How to Check Chicken Meat

Preparing dinner can become a real challenge when you're hungry and in a rush, but it's essential to make sure the chicken is still safe to eat. Spoiled chicken can cause food poisoning after consumption, and it's not just raw chicken that's risky—cooked chicken can be harmful too. But what if you have frozen chicken? You can determine whether it's still safe to use by relying on your sight, touch, and taste.

Examine the color changes. Fresh raw chicken should have a bright pink color. As the meat begins to spoil, it will turn gray. If the chicken darkens, you should use it right away before it deteriorates further. Once the meat turns gray instead of pink, it's too late.

• The raw chicken's color may shift to gray with some yellow spots, but not the skin.
• If you cook spoiled chicken, it will remain dark instead of turning white.

Smell the chicken meat. If raw chicken has gone bad, it will have a strong odor. Some people describe it as a "sour" smell, while others say it smells like ammonia. If the chicken starts to smell foul or unpleasant, it's best to discard it.

• Chicken can also begin to smell off when cooking. If you notice any strange odor, it's safest to throw it away.

Touch the meat. Is it slimy? Feeling the meat can be trickier than inspecting its color or smell because chicken naturally has a smooth, slippery texture when touched. However, if the chicken remains slimy even after washing, it may have spoiled. Additionally, if the meat feels mushy or sticky, it's likely nearing its expiration point.

Check for ice buildup on the meat. A thick layer of ice on the chicken indicates that the meat is no longer fresh. This ice will resemble the solid blocks you find in a freezer that hasn't defrosted for a long time. Freshly frozen chicken won't have thick ice layers if stored properly. If the ice appears white, it may be a sign of freezer burn.

Inspect for freezer burn marks. Freezer burn appears as white spots or streaks on the chicken, but it's not fat. These areas are usually firmer than the surrounding skin and may appear slightly swollen.

• While freezer burn doesn't pose a health risk, it can affect the flavor and texture of the chicken, making it less enjoyable to eat.

Carefully inspect the color. Checking the color of frozen chicken is harder to do. The chicken can darken, much like raw or cooked meat, showing pale gray or yellowish fat tones. If the meat appears dark gray, it's best to discard it.

Smell the chicken. Smelling cooked chicken is similar to checking raw chicken, but it can be trickier if the seasoning overpowers the natural scent of the meat.

• If the chicken smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, it has spoiled.

Look for color changes when possible. Sometimes, you can't check the color if the chicken is coated in batter or if the seasoning causes color changes. If the cooked chicken has changed from white to gray, it is no longer safe to eat.

Check for mold. Mold is one of the clearest signs that chicken has gone bad and should be discarded. If you see green or black spots or any microbial growth on the surface, the chicken has spoiled and must be thrown away immediately. Even a 'strange' smell at this point can be unpleasant.

Test the chicken before swallowing. If you're unsure whether the cooked chicken is safe to eat and want to avoid wasting it, you can taste a small piece. Instead of chewing and swallowing right away, chew slowly and stop to check the flavor.

• If the meat tastes 'off' or sour, don't swallow it and discard the remaining portion.

Check the "Sell By" date. This doesn't necessarily indicate if raw chicken is still safe to eat, as the "Sell By" date simply shows when it should no longer be sold to consumers. Rather than relying on the "Sell By" date, it's better to use it to determine if your chicken has passed its freshness window.

• If you buy fresh chicken that's been frozen at the store, it can remain safe for up to 9 months after the sell by date, as long as it was fresh when purchased.

Check how the chicken is stored. Cooked chicken spoils faster if left out in the open air, and improper storage increases the risk of spoilage.

• Chicken should be stored in a shallow, airtight container or in bags designed for freezing.
• You can also wrap the chicken tightly in foil or plastic wrap.
• For example, to keep a whole chicken safe for eating, it should be cut into smaller pieces and any stuffing removed before refrigerating or freezing.

Understand how and how long chicken is stored. The freshness of chicken depends on how it is stored. Once the storage period is over, chicken is at high risk of spoiling.

• Raw chicken in the fridge should be used within 1 or 2 days, while cooked chicken can last 3 to 4 days.
• Well-stored cooked chicken in the freezer can still be eaten after 4 months, while raw chicken can be stored up to a year.

• If you notice the chicken has a "gray" color or feels "slimy", it has indeed spoiled and should be discarded immediately.
• If the chicken has thawed, it should be cooked right away.
• If the chicken has been frozen, thawed, and then refrozen, discard it.