Raw chicken isn’t much to look at. Nothing is super appetizing about it but rub on some oils and herbs and roast it—delicious! It’s why so many Americans can look past the grossness of this raw meat and consume 8 billion chickens each year—that’s 201 pounds per person per year on average!
But did you know that 1 in 4 pieces of chicken carry bacteria that can make you sick? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness each year with 1 million of those cases coming from poultry.
We consulted with Heather Danielson, MA, RDN, director of guest services at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City, AZ, for the 411 on how to check if your chicken is safe to consume or if it’s time to toss it out; but first, here’s why chicken can be dangerous.
4 ways to tell your chicken is bad
Whether frozen or raw, here’s how to tell if chicken is bad and it’s time to bag it up and toss it out.
Checking the “best by date” is the first step to see if raw chicken is safe to eat. If the printed date on the package of chicken passed, the quality of the meat might not be great anymore.
“A general rule of thumb, if the raw chicken has a sell by date, only use or freeze it within 3 to 5 days of that date,” Danielson said. “If you purchased ready-to-eat chicken, that can be stored for up to a week if it’s held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.”
Uncooked frozen chicken can last about 9 to 12 months in the freezer. Check out these tips to properly defrost and thaw your meat.
Fresh raw chicken should have a pink hue to it with fat parts being white. If the color fades, it’s looking yellow or gray in color, has mold or a different color tinge, it’s no longer safe to eat.
When purchasing frozen chicken, check for signs of thawing and refreezing. “This would be fluid stains on packaging and frozen liquids on the food or inside the packaging,” Danielson said. “This shows signs of time temperature abuse and should be discarded.”
Bad chicken will have a strange and unpleasant (funky) odor, sometimes even like rotten eggs. Fresh raw poultry may not be totally odor-free, but it shouldn’t smell funky. If it’s sour smelling, out it goes.
If it looks OK and smells OK but feels extra slimy, sticky or dry from freezer burn, it’s time to say goodbye. “Raw chicken can have a somewhat slimy feel to it, but if it has a slimy feel after it is rinsed off and patted dried, it’s no longer good,” Danielson said.
Another test is to press down on the meat. If the flesh is so soft it leaves an imprint, it’s likely bad.
Is there any way you can salvage bad chicken?
“It’s not worth the risk,” Danielson said. The last thing you want is to be holed up by your toilet sick with food poisoning.
Here’s How To Tell If Chicken Has Gone Bad
Why is my chicken slimy?
If the chicken is slimy, there’s a chance that it’s gone bad. That’s part of what we’re here to discuss. The sliminess is typically caused by the presence of bacteria. These cause the proteins and fats in the meat to break down, leading to a mushy or slimy texture. These types of bacteria won’t necessarily lead to food poisoning.
Why is my chicken slimy after defrosting?
Chicken can be slimy after defrosting due to the fact that moisture expands when it’s frozen. Most of the time, though, slimy chicken serves as a warning sign. If the meat smells foul or shows any other signs of spoilage, discard it immediately. Slimy chicken is unpleasant to touch, but it could cause even bigger problems.
How to prevent slimy chicken?
To prevent slimy chicken, it is important to cook the chicken properly. Overcooking can cause the chicken to become dry and tough, and it can also result in a slimy texture. To avoid this, cook the chicken until it reaches a safe internal temperature, but avoid overcooking it. It is also important to store the chicken properly.
Can you cook chicken if it is slimy?
It is also important to store the chicken properly. Chicken that is improperly stored can become slimy due to the growth of bacteria or other contaminants. To prevent this, store the chicken in the refrigerator or freezer, and cook it within a day or two of purchasing it. If the chicken is already slimy, you can still cook it.