Chicken Again? Yes, When the Recipes Are This Good! (2024)

FAQs

Is this chicken cooked enough? ›

Poke the Meat

This method applies to chicken specifically. For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.

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.

If your chicken is slimy, has a foul smell, or has changed to a yellow, green, or gray color, these are signs that your chicken has gone bad. Toss any chicken that's past its use-by date, has been in the fridge for more than 2 days raw or 4 day cooked, or has been in the temperature danger zone for over 2 hours.

Related Story. Make a small cut into the thickest part of the poultry, and if it still appears pink or any blood is present, then the chicken is most likely raw, says Dr. Bonheur. And the same sort of idea applies with any fluids: if the juice is still pink-tinged, then toss it back in the pan.

Kenji López-Alt notes in “The Food Lab.” The combination of temperature and time can help determine when chicken is safe to eat. He says that chicken cooked to 155 degrees and held there for about 44 seconds allows for a sufficient reduction in bacteria; at 160 degrees, it's about 14 seconds.

A whole chicken or turkey can be kept in the freezer for up to one year. Chicken or turkey in pieces can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months. Ground chicken or turkey is best consumed within three to four months if frozen from the date of purchase.

At the grocery store, the best chicken you can buy will be organic, free-range or pasture raised, antibiotic free, and air-chilled. This combo is the winner, winner chicken dinner.

Fresh poultry appears moist, smooth, and pink. While mold definitely means the chicken is past its prime, there are some more subtle signs: Spoiled poultry might look slimy, dried, discolored, or have discoloration that ranges from yellow to gray and green. There's also the smell to consider.

From a food safety perspective, washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking it is not recommended as the safest method. If you wash meat or poultry, some bacteria can be splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen, which can make you sick if not properly cleaned and sanitized.

Is it okay if chicken is a little pink? ›

Safely cooked poultry can vary in color from white to pink to tan. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

The United States Department of Agriculture does not recommend eating or tasting raw or undercooked poultry. Poultry may contain harmful bacteria. Thorough cooking is important to kill any bacteria that may be present in the food.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) instructs us to cook meat to a safe internal temperature: namely, 165 degrees for poultry and 145 for beef and pork.

Fresh, raw chicken is pink and fleshy in color; if the chicken has gone bad it will be discolored and take on a dull, grayish cast. “Signs of food spoilage are pretty universal,” White says. “Any foul odor, discoloration or foreign substances on your chicken would be grounds for tossing.”