In our busy schedules, we tend to do things quicker and faster. However, with cooking chicken, it’s a bit confusing. Many people believe cooking chicken is a quick process of merely a few minutes. But, it’s not true!
It requires patience to cook chicken. That’s a general rule for cooking any protein-rich food. If you don’t cook chicken properly, the chances of food poisoning are high.
Fortunately, nature has blessed us with powerful indicators that tell if the chicken is undercooked; the sense of touch, smell, taste, and sight.
In this article, I’ll discuss four telltale signs to tell if the chicken is undercooked. I’ll also share the ideal internal temperature for cooked chicken.
The best way to determine if raw chicken nuggets are cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of a nugget, and it should register at least 165°F (74°C). Alternatively, you can cut one open to check if it’s no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Undercooked Chicken Texture—What does eating undercooked chicken feel like
After color, the texture is the best way to check if the chicken is undercooked. That’s because chicken feels like a jiggly jelly—rubbery, slimy, and shiny in texture when undercooked. Also, it’s somewhat dense and mushy to touch with an unpleasant smell that will scream “Cook Me!”
Well, that’s one way to tell if the chicken is undercooked when you’re cooking it. But how to tell if chicken is undercooked if you’re baking?
It’s fairly easy to tell if chicken is undercooked in the baking technique. The undercooked chicken will appear thick and dense and the texture isn’t firm enough and flexible on pulling. Also, the undercooked chicken skin will not be crunchy and crispy as the fully cooked chicken meat.
Raw chicken, on the other hand, is soft, tender, and inflexible. Especially when you pull the meat, it doesn’t feel mushy and wet, the chicken is cooked all the way through. Another question or people have is this how long can you really keep a chicken after the sell by date? How long does it stay good for it?
Color & Appearance—What does undercooked chicken look like
One of the first ways you can tell if the chicken is fully cooked or undercooked is by observing its color. Undercooked chicken appears raw and pink from the inside and outside. However, slightly undercooked chicken may appear transparent or shiny around the edges. Sometimes, you may also find blood near the bones, especially around the thigh areas and leg pieces.
Also, improperly cooked chicken has slightly pink juices coming out of it, which can be easily checked with a fork or knife.
Comparatively, the fully cooked chicken meat turns white or tan on the outside and opaque all through with no traces of pink color whatsoever.
Here’s How To Tell If Chicken Has Gone Bad
FAQ
What happens if I eat undercooked chicken nuggets?
Can you eat fully cooked chicken nuggets?
How do you tell if chicken is undercooked while eating it?
How do you know if Chicken is uncooked?
Once cooked, the texture changes in a way where the chicken is not rubbery but has a firm texture. It has a whitish exterior with a grayish interior. If the chicken feels bouncy or rubbery while cooking then it could mean that it is still uncooked on the inside. A definitive test would be to stick a fork into the chicken.
How do you know if a chicken is underdone?
The dark meat is even more likely to maintain some hints of pink. Conversely, the meat might still be underdone even when it turns a uniform white color. That’s why the only way to be sure is to test the chicken using a well-calibrated meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer probe into the thickest portion of the cut.
How do you know if a chicken is overcooked?
As we have said above, a meat thermometer is the most reliable test. For one, a chicken with a reddish pink inside is not always undercooked. For another, a chicken could be slimy because it is greasy. Finally, a chicken can also be rubbery because it is overcooked. As you can see, it would be best to use all the methods to be sure.
What does cooked chicken look like?
Cooked chicken is not pink on the surface and has no trace of any pink hue underneath the topmost layer of the chicken too. It should be whitish and homogenous on each side when it comes to color. If there is a pink color, this would indicate that the chicken still needs to be cooked thoroughly. Raw chicken has a very distinct texture.