ive noticed this once or twice in the last few years, but more so since weve been in quarantine (past 6 months.) I have noticed it in both the individual wrapped pieces that come in the zip bags and the plastic trays. I couldnt find anything wrong with it so I started to Google and thats how I found this thread! Im sticking to tenderloins for the time being. Could this have something to do with how I'm cooking the meat? We have mostly stopped eating chicken as a result . I have noticed the odd texture for the last decade. According to Owens, a woody chicken breast may have 2% less protein than a normal breast. I'm a fan of the sandwiches in the "chicken sandwich war" with Chic Filet and Popeyes being my personal favorites. We have been eating at the same restaurant for many years and noticed around the end of 2017 the grilled chicken was 'grisly' textured. I will be buying fresh and if I get the same reaction I don't know what to think. Ugh - this is happening to me right now (which is what brought me to this thread). The texture is gross, even though fully cooked, it feels like it's raw, rubbery, gummy, very odd texture very unappetizing & unappealing. The plus of that also is they are forgiving and rarely get overcooked or dry unless you let them go too long. I think this is the result of factory farming and chickens on top of each other with I place to move. at first the thin cut breasts were better but have even had a couple of those with the weird texture. Your mention f perfume speaks to what I experienced eating Perdue chicken strips today. That's when I found this thread. I buy an occasional Bell and Evans, WF 365 branded and two local farms here in NH that do a nice job. Then you realize something different is happening and it's not something you can finish eating. I think it may be a kin to a type of tumoring - only to add to the disgusting. Consider trying to tenderize them by using a marinade or brine with yogurt or buttermilk which has enzymes that make the meat less tough. 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. If all they have is Frackenchicken then I look for a whole small chicken and I have been lucky to date. My husband wanted to try it and I gave him a piece , he popped his eyes and immediately spit the chicken out. I was searching for the same problem and now see all these comments. It's determined by the "factory chicken" to be a genetic issue caused by the process of overbreeding, called "Woody Breast Syndrome", I don't see a way to edit my last comment. When we can find smaller breasts at the store, they seem fine, but the larger breasts are rubbery and inedible. Really, why does chicken taste like this now? If I hard boil them, they are difficult to peel, the whites have a weird texture and the yolks are like rubber balls. 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. I get notifications of people complaining about the smell of their chicken tenders now? Mainstream media doesnt even know why they all cover the exact same 6 stories everyday, like they are clones. Another thing to look for? Im in Minnesota and recently just started cooking chicken (baking it) and I go above and beyond to make sure it turns out great. Chicken that has gone bad will usually have a sour or sulfur-like smell. 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 buy amish farms brand only now never have a problem. Apparently it is a muscle disorder that is related to genetic breeding. The chicken wouldn't brown, but eventually the liquid evaporated and left a brown scum/skin in the bottom of the pan. There's more than one reason your chicken came out rubbery. I did not get the name and brand of the chicken but we will. Springer touts itself as the antithesis of "factory chicken" , but its exactly what they are, and marketing throughout the years had me conviced. I read someone say they have no problems when they sous vide. As all the commenters - I too am super confused and googling why is my chicken breast stiff like a corps??? The dishonesty is systemic. I know my household has dropped chicken consumption dramatically. I couldn't eat it. I even tried fried chicken in hot oil the old way and same texture still ! omg. 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. While humans have been eating chicken for 2,200 years, woody breasts are relatively new. This usually accompanies a nasty taste like how stagnant dish pan water smells. Omg yes! Until it wasn't. Especially considering, this is what deregulation, corrupting institutional government and fighting to the death to prevent any new regulations, is really all about here. I have the same experiences in both Supermarket purchased chicken and from a few favorite restaurants. 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. This is due to chicken farms trying to increase yield on the chickens, causing them to grow larger than they naturally should. It had such a horrible texture, like almost crunchy but was cooked all the way through! The only constant is that my chicken is often on the cold side and I tend to cook (particularly on weeknights) with high heat. She got irritated and refused to go into the garbage, although it was probably right on top. 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". I only ate a few pieces before throwing it away. It happened to me too last night for the first time in my life. I seriously gag when I bite into a piece and my husband thinks Im crazy! Many people also like to coat the chicken in lemon juice and/or vinegar. 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. :(. I was thinking it's got to be something either in what the chickens are being fed or what companies are doing to them. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and grill for 15-25 minutes, turning once or twice. The breasts are where the money is. I buy my chickens and rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods or the organic ones at Costco. It grosses me out. Scientists are still working on finding the root cause of woody chicken breasts. Manager asked me to call right away if it happens again, so they can trace the provider. We really eat a lot of chicken but this crunchy chicken breast issue ( which happens about 25% of the time) is turning me off to even buying breasts anymore. I normally buy Lillydale and haven't noticed the issue with them. Marinate the pork chops in a sealed container in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. Ive noticed it one other time. Do you think like genetics of chickens are changing really rapidly because of the use of all these antibiotics and chemicals? Why does my chicken breast have a weird texture? I doubt there's any way to tell without some specific control tests. But I would say, dark meat just a bit under is pretty close to that rubbery "crunch-like" unpleasant texture. some were very thin and a couple were thick breasts. They even had the packaging date on the wrapper - today, Jan 5th. I have stoped eating chicken breasts completely because of it. I think I have some form of PTSD now from eating it. Others had a very odd, off putting texture. I will add, I haven't had an issue since moving away from Springer 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. Well, I'm an old fogey and I've been cooking chicken for decades (whole and parts) a variety of ways, at a wide range of temperatures, using all sorts of pans, pots, grills, heat sources, etc. I took it out briefly to check it every 20 mins or so in utter disbelief, but it was like there was so much water in the fibres of the meat that it couldn't dry up and finish cooking. 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. 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. Its gross. Just SO gross! 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. Pretty frustrating.putting it back in the oven has seemed to fix it sometimes, but more often not. Ive been buying tenderloins only because of woody breasts but its so expensive. The chicken felt the same as the last chicken I bought which was probably 2 weeks ago. The protein fibers in chicken become elastic when they are not exposed to moisture. Marinading chicken (or any protein) in an acid for too long can make it mushy. Never a problem. We get our chicken from Gelson's, an upscale market here in the Los Angeles area. no more wal mart. The potatoes and beans were great, the chicken not so much. Im now part of this club, unfortunately. Never had a problem with Whole Foods regular antibiotic free Rotisserie chicken. I'll be the first to call the USDA today thanks everyone get on your phones. It seems too simple to be true, but eating or drinking something hot may temporarily cause your sense of taste to get weird. It has a slightly rubbery and even shiny appearance. when I sawed into the thin one it didn't even look cooked. Thank you for sharing this information. 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. To avoid our new genetic altered world, you would have find heirloom everything, and do it all yourself. See also Why Is My Chicken Sitting On Eggs All Day? I was in the dark since the sun was in my eyes directly setting and the light was not good on my table. Why does my chicken taste weird after cooking? 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. chicken breasts - normally Tyson brand. It's why Greg Caggiano stopped buying non-organic chicken. My husband even e perform ex this with a McDonalds grilled chicken sandwich. .I accidentally hit a button when I was not finished typing. But I'd take dry over this new crazy chicken texture. However, a woody chicken breast is characterized by a tougher or, as Owens likes to say, "more complex" consistency. Look up "Woody Brest". And yes, it tends to be the larger ones sold at the butcher counter as singles (by the piece, boned, skinless). It's almost as if it's a tire rubber texture in my mouth. "It should have a pink hue with a firm texture and plump appearance." Hope whatever they're using isn't harmful to humans. Woody chicken breast meat is more coarse with fibers that feel "woody" hence the name. You Ate or Drank Something Too Hot. They reimbursed me and sent me a ton of coupons which I just gave away after investigating more on the other issue; the woody breast disease which is brought on by genetic changes in overbred animals. As other commentators have correctly observed, woody breast, is essentially a muscular disorder that begins to manifest early on in the chickens life and gets progressively worse at they reach their slaughter, weight, which is as few as 4-5 weeks later. Why does my chicken have a weird texture? I googled this to find out if I can still serve to my family. It will take many, many customers to make a large enough demand for the poultry farmers to take notice. Chewy & rubbery but also feels uncooked. Luckily I've not had this issue with my home cooked chicken - not yet! The chickens are being grown for market too fast. I'll wait for the guys to stop giggling ( me included ). This causes stringy, weird texture. Tough dark meat usually is indicative of old bird or a tad under cooked. "It's something all poultry producers have been working to resolve.". This sounds like what I've run into. Yeah, you can't do much worse. This has happened to me with bone in, skin on chicken breasts and also skinless boneless breasts. I bought a 4 pack of the bone-in skin on chicken breast and 1 out of the 4 had this weird texture. It grossed me out so much- Ive almost stopped eating chicken altogether. If I dont think about it, Yes, I have this thread actually set to push notifications also..overcrowding. NAHHHHH So now Im sitting here hangry af looking at a juicy hard woody with Extreme disappointment. Of course, you don't have to eat the meat if you don't want to. Is there a special covering to use? "In other words, it's Fido's lucky day!". Noticing that your chicken breasts have an unpleasant texture these days? I have found that if I can peel that tough layer off, the chicken will cook normally and not have the disgusting texture. While Im normally hurt when they insult my food, I couldnt help but agree!! Watch out for all the other meat, too. 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've noticed an issue as well and it's always been difficult to describe it. June 19, 2019. :), 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!!! I only purchase breast fillets now as they tend to be thinner than the full breast and haven't had the issue since. 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. 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. 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. The owner said they were having problems with their suppliers and quality of chicken trouble and assured me that all chicken had temperature gauges in them and were done. Very odd. I'm glad to know this is a quality issue and not something more concerning. 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. Why agriculture science in the 21st Century shouldnt be doing what they are doing for profit. Enough of this multinational corporation nonsense. I see it just about every time I'm out there shopping for chicken breast, and now know what to avoid. I thought I was going to be able to save time driving, but Im going back to Whole Foods! I can usually tell when Im filleting a breast or thigh, Ive found that if I slice it thin enough and fry the heck out of it, its somewhat palatable. Im calling the USDA. 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. What I find is that the chicken has a milky white thick "skin" that is very tough and hard to cut through, and then has the same weird crunch that a lot of you have said. so disappointing; has really turned me off US chicken altogether and so sad as i used to really love white meat and would cook it at least once or twice a week! Americans have no idea, that everything American on the stock market is now majority owned by all the same Global institutional finance entities, all bought up & controlled by finance. The food has always been great but me, trying it get on track with my diet ordered grilled chicken. Foster farms chicken breasts from Costco! Someone below mentioned something about chicken being injected with water to increase weightI think this is plausible. Its filthy. Went deep into the comments and saw the name for this phenomenon: Woody Breast. 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. So relieved to know I'm not going mad. We used to eat chicken several times a week, but now I'm looking for other recipes altogether. . The Purdue Organic Chicken has been the gross stuff most of the time. . But last night, this happened when I roasted some never frozen bone in breasts from the fridge. Guys! I was happy to come across this thread. It is definitely not the way the chicken is prepared and cooked because I prepare multiple pieces at the same time and only some of them have the odd texture. Hope they sort it out soon and if not I think Ill consider going vegetarian. I am so frustrated with the cost of food vs the current quality. My description has been feels raw- some how under cooked but also rubbery the way it gets when it has been over cooked. I've been saying this for the last 18 months but nobody has noticed it except for me. Why is my chicken a weird texture? If not, profits are always going to win out. Ive been purchasing frozen 10# boxes of 5 or 6 oz. What a world we our creating for ourselves! I actually googled this and your same query came up on this site. . And you better think again if you think organic is really any better. Im in Japan and we also have this problem averaging about 1 in 10 purchased. I thought I was in the clear with this batch. Many people feel they need to wash their poultry to remove fat, feathers, and yellow surfaces of the bird. Hopefully chicken farms are seeing these complaints and are considering addressing them! that was worse. Ugh! Have not had chicken for a long time and gave it one more chance. Because anything with enzymes will breakdown fiber, even in genetically edited Frankenstein chickens. It feels like an injection of rubber into the meat or something and it completely ruins my appetite for the evening. True story check it out. When I buy smaller ckn breast I haven't had the issue. I had a chicken sandwich from Wendy's today and the middle was squishy. I've been having the problem for many years on and off. Bro this just happened to me. I was always concerned about plastic leaching into food. I bought a bag of Chicken wing parts and it doesn't look like Chicken parts!!! It's possible that you're letting them out at room temperature for 2 hours. Kirkland chicken breasts from Costco have been "woody" apparently as well. 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 now save my receipts, mark it in freezer if I choose to store it there. Even cooking it for an extra hour does nothing for the texture. Its gross. 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. Brand was Steggles chicken breast. Contact your local representatives and tell them what you think and stop letting them use their typical weapons of mass distraction against you. And we cant figure out why everyone is chronically ill post 1990. I guess I will have to start buying organic chicken breast. Woody breasts are more common in older and bigger birds. . I will follow up on this but it is still happening and it is disgusting. Negative. I experienced the strange texture for the first time with Purdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts tonight. 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. It is more noticeable in the really large breasts. 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). so I spit it out in sink and moved to the thicker pieces. Same thing. Definitely not the chicken we used to get. Just saying! As I was cutting them I felt resistance while cutting. IE 11 is not supported. I am also a private chef and luckily have never served this, that I know of anyways, to a client. That wont help you, as anyone who does research of the reality of slipping GMO birds into our food chain can discover. There's something going on in the chicken industry that we don't know about. Thank God I'm not crazy! We buy our chicken from an Amish Market in the area, so I figured we'd be safe, nope. Ill leep reading all the responses on this thread to see what everyone else thinks . Soon there will be no good meat left to eat and we will all be eating protein bars. I am so paranoid about food poisoning that I was initially wondering if my thermometer was wrong and they were somehow undercooked. That being said I have only had this happen maybe 1 - 2% of the time of eating this meat I once loved. The inside of the chicken pieces were good, it was just the surface that was mushy/chalky. Do you think they would have hurt their profits if they would have known what the long term consequences of slipping the GMO birds in would be? Interestingly one issue seems like an answer to the other. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too. BTW, 98% of the beef sold in the U.S. is cloned, and yep, their playing around with everything you eat. So this happened to me with frozen chicken breast that were cooked on the grill. 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. It felt like something should ooze out of a pocket in the middle. OK here goes, It was explained to me like this from a respected butcher. 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. It was very odd and unpalatable. Looked fine but cutting through it felt wrong, and I quickly spat it out because it legitimately tasted like raw chicken rubber. Not sure how the market will respond to this unsavory tasting chicken, I know what I have done. the squeaky feel was definitely a spot on description. Whole Foods, among others, carries it. Just too lucrative for globalized finance backed conglomerates to resist! This weird chicken texture is very sad to me as chicken is my favorite go-to meal. We had this issue with Heritage Farms at Kroger, but since buying the organic at Costco we are just fine. I scoured the internet and once I found what the problem is actually called, a lot of search results came up describing it. One had already told me about a term called "woody breast". [not directed at this post] should start at the beginning of the thread, or at least skim it. . I spit it out very quickly and started to check the chicken more. It happened months ago and just happened last week again. The chicken breasts were unusually huge (850g for 2 breasts) and Ive made two different meals out of them. I use it along with an OXO instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is done. its so strange because in a package of two breasts, one can be fine and the other inedible! Nobody seems to notice that this is happening EVERYWHERE . I havent had that problem anymore. I love chicken, I need to find something that works though. I try to avoid red meat (especially fast food burgers) and chicken breast is about the only thing on the menu i would order.not any more. I believe it is because Several years ago chickens were smaller 3 pounds or less. First off, they are HUGE, like a turkey breast. It's all about profits. I don't know why, but the wsj article seems in the right direction. This may make that woody texture. . Knowing it's fully cooked, it just plain gross. i always buy organic boneless/skinless from a local co-op so i dont think its only a mass-production problem. It looked great so I ate a couple of pieces and than BAM one piece felt raw and not cooked and rubbery and fatty and wet? I have been having this issue. I used homemade shake & bake and drizzled all with olive oil. I've been experiencing this issue for a couple of years also. 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.