I have come across this rubbery chicken phenomenon a few times and there is no explaining it although when it happens to you you definitely know it. Undercooking can also lead to a rubbery texture which is why its imperative to test the meat with a reliable instant-read thermometer.
Weve found that a salt water brine inspired by the folks at Southern Living really helps the chicken breast retain all of its juices and flavor any way you cook it.
What causes chicken breast to be rubbery. One of the most common causes of rubbery chicken is overcooking. Overcooking by either frying or baking can cause chicken to become hard to chew because the protein fibers in the meat lose moisture and elasticity from being expose to high heat for an excessive length of time. Rubbery chicken can result from a cooking error or the overall quality of the chicken you buy.
Fortunately strategies such as moist cooking and buying slow-grown chickens can prevent you from. Soak them for about 15 minutes in about a gallon of water and 2 teaspoons of backing soda. Youll see the hard fibrous outside layer of the breast turn white.
Youll also see that tough leather layer start to separate from the tenderized meat. After 15 minutes wash them. If the chicken is too rubbery it may be because the meat is overcooked.
Undercooking can also lead to a rubbery texture which is why its imperative to test the meat with a reliable instant-read thermometer. Conditions like woody chicken breast and white striping are possible culprits as well. Tonight I marinated a pack of chicken breasts before grilling them.
Two of the three breasts turned out perfectly cooked–the third had the oddest texture Ive ever experienced in chicken. It had a rubbery fatty type texture to the point that it was inedible. It looked just like the other two in terms of coloring and temperature it looked cooked.
One of the leading causes of rubbery chicken is overcooking the meat. Chicken is to be cooked quickly with relatively high heat. Since most boneless skinless breasts arent the same thickness it isnt easy to cook them evenly.
The best way to avoid overcooking is to make the chicken the same thickness all around. When you kill the bird it will have some amount of rigor happen to the meat and you have to wait for those enzymes to inactivate in the muscle tissue. Overcooking is one of the most common causes of rubbery chicken.
Because the protein fibers in the meat lose moisture and elasticity when exposed to high heat for an extended period of time overcooking chicken by frying or baking can make it difficult to chew. Im of the thought that there are probably a few reasons - some already mentioned on this thread. It seems to me that the tough and chewy ones are more than likely enhanced ha with brothwaterbrine solutions to not only make these more moist but to also increase weight for more.
One of the leading causes of rubbery chicken is overcooking the meat. Chicken is to be cooked quickly with relatively high heat. Since most boneless skinless breasts arent the same thickness it makes it difficult to cook them evenly.
One of the leading causes of rubbery chicken is overcooking the meat. Chicken is to be cooked quickly with relatively high heat. Since most boneless skinless breasts arent the same thickness it makes it difficult to cook them evenly.
Weve found that a salt water brine inspired by the folks at Southern Living really helps the chicken breast retain all of its juices and flavor any way you cook it. The salt in the water actually tenderizes the meat so when it cooks the meat wont tighten up become too tough too quickly. Why does chicken get rubbery.
When you cook meat water is released out of its cells which denatures these proteins. Besides cooking time another thing that makes chicken taste rubbery is dryness. When cooked chicken is left in a dry condition or over-cooking has caused it to be dry it will become rubbery.
A whole chicken bone in and all thatI think 180 might be a bit high for the breast but you know what you like. I do 165 in the breast and shoot for 165-170 in legs and wings. Thighs are very forgiving so you have wiggle room there.
Also when you go to cook the chicken make sure it aint wet. Why is my chicken tough and chewy. One of the leading causes of rubbery chicken is overcooking the meat.
Chicken is to be cooked quickly with relatively high heat. Since most boneless skinless breasts arent the same thickness it makes it difficult to cook them evenly. Ive also heard that grilling chicken with the bone in helps to keep it moister and hence more tender so maybe you could try that too.
Im not sure but I think rubberiness is due to protein not being broken down or not broken down enough pounding the meat not too much before marinating would also help to break down the muscle fibers. Overcooking your chicken breasts or other parts may be a cause of its hard chewing as protein fibers tend to lose their elasticity while cooking too much and they go chewy because of being sensitive to heat. So be careful and keep to the necessary temperature when cooking the meat as under-cooking it.
I have come across this rubbery chicken phenomenon a few times and there is no explaining it although when it happens to you you definitely know it. Sometimes it will be subtly there and you sense something is not right and it can slide by. But when you encounter it on its highest level youll never forget it.