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Original poster

Or the supermarkets selling rubbery chicken?!

108 replies

elm26 · 22/04/2024 19:21

I've had chicken breasts and a whole chicken in the last 2 weeks that have had this weird rubbery texture when cooked. It's really off putting and ends up being binned. I'm not over cooking it. This has been happening at least once a month with a batch of chicken (a big pack of 8 breast) or a whole chicken etc for a while now. I've tried Sainsbury's, Tescos, Waitrose and Asda and I've had a batch from each of them. Does anyone know what is happening here?!

I might just switch to chicken thigh, I've cooked a large chicken tonight for a mini roast and was going to use the leftover meat in a soup and a pasta dish this week but all of us have had to bin it and that's £9 down the drain 😩

OP posts:
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 22/04/2024 22:09

I think Benny Hill would agree with you.

Ilovegoldies · 22/04/2024 22:09

I was buying the expensive m and s ones but now I'm buying from a farm shop. We are having one breast for two people so we aren't spending any more. We only have it in curries or risottos so we don't feel short changed.

SofritoBurrito · 22/04/2024 22:09

We had a free range Waitrose chicken that was just like this. I do use the local butchers as much as possible but none of our local ones sell any sort of higher welfare chicken at all.

Mum2jenny · 22/04/2024 22:07

Got a Tescos chicken breast thing in a foil dish today, cooked exactly as per instructions ( agree, not my usual as I generally ignore these), but it was really tough and chewy and cost £6.

Not worth it unless you really do need to exercise your jaw…

CormorantStrikesBack · 22/04/2024 22:07

I actually eat Quorn pieces instead of chicken now as I can’t stand the texture of chicken.

SchoolQuestionnaire · 22/04/2024 22:05

Umbongowasyuk · 22/04/2024 19:26

Use the butchers. So much nicer

This. I’m ashamed to say that we only really started using our local farm shops during the lockdown. I will never go back. Even the supposed higher quality organic supermarket produce is rubbish in comparison.

BlackCatsAreBrilliant · 22/04/2024 22:05

Watching this thread with interest. I've just had an Asda chicken korma (first time for a few months) and the texture of the chicken pieces was quite horrible. I was wondering whether something had changed.

SapphosRock · 22/04/2024 22:04

I think Waitrose organic chicken breasts are the worst for this. So rubbery and tasteless.

Ironically the cheaper brands pumped full of water taste better.

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 22/04/2024 22:03

Brexit massively disrupted the supply chain. Supermarkets have been sourcing from a wider range of suppliers to keep the shelves full. That means less consistent product is inevitable. Read the label carefully before buying.

wednesdayaffairnc · 22/04/2024 22:00

YES! I thought I was going mad!
It's disgusting, turns my stomach.

Crikeyalmighty · 22/04/2024 22:00

I only buy higher priced ones from M&S or from a butcher I go to that has great organic ones - but in fairness I'm taking £12 a time - I do get a roast dinner ,plus enough for a large stir fry from it , so I'm fine with that.

dutysuite · 22/04/2024 21:52

Yep pumped full of water. Supermarkets shouldn’t be allowed to do it.

colouringindoors · 22/04/2024 21:50

Same. M & S chicken was a revelation, and legs and thighs with bones in are no more than Sainsbury's.

ineedtostopbeingdramaticfirst · 22/04/2024 21:47

I've thought this for about 6 years. Only chicken breasts - legs, whole chicken, wings etc are fine.

parietal · 22/04/2024 21:45

some supermarket chicken is injected with water to make the weight heavier (so they make more profit) but makes it tough when you cook it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/8luaob/til_chicken_sold_in_supermarkets_are_plumped_with/?rdt=50490

bakewellbride · 22/04/2024 21:37

The chicken has not had a good life. It's been filled with chemicals to make it grow as fast as possible. If a newborn baby were to grow at the same rate it would be the same sure as a tiger by 8 weeks. When a chicken is so unnaturally big it can't breathe properly and so the oxygen doesn't get to the 'meat' which affects how good it is to eat. Chickens are factory farmed in the uk and in absolutely appalling conditions, the only way to bring about change is to not eat it anymore.

MarshmallowsOnToast · 22/04/2024 21:32

ClockworkDisaster · 22/04/2024 19:25

We have had a couple of packs of chicken from Lidl’s like that. It almost felt like it was raw - certainly wasn’t raw and it was cooked well all the way through but it was so ‘bouncy’ and the texture was really odd. Not every mouthful, perhaps 1 in 6? Very strange. Not found it from any other supermarket though.

Yes this! The raw texture.

It's a really tough & muscly and weird "crunchy" texture like it's hard to bite through!

Normally not all in a pack are tough, but you can really feel the difference between a bad & good one when you're cutting as it resists the knife.

Nothing worse than a tough leathery bit of chicken in a curry or similar, it instantly puts me off the whole lot.

Lolololololol · 22/04/2024 20:09

I've noticed this! I've had a couple of whole chickens from ASDA, and when I've come to carve, it's like I can't fine the right grain to go against! It is "bouncy" really weird and off putting.

Kalevala · 22/04/2024 20:08

I can't afford organic chicken so I don't buy it. I think it's related to intensive chicken farming.

ICanFixHim · 22/04/2024 20:02

We've found the same. We don't buy the cheapest chicken breasts but can't afford the top range ones. So just having chicken a lot less now.

Sugarcoatedalmonds · 22/04/2024 20:02

Yes!!! I thought I was going mad. All my chicken breasts (tesco/sainsburys/waitrose) have been vile recently.

Ilikewinter · 22/04/2024 20:00

Yes I've also had this with chicken from Tescos - DH tried to blame my cooking !!! .... ive actually stopped buying chicken now due to the waste, but its good to know it wasnt me

RickyGervaislovesdogs · 22/04/2024 19:53

I would presume from the way it’s churned out.

Raera · 22/04/2024 19:50

I bought an Aldi extra tasty roast in the bag chicken over the weekend and it was really nice!