Tough Chicken

[Soft Cars]

What makes chicken tough?

The Kirkland brand of boneless frozen chicken breasts at Costco are tough. You'll get tired of chewing and end up swallowing before you normally would. Picture perfect large chicken breasts, but TOUGH.

If you can get ahold of them, the two brands I recommend are Koch Foods and TenderBird.

 

[SuperSalad]

What makes chicken tough?

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

What makes chicken tough?

The Kirkland brand of boneless frozen chicken breasts at Costco are tough. You'll get tired of chewing and end up swallowing before you normally would. Picture perfect large chicken breasts, but TOUGH.

If you can get ahold of them, the two brands I recommend are Koch Foods and TenderBird.

Over cooking and overly large breast. Best to filet it

 

[kschachn]

Apparently you may have woody chicken:

https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/19-01-2023/beware-the-horror-of-woody-chicken-breast

 

[IndyIan]

Are they dry and chewy? Cook them to an internal temp of 165F and stop there, and they shouldn't be dry at least.

 

[Passport1]

One of these will fix that tough problem.

 

[vavavroom]

This could be the problem.



Bresse chicken have marbled flesh.

 

[Quattro Pete]

What makes chicken tough?

The smaller the bird, the better, IMO.

Also, thighs will be juicier/softer than breasts.

 

[Malo83]

Foster Farms.

 

[vavavroom]

Foster Farms.

Foster home chickens?

 

[PontiacHO]

Old egg layers sent to the “farm”.

 

[Soft Cars]

Apparently you may have woody chicken:

https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/19-01-2023/beware-the-horror-of-woody-chicken-breast

I think you may be onto something. The Kirkland chicken breasts from Costco are 2 to 3 times larger in size than other brands.

I suspect the use of growth hormones big time.

 

[RDMgr]

If I bite into a fibrous chicken breast you'll get a bit of a dry heave. If I bite into a nice chuck of beef fat you'll get a full body dry heave. If I bite into a big chunk of beef gristle or sinew you'll get a technicolor yawn.

 

[Shel_B]

Foster Farms.

bottom rung commercial chicken.
Look for a better quality air-chilled chicken.

 

[vavavroom]

I think you may be onto something. The Kirkland chicken breasts from Costco are 2 to 3 times larger in size than other brands.

I suspect the use of growth hormones big time.

Brine-injected. If AmBeRnEcTaR were here he'd probably mention that steroids result in juicy-looking muscles due to fluid retention. The same thing goes for juicy chicken breasts.

 

[vwmaniaman]

If you're heating already cooked leftovers in a microwave then use no more than 7 power. Meat and bread get very chewy and tough when heated at full power.

 

[spasm3]

There is not much fat in a chicken breast. Lots of fat around it.
If you over heat it at all you render what little fat is in the meat and it's tough.
I think cooking whole chickens are much more tender. Cook slow, not over 275f pull the bird @155 f( internal breath temp) from the smoker or roaster and let it sit in a foil covered pan on the counter for an hour , it will finish cooking on your counter in a foil roaster pan with a tight foil lid( silver side in).
I've never had any reheated chicken microwaved successfully, always tough.
Reheat at low temp in a pan or dish.

 

[GSCJR]

Preparation, also has a lot to do with the quality of the finished product, but yes, you must also start with a good quality product. As @Shel_B has already mentioned, buy grain fed air chilled chicken

Look for a better quality air-chilled chicken.

 

[y_p_w]

I don't get chicken breast meat. Flavorless and it will get dry really quickly once overcooked. I prefer legs or thighs. I've bought boned thighs before, and it's got the convenience of breast meat but with actual chicken flavor. And I can overcook it and it doesn't feel like I'm chewing a super ball.

The only way that chicken breast sandwich is acceptable to me is if it's pressure fried (which keeps it moist) and then with lots of other flavoring. Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich is probably the best large chain fast food chicken sandwich anywhere, but it would be probably be better if they used thigh or leg meat. I've heard that David Chang's chicken sandwich chain refuses to use chicken breast.

 

[Vil_Riker]

Chickens who lead free lives will have tough muscles. But I doubt that Costco will sell natural chicken meat - it's too expensive and there is not enough production for it.

They probably are selling elderly chicken meat.