have sliced and stir fried boneless skinless chicken breasts and also when I have roasted bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. Texture: Undercooked chicken is jiggly and dense. I guess it doesnt bother him but we get ours from Aldi and they are HUGE so I am thinking we will pay a little more for them from somewhere else because I cant do it anymore!!! . Brand was Steggles chicken breast. I'm a fan of the sandwiches in the "chicken sandwich war" with Chic Filet and Popeyes being my personal favorites. . Then I started tasting it in frozen chicken entrees - some pieces good, some pieces not. We have mostly stopped eating chicken as a result . The inside of the chicken pieces were good, it was just the surface that was mushy/chalky. I would start it at that temp but then drop it down to 375 and cook more slowly. I took one bite of that piece and immediately I tasted and smelled something flowery like what a spray bottle would leave lingering in the air. Its not you, its genetic altering gone wild. This thread was helpful, until it wasnt. That is the short non scientific answer. I know my household has dropped chicken consumption dramatically. And yes a lot of our foods (meats and veggies included) are imported from god knows where. Ive landed here googling the same issue. Why does some chicken have a rubbery texture? Watch out for all the other meat, too. That squeaky mouth feel sounds like brining. And those farmers who continue to breed these fast growing breeds so that they can get the meat to market faster will just go out of business because no one wants to be eating this crap. I'm so glad I found this site. Drums are darker and need a bit more time. Enough so, I skip the details. We need to complain to our representatives about this filth, you cant even become a vegetarian because of all the pesticides, genetic engineering and radiation thats used. Has anyone found sources for good chicken? Scientists are still working on finding the root cause of woody chicken breasts. But I'd take dry over this new crazy chicken texture. After cooking the strips in the oven they were cut up over a salad. I couldn't eat it. Its not the cooking its the product for sure. Like it seems like the problem is just getting worse and worse and it might not be able to be reversed, if it is changing chickens' genetics. NAHHHHH So now Im sitting here hangry af looking at a juicy hard woody with Extreme disappointment. In our household, we call this texture chirm as in eating chicken but with the sensation of biting into an arm. Seems this thread was useful. For those who keep kosher (and eat meat), it is an obligatory process (and of course, is not intended as a brine, marinade or flavor enhancer). Remove the pork chops from the marinade and grill for 15-25 minutes, turning once or twice. A few here in Charlotte, NC and around the country. Chicken sucks SO BAD now. She got irritated and refused to go into the garbage, although it was probably right on top. We Recommend Health I thought I was the only one experiencing this issue. But all could be culprits. Your reply is very informative, but with a little research I have learned that both dark and whit chicken has changed, and not for the best. So we figured the vendor must have changed distributors. I seriously gag when I bite into a piece and my husband thinks Im crazy! When we can find smaller breasts at the store, they seem fine, but the larger breasts are rubbery and inedible. Maybe a milder version of the defect is sold rather than pulled from the line or reprocessed? Woody breasts are more common in older and bigger birds. Oh and the first experience I had 18 months ago, I cooked a chicken kiev for over 2 hours in a 200 degree oven (checked the temperature, and other food cooked fine), but somehow it didn't burn, in fact it still seemed raw. I don't know why, but the wsj article seems in the right direction. Just tried to prepare two skinless chicken breast from Publix and it took a steak knife to cut thru it. Thanks CV. (yes, the ones that are pictured in this article. This has happened to me a few times before. There is a new-ish problem with some chicken called "woody breast" that seems to fit your description. I will try to find smaller breasts to see if that works! Wish we knew what this was about ! the squeaky feel was definitely a spot on description. Yes!! Have not had chicken for a long time and gave it one more chance. I scoured the internet and once I found what the problem is actually called, a lot of search results came up describing it. I have since switched and changed my choices and purchasing habits since my previous comment earlier this year. Hi Trisha - I feel your pain and we should call the USDA, but not sure they can enforce anything. We spend money shopping, time cooking then we cant even eat it. These muscular issues are a result of selective breeding for really fast growth and high breast meat yielding chickens (which make up 98% of chicken breeds today raised by companies), and actually is not a result from hormones (as it's actually illegal to administer hormones to chickens and pigs in the US). Same thing happened to me when I made chicken parm last week..I thought it might be the pounding or the pan, but same thing you describe.cooked but textremely is raw feeling in the mouththought I was crazy. I have been having an issue on and off with the texture of my chicken. I have found that if I can peel that tough layer off, the chicken will cook normally and not have the disgusting texture. The process is detailed and performed with great care. You Ate or Drank Something Too Hot. It's got me thinking and feeling, it's seriously not natural meat. Enough of this multinational corporation nonsense. I guess Im switching to organic. I've been noticing this too in New Orleans for at least 3 years. Tonight I cooked them and they looked wonderful. Especially considering, this is what deregulation, corrupting institutional government and fighting to the death to prevent any new regulations, is really all about here. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. What these producers are selling is no longer what I consider edible meat. It'll look cooked and be most, but has a slight variant look to it where you can actually see that it's a funky texture. Ive been buying tenderloins only because of woody breasts but its so expensive. . We had to cut chicken completely out of our diet. It woke me up for sureI did contact Springer customer service after I had started to experience quite a few breasts in a short period of time, but the real reason I did wrote to begin with was what appeared to be a large tumor mass, which was the final straw for me. Why does my chicken have a weird texture? This has happened to me with bone in, skin on chicken breasts and also skinless boneless breasts. One had already told me about a term called "woody breast". Same thing. Weird texture and taste. I am off frozen chicken. The chicken is cooked, but the texture is gross, like raw chicken! Mostly, the breasts that I purchase are large weighing one pound plus that I often cut in half and pound, but still get the texture problem. Apparently it is a muscle disorder that is related to genetic breeding. ALL the meat WAS good. And eventually they will have to go back to raising their chickens (and pigs) the way they used to . Springer touts itself as the antithesis of "factory chicken" , but its exactly what they are, and marketing throughout the years had me conviced. Tyson, just in general, should be crossed off the ole grocery list as it isits the probably the worst as far as product quality, and that's even excluding the "woody breast disease" issue. Now i need to quit Costco?? We all really need to return to supporting our local farms. Sorry not Bell & Howell (lol) its Bell & Evans chickens. There are fiberous lines running through the breast and it was tough to cut. Its only been recently in the last few years Ive noticed this. I switched buying my meet at 8 AM at market now and have come across the same problem with chicken what is going on?? If all they have is Frackenchicken then I look for a whole small chicken and I have been lucky to date. Just SO gross! that was worse. Why does my chicken have a weird texture? Trader Joes heirloomchickens are tough tasteless and dont feel cooked they used to be great now no good terrible & rubbery. Hi, Im in the UK and I have had this twice now. This is most likely occurring as a result of incorrect defrosting procedures on your part. These factors can reduce your sense of taste (called hypogeusia), take it away completely (ageusia) or cause foods and drink to taste different (called dysgeusia). If you cook chicken in a skillet, oven, or grill for an excessive amount of time, the moisture will be sucked out of the meat, leaving you with a dry, rubbery bird. I have this issue too. Thanks Everyone for the replies, especially the link provided. What a turn off, I almost can't eat the chicken although the flavor doesn't seem to be affected, this texture is awful. I too have just taken to google to try and make sense of this weird phenomenon of eating perfectly cooked chicken in which the texture makes its seem raw. Hi Pam. its a relief to hear that this strange phenomenon with chicken isnt just happening to me! I am so paranoid about food poisoning that I was initially wondering if my thermometer was wrong and they were somehow undercooked. factory chicken. I think I have some form of PTSD now from eating it. Is there a special covering to use? My kids had a awful look on their faces and my daughter finally says this chicken is horrible! Marinading chicken (or any protein) in an acid for too long can make it mushy. I do like your idea of buying fresh, locally. After decades of working to produce more chickens faster, breeders can now grow a 6.3-pound birds in 47 days, according to the . I spit it out very quickly and started to check the chicken more. Odd raw texture even though I was sure it was cooked. The texture really is disgusting. And you better think again if you think organic is really any better. But I have found that I avoid this crunchy texture altogether, when I sous vide my chicken. I thought I was in the clear with this batch. We had this issue with Heritage Farms at Kroger, but since buying the organic at Costco we are just fine. Texture Fresh raw chicken has a glossy, somewhat soft. Both meals had this texture problem and were very unenjoyable to eat. I have been completely avoiding chicken for the last 6 months, then ended up at mcdonald's last week and ordered a chicken legend on auto-pilot. In summary, in the chicken manufacturers desire to meeting the growing demand of "white" breast meat, the chickens have been getting larger and larger through feeding techniques. I eat it but it is very concerning. I only purchase breast fillets now as they tend to be thinner than the full breast and haven't had the issue since.
