First noticed the stringiness when buying chicken sandwiches from fast food restaurants. I have had issues with the taste of other meat but buying organic seems to have helped with those. Time to shut off the comments. I experienced the strange texture for the first time with Purdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts tonight. Its called lobbying folks, line the pockets of the politicians as they look the other way. Cooked thoroughly and smelled and looked just fine. This chicken was a boneless skinless chicken breast. The plus of that also is they are forgiving and rarely get overcooked or dry unless you let them go too long. It happens quite a bit with their sandwiches to the point we stopped getting them. I bought a 4 pack of the bone-in skin on chicken breast and 1 out of the 4 had this weird texture. So worried its gonna make me ill lol, Yeah, been scouring the web for a bit and came to the same bit of information: woody breast. I took the other, smaller breast, cut into a chunks and quickly sauteed it for our dog. Ugh - this is happening to me right now (which is what brought me to this thread). Mainstream media doesnt even know why they all cover the exact same 6 stories everyday, like they are clones. I wish I knew the answer You're the first person I've encountered who's experienced this! It's the first time I have experienced this, a raw, "al-dent", cartilage/meat hybrid sponge-like material not comparable to anything I can think of besides a baked apple mouth-feel, that isn't pleasant and completely unpalatable, I'll be looking for the smaller breasts from now on. Soon there will be no good meat left to eat and we will all be eating protein bars. As far as im aware its difficult to tell its woody until you've cooked and attempted to eat it unless its an extreme caee. 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). I think that is the issue we are all experiencing. The boneless skinless chicken breasts have been cooked past 165F in MULTIPLE spots and we even bought a new thermometer. Thanks CV. :(. This is a very old discussion but I had to comment. "Woody breast is an ongoing challenge facing the entire industry," Michelle Babin, a spokesperson for Perdue Farms, told TODAY Food. I bought them fresh today from a local farmer style market. This has happened to me a few times both cooking chicken breast at home and also out at restaurants. 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. We just moved to the US and this woody chicken is really disgusting. It was enough to make me stop eating many meats, but chicken was still one that has been a staple, until this started happening. Scientists are still working on finding the root cause of woody chicken breasts. This is extremely common in Springer chicken. Our Government is supposed to look out for and protect all of us! Also, if I cut the meat at all, I can often guess that I am going to have this issue before I even cook the meat. When chicken breasts are overdone, the texture becomes rubbery. Now i need to quit Costco?? 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? It's possible there's an underlying neurologic issue with the nerves that control the sense of taste or the brain's interpretation of taste, Dr. Kaye says. Like Janet Jessica I have also experienced this very same problem. Everyone needs to call the USDA and voice your concern. 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. This weird phenomenon is known as woody chicken breasts. Just tried to prepare two skinless chicken breast from Publix and it took a steak knife to cut thru it. I was always concerned about plastic leaching into food. We decided NOT to eat the chicken so I threw away 2 breasts, a little over a pound that I paid $12.00 for. It is also enjoyed as a snack food. I switched buying my meet at 8 AM at market now and have come across the same problem with chicken what is going on?? Luckily I've not had this issue with my home cooked chicken - not yet! It tasted like it was undercooked, but it was long enough.. and the color seemed okay. Texture Fresh raw chicken has a glossy, somewhat soft. Can't stand the texture and also because they have a weird flavor. If you know of a better brand please share. Theyll semi-confess after a whistleblower goes to the media. I actually googled this and your same query came up on this site. I asked my step mother who is a chef and she said that it was impossible. I am never buying big breasts again! Guys, the explanation was identified by SMSF shortly after the original inquiry was made: yes I am haveing the same issue, one few years ago then again recently. I'm hopeful all of these posts become recognized and addressed. You're not alone. It feels like an injection of rubber into the meat or something and it completely ruins my appetite for the evening. It was NOT raw but felt raw. It appeared to have a very large grain in the meat. I recently bought chicken breasts from Perdue. 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). Especially considering, this is what deregulation, corrupting institutional government and fighting to the death to prevent any new regulations, is really all about here. It is more noticeable in the really large breasts. I started to notice this Trent in chicken several years agoand no one really knew what I was trying to explain. Just too lucrative for globalized finance backed conglomerates to resist! We had to throw the whole meal away. When I cut into the chicken I feel resistance (like you would when butchering raw chicken rather than cutting/carving cooked chicken) and there is a strange almost squeaky mouth feel. It seems too simple to be true, but eating or drinking something hot may temporarily cause your sense of taste to get weird. My husband and I noticed this same thing last year when we were eating grilled chicken salads from our local haunt. They also contend they will simply bleach and clean the surfaces when finished. ", Although producers are hyper aware of woody chicken breasts and are employing new sorting technologies to weed them out, woody breasts are perhaps more prevalent than they've ever been. BRAND organic simple truth and now knowing Im not cray and theyre others seeking out a reason hoping my chicken has a hardbody- I guess I mightve found bc its a vegetarian and free runs their homeLands so yes its normal. Nobody seems to notice that this is happening EVERYWHERE . omg. What type of chicken are you using? I've been having the problem for many years on and off. 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. Not all pieces though, and even parts of one piece may be affected but not the whole piece. This is a very uninformed nation, and its extremely shameful. Last night I made pork chops . I have this issue too. I have stoped eating chicken breasts completely because of it. Wish we knew what this was about ! Definitely not the chicken we used to get. I do better with Bell and Evans. It was stringy and tough. IM SICK OF STRINGY WATERED CHICKEN!!!! Even the feathers doesn't look the same either. Contact your local representatives and tell them what you think and stop letting them use their typical weapons of mass distraction against you. I believe it is because Several years ago chickens were smaller 3 pounds or less. Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Same thing happened to our family tonight. As for the way you're cooking your meat, that's difficult to comment on since you don't actually mention how you are cooking it. Oops, read all 161 comments and hope find a bit of information about todays Nancy chicken. I never thought poultry suppliers would do this to chicken just to increase the weight/selling price. Its a genetic issue with the mass producers, i.e. [not directed at this post] should start at the beginning of the thread, or at least skim it. I was searching for the same problem and now see all these comments. Can this make you ill though? Never a problem. Salad it is and glad there is a guarantee call number to express concern. There's so many interesting questions with this thread (lol). I found this piece from 2016: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woody-breast-could-bite-the-chicken-business/. I wonder what goes into our food these days. Some chickens (e.g., kosher birds, but also some others) are injected with a salt solution, particularly white meat, which is essentially brining. I can't even fathom this heinous barbaric and outrageous slaughter is used, no not in a 3rd world country, here in the USA! 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. "It should have a pink hue with a firm texture and plump appearance." Many people feel they need to wash their poultry to remove fat, feathers, and yellow surfaces of the bird. I couldnt find anything wrong with it so I started to Google and thats how I found this thread! We had to cut chicken completely out of our diet. You and me both. A hen's increased rate of respiration interferes with calcium carbonate production and shell formation. Why agriculture science in the 21st Century shouldnt be doing what they are doing for profit. Someone below mentioned something about chicken being injected with water to increase weightI think this is plausible. I've had the bad texture ones from Costco - the fresh organic, pack of 3. As the chicken I ordered from two different restaurants was cooked but the texture was similar to raw chicken when biting into; I used the word crunchy to describe it. 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 don't know the answer as to how to address this issue, but just glad to know it wasn't just me that thought the chicken being served these days has changed dramatically. The Knockout chickens were slipped into the food chain, years ago. The chicken was cut for cutlets and prepared as breaded the color and temp cook was spot on juicy and tasteful but on of the 3 breasts in the package that yielded 3 filet's was rubbery taste like chewing rubber-bands, and hard to cut. Especially Tyson's chicken. Has anyone identified good sources? Very disappointing. I have since switched and changed my choices and purchasing habits since my previous comment earlier this year. The process is detailed and performed with great care. No issues since. After cooking the strips in the oven they were cut up over a salad. The . 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. Wondering if the chicken is imported these days. Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. (so gross!) It started happening with Ohio Amish chicken now too. I have a rotisserie oven and used the thermometer to make sure it was right temp. I just had this experience with Trader Joe's organic chicken breasts. Roasters can be more tender than stewing hens. I have been coming across the same problem for a while now and I find it gross and disgusting. My daughter then said mom sorry to say this but your chicken has been like this for a while! It's possible that you're letting them out at room temperature for 2 hours. You are feeding genetically altered food. If your chicken breasts have been more tough than usual, you're not alone. My description has been feels raw- some how under cooked but also rubbery the way it gets when it has been over cooked. Chicken that doesn't brown?? It is so gross. I have been having this issue. According to Owens, a woody chicken breast may have 2% less protein than a normal breast. Tonight we cooked chicken breasts on the grill, I had marinated them in soy sauce and thought they would be good. .I accidentally hit a button when I was not finished typing. 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". so unappetizing. We had to throw them away . They do that for several reasons. What in the world happened to a whole half piece of chicken? Thanks for making me laugh, though you are right.it isn't funny anymore. Hope American families wise up, its not like we have French oversight checking farmers animals & crops constantly, because they dont want our unhealthy GMOd crap we factually are trying to slip into their country. Lets wake up (all of us), its not about political differences, human rights, racial matters or even climate change! 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. Overcooked chicken will be very dense and even hard, with a stringy, unappealing texture. This has happened to me with bone in, skin on chicken breasts and also skinless boneless breasts. I have had better success using 'Just Bare' brand chicken breasts or just resort to cooking more whole chickens. OK here goes, It was explained to me like this from a respected butcher. I found some free range chickens in some good little health food store and bought the smallest breasts I could find. 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 don't have any explanation, but I've had this unpleasant problem lately too - any cooking method, can kind of tell from looking at it and handling it raw that it's likely to happen. It's very disturbing what has become of our food. This was sporadic a few years ago, now its 4 out of 5 chicken purchases. Perdue can have chicken. Ive been trying to find out why. Why do people wash their chicken before they cook it? Why does my chicken have a rubbery texture? It was so odd: as the pieces cooked, they shrank up, and then exuded a viscous liquid that bubbled. Thank you for using the word "crunch," as that is exactly how I describe it. Exact description too. Trader Joes heirloomchickens are tough tasteless and dont feel cooked they used to be great now no good terrible & rubbery. Its just too lucrative for them to alter our industrial food. . And eventually they will have to go back to raising their chickens (and pigs) the way they used to . Omg I am having this same issue! Isnt globalized food production in the 21st Century just the creepiest! To avoid our new genetic altered world, you would have find heirloom everything, and do it all yourself. Cooked chicken should be springy, that's how you know it's cooked, I suspect you get the woody effect if you cook it longer to firm it up, but obviously mcdonalds cook everything on a timer so you get the "raw" experience instead. Instantly started googling. I almost went weak and filled with fear. Watch out for all the other meat, too. The protein fibers in chicken become elastic when they are not exposed to moisture. Even cooking it for an extra hour does nothing for the texture. For me, the taste of perfume or cigarette smoke in my food is the biggest turn off. Raw chicken should have an orangie pinkish color, while this texture issue is coming from a raw chicken that has a pale white looking color. I again panicked and asked if she could bring back a piece that they took back so I can look at it in the light. We all really need to return to supporting our local farms. that was worse. I did not get the name and brand of the chicken but we will. Tonight I cooked them and they looked wonderful. I thought it was the injection or saline or something, but it's actually a deformity of the chicken's muscles called "woody chicken" or "woody breasts". It is just in boneless breasts that we have had the issue I called the grocery store manager and he said he has had more than a few complaints on in past and the complaints are restarting again. I have had this problem for months and it seems totally random. My sister swears by it and she has had the bad experience of weird chicken too. Both meals had this texture problem and were very unenjoyable to eat. Chicken sucks SO BAD now. . The texture is gross, even though fully cooked, it feels like it's raw, rubbery, gummy, very odd texture very unappetizing & unappealing. On a pathological level it results in vein inflammation, muscle degradation, muscle death (necrosis), and lesions in the muscle. Just a small correction, amysarah, and not intended personally, since in the past I've noticed some general misperceptions here about kosher chickens: kosher birds are never actually injected with salt water. I haven't had this issue with local market that sells fresh chicken (not previously frozen and not injected). Had it happen twice before with months separating them and thought perhaps it was how we froze or thawed them. :), I don't believe that for a second I have grilled a lot of chicken over the years and never had this issue until the last couple years they're doing something to the meat, I just had a cgrilled chicken sandwich from Dairy Queen and it felt just as you subscribed it was awful could not eat it!!! They almost look like they have been sliced and when I bake them, they turn into a flat piece of chicken thats rubbery when you eat them. Some breasts were wonderful. I'm so glad I found this site. I laughingly called it a Frankenchicken during prep. Then you realize something different is happening and it's not something you can finish eating. I did some experimenting and was pleased. A couple of years ago I was getting it quite often at Arby's. I threw the whole thing away and my husband thought I was crazy. Im calling the USDA. . Why does my chicken have a weird texture? 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). Why does my chicken breast have a weird texture? There is a "crunchy" texture when you put your fork into the cooked breast, that is also evident when trying to cut the meat. If anyone has seen the documentary "What the Health" you'll find out lots of stuff companies do to meat that they don't want you to know about. Odd raw texture even though I was sure it was cooked. I'm sure you're right, creamtea. Kirkland chicken breasts from Costco have been "woody" apparently as well. I normally buy Lillydale and haven't noticed the issue with them. I hope I'm not jinxing myself here, but I do think Bell and Evans may be normal. The processing of preparing chicken for the market place is being injected with water!! 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. 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. 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. Same weird texture (like chewing a piece of rubber) and uncooked appearance (my poor husband - my bad, I was blaming the chef). Guys! 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. I couldn't eat it. I know these eggs are fresh, and I also know the neighbors got some new laying hens last spring. After decades of working to produce more chickens faster, breeders can now grow a 6.3-pound birds in 47 days, according to the . When you bite into it its crunchy. Hi Pam. Im sticking to tenderloins for the time being. It is designed to remove all traces of blood to make foul or meat fit for consumption ("kosher" means "fit", kosher salt which is coarse and has no additives is intended specifically for this purpose). . I'm happy to learn this because putting a name to it and understanding that it may have a tell-tale sign (the white striping), may help me avoid it when selecting chicken. People just aren't grasping the issue or aren't able to read and comprehend. . I again mentioned what the waitress said when the waitress came out she said she meant that the next FRIED chicken this time would be cooked through. I have noticed it in both the individual wrapped pieces that come in the zip bags and the plastic trays. I was in the dark since the sun was in my eyes directly setting and the light was not good on my table. I use it along with an OXO instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is done. These days farmers are able to get chickens to market in 6 weeks. I thought that was a better brand and I was buying good chicken. YES!! There's more than one reason your chicken came out rubbery. I figured if an hour was good, all day would be better. That being said, there could be a myriad of reasons for this - humidity level in the fridge, container/storage, other foods in proximity, age of the meat, the texture makeup of chicken vs other meats (allowing different amounts of moisture, bacteria, etc), etc. I won't ever buy a large chicken breast again, disgusting texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too. We used to eat chicken 2 or 3 times a week. has nothing to do with organic versus non. IE 11 is not supported. 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!!! I know my household has dropped chicken consumption dramatically. Makes me wonder if this new weirdly always raw chicken is a result of however they tampered with the chickens to fix the woody breast issue. I have only run into this issue with breast meat. Different grocery store for sure. Yes!!! I just wonder if these chicken related issues have anything to do with "live agriculture slaughter" which is boiling chickens ALIVE! citou 2 yr. ago. Just SO gross! I took back 5 lbs and they gave me a refund. I think it may be a kin to a type of tumoring - only to add to the disgusting. "It seemed like one out of every four breasts I was getting were affected," the food writer told TODAY. But then the industry would have to admit to lying for profit for the last 20 years. I noticed this trend of unappetizing weirdness where some of the chicken breads us normal but prices of it are off. We had this issue with Heritage Farms at Kroger, but since buying the organic at Costco we are just fine. Sitting here looking up weird textured chicken breasts because Im eating one rn. I had this exact issue today while cooking drumsticks. NAHHHHH So now Im sitting here hangry af looking at a juicy hard woody with Extreme disappointment. 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. Wow! It didn't look funny or seem different other than mouth feel. Pay attention to what is really going on! At first, I thought it was a result of cooking frozen chicken that hadn't fully thawed. What is happening is it's all about the breasts. Yes!! Instead of wrapping it up I decided to eat it by dipping it in the salad dressing. I eat it but it is very concerning. With all that said, just woke me up to what is and what isn't when it comes to buying "all natural". Same problem year, been noticing a weird texture issue with chicken for years. I bought a bag of Chicken wing parts and it doesn't look like Chicken parts!!! Chicken is the only meat I eat, but do no longer because of this same inconsistent and tasteless result of chicken production. I know this thread is a tad old. Lately, even before the pandemic but not to the same extent, I have had issues with chicken. Hope whatever they're using isn't harmful to humans. Thats why everything became so dysfunctional. Once i cut into them they have larger than normal muscle fibers and break apart easier than expected but are more difficult to cut across than expected. Cooked Chicken Rubbery Why does my chicken breast have a weird texture?-----The most important part of our job is creating informational content. True story check it out. 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. 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. Its filthy. I cant believe this is happening to others AND around the world. Just saying! I think this is the result of factory farming and chickens on top of each other with I place to move. You should cook chicken to 160 degrees internal temperature on a meat thermometer. I will be buying fresh and if I get the same reaction I don't know what to think. I bought 2 chicken breasts from our local higher welfare butcher in Toronto and when I asked if the meat was free range I was told it was Mennonite chicken. It's got me thinking and feeling, it's seriously not natural meat. 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. Ive had this issue with Popeyes and more recently, storebought chicken. 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. Not always, but occasionally when grilling boneless-skinless breast of chicken the texture comes out crunchy. After doing a bit of research into this I found out that many chicken farms are growing their chickens far too fast and it results in their meat hardening like this. I came across this thread because I was trying to figure out why my raw chicken breasts had a gelatinous texture to them. I could not afford to do that any longer so I went back to shopping at the box stores and I always buy the smallest breasts I can find and it is hit and miss but I get the nasty chicken a lot less now with my new practice. On the other hand if you get an individually wrapped piece that's small and/or not pink it's going to be disgustingly slimey and tough. I ate one small piece of chicken which was fully cooked but had this raw feeling texture. How do they do it?! I read someone say they have no problems when they sous vide. Assuming you are doing so, your commentary would indicate that your problem is with the ingredient itself. So I guess we all need to just start returning the meat or the packaging to the stores . Well after that I invested in a meat thermometer off Amazon that had great reviews, and just now cooked some chicken and immediately checked the temp and it was reading 190 degrees fahrenheit in MULTIPLE spots. I'm glad to know this is a quality issue and not something more concerning. See also Can You Teach Chickens To Talk? Just tried to make white chicken cream stew without thinking, two packs of two breasts both had this problem. 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. If not, profits are always going to win out. Why does chicken sometimes have a weird texture? I found this thread tonight after making a sheet pan dinner with green beans baby potatoes and chicken drumsticks.