Why did my organic chicken come out like rubber after roasting?
I had two chicken halves that were frozen. I thawed them out most of the way. I put olive oil and rosemary and sage on them, placed them into a dutch oven with the lid off and a bit of chicken stock in the bottom, and put the dutch oven into the oven at 375 degrees until the inside of the breast was done (according to meat thermometer).
The chicken came out chewy and rubbery. It was still moist, but just almost inedible. Can I blame the chicken?
Best Answer
It sounds like your chicken was simply overcooked. If you used a built in pop-up timer, these almost always are set to a temperature which will overcook your poultry.
Some authorities recommend cooking white meat to 170 F (77 C), but this will leave your chicken dry and overcooked.
My personal preference is to cook white meat to about 158 F (70 C) in the oven, and then let carry over cooking bring it up a couple more degrees while it rests. This should leave your white meat much more succulent.
Similarly, dark meat should be cooked to a temperature (to my preference) of at least 165 F (74 C) although it is much more tolerant of being overcooked. This can be tricky when roasting a whole chicken.
Some things you can do help cook a chicken more evenly:
- Cut it into parts, and roast the parts (obviously, this is ideal as each can be removed when done)
- Use a high quality probe or instant read thermometer, in the thickest part of the breast or thigh, to get an accurate internal reading. To ensure accuracy, check a couple of spots, and apply the lowest temperature.
- If you don't want to fully cut it up, butterfly or "spatchcock" the chicken
- Brine the chicken (although I personally prefer simply to not overcook in the first place)
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Quick Answer about "Why did my organic chicken come out like rubber after roasting?"
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. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.What does it mean when cooked chicken is rubbery?
Overcooked chicken can have a rubbery texture because when the protein fibers are exposed to the heat for too long, they lose their elasticity. If you've ever overcooked a piece of chicken before, you'll know that it loses most of its moisture this way, too.Is organic chicken rubbery?
Can Organic Chicken Become Rubbery When Cooked? Organic chickens do tend to have a chewier texture and do tend to become rubbery much quicker and more easily. This is because of the way they have been raised and fed.Why does chicken get a weird texture?
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. The protein fibers in chicken become elastic when they are not exposed to moisture.6 mistakes to avoid when cooking chicken!
More answers regarding why did my organic chicken come out like rubber after roasting?
Answer 2
Most meat thermometers with "done" indicators error on the 'really-over-cooked' side (they don't want legal trouble with undercooked food issues). Your best bet is to use a real accurate digital thermometer like a Polder and follow SAJ14SAJ's temperature recommendations (or establish your own).
Notice that he's indicated breast and legs are done at two different temperatures with breast being ~10°F lower. A couple of degrees make a big difference in doneness.
Also, organic chickens tend to be tougher since they stand a chance of actually using some of their muscles. Cook them at a lower temperature for longer time so the tissue has time to breakdown.
Answer 3
Your chicken had "woody breast syndrome". The Wall Street Journal wrote an article last year on this new phenomenon. The bigger the chicken the more likely it is to have this condition. Overcooked chicken would be dry and stringy. Your chicken breast sound like "woody breast" chickens.
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