4 Ways to Tell if Chicken has Gone Bad

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Determine when to throw out bad chicken with these tips

Co-authored by Abyssinia Campbell

Last Updated: June 19, 2024 Fact Checked

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Raw Chicken

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Frozen Chicken

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Cooked Chicken

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Checking Storage

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Q&A

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Tips

Eating chicken that has gone bad can make you very ill, regardless of whether it's raw or cooked. To tell if raw chicken has gone bad, check the color, smell, and texture for irregularities. If the chicken is frozen, look for ice and freezer burn. To tell if cooked chicken is bad, check the smell, color, taste, and mold. Another thing to consider is whether the chicken has been stored properly and for how long.

Easy Ways to Tell if Chicken is Bad

Chicken has likely gone bad if it has a strong, unpleasant odor. Another sign is a change of color; raw chicken should be pink, while cooked chicken should be white. It often turns grey when it begins to spoil. Check for mold as well, and avoid chicken that has a slimy texture.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Checking Raw Chicken

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1
Look for a change in color. When fresh, raw chicken has a pink, fleshy color. As it starts to spoil, the color fades to grey. If the color of the chicken begins to look duller, you should use it soon before it goes bad. Once it looks more grey than pink, it is already too late.^{[1]
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- Raw chicken colors can range from appearing grey to having yellow spots that aren’t skin.
- If you begin to cook bad chicken it may continue to look dull and not become as white.
2
Smell the chicken. Raw chicken that has gone bad has a very potent odor. Some describe it as a "sour" smell, while others liken it to the scent of ammonia.^{[2]
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Research source} If the chicken has begun to take on an unpleasant or strong odor of any sort, it is best to discard it.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Abyssinia Campbell
Executive Chef

Expert Interview. 31 August 2021.}
- Chicken can start to smell bad while cooking, it is best to discard it if it starts to smell less appealing.
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Is it slimy? The touch test is a little more difficult than the color or smell test because chicken naturally has a glossy, somewhat slimy feeling to it. If this slime remains even after rinsing the chicken under water, however, there is a good chance that the chicken has spoiled. If the chicken feels unusually sticky, it has almost certainly gone bad.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source

Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Go to source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Scrutinizing Frozen Chicken

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If there is a thick layer of ice around your chicken then it is no longer good. The ice crust will be thick like the ice on a freezer hasn’t been thawed in a while. A flash-frozen chicken will not have a thick crust if done properly. If the ice is white it could be an issue with freezer burn.
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Check forfreezer burn. Freezer burn looks like a white rash or mark on the chicken that isn’t fat. It is rougher than the skin around it and raised slightly.^{[5]
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Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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- While it won’t hurt you it will make your chicken less enjoyable.
A frozen chicken is harder to check for color. It will be off color, similar to the raw or cooked chicken, a slight grey or yellowing of fat. If it is darker than grey, that chicken belongs in the trash bin.^{[6]
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Trustworthy Source

Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Investigating Cooked Chicken

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1
Smell the chicken. The smell test can work for cooked chicken as well as it can for raw chicken, but it is sometimes more difficult to distinguish the smell of bad chicken if spices and other seasonings are masking the odor.^{[7]
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- If the chicken smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, it is bad.
Sometimes this is not possible if the chicken has been breaded or if the color was altered by a glaze or marinade. If chicken that cooked white begins to look grey, it is no longer safe to eat.^{[8]
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Mold is one of the most obvious signs of rotten, decaying, bad chicken. If green, or black fuzz, or any organic growth of any kind has begun to form on the chicken, it has gone very bad and should be discarded immediately. Even the smell of chicken this 'off' may make you ill.^{[9]
X
Trustworthy Source

Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Go to source}
4
Taste the chicken before you swallow it. If you feel uncertain about whether or not cooked chicken is still good, but do not want to waste it if it still is, you can cautiously take a bite. Instead of chewing and swallowing the chicken immediately, though, you should pause and carefully analyze the flavor.^{[10]
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Research source}
- If it tastes “off” or seems a little sour, spit it out and discard the rest.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Reviewing Storage of Chicken

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1
Check the "Sell By" date. This alone is not always a good indication of whether or not raw chicken is still good because the "Sell By" date only dictates at which point chicken can no longer be sold to consumers. Instead of relying on the "Sell By" date, it is best to use it as a means of confirming whether or not chicken you suspect has gone bad is actually past its prime.^{[11]
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- If you purchase fresh, refrigerated chicken from a store and freeze it, it can last up to nine months past this date, as long as it was fresh when purchased.
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Check into how thoroughly the chicken was stored. Cooked chicken goes bad faster if it is exposed to air, and improperly stored chicken is more likely to be bad.
- Chicken should be stored in shallow, airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.^{[12]
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- It could also be wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Example: In order to remain safe to eat, the whole chicken should be cut into smaller portions and any stuffing should be removed prior to refrigeration or freezing.
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Find out where and for how long the chicken was stored.^{[13]
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Research source} It depends also depends on how you stored the chicken. After these time periods elapse, there is a higher chance that the chicken will have gone bad.
- In the refrigerator, raw chicken should be used in one or two days, while cooked chicken stays good for about three to four days.^{[14]
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- In the freezer, cooked chicken can remain good and safe to eat for up to four months while raw chicken can be good for up to a year.^{[15]
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Is it okay to eat chicken that smells bad, but is not past its expiration date?

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The expiration date is a good guideline, but it’s not a guarantee that the chicken is good to eat. If your chicken smells spoiled, it’s better not to eat it, even if it hasn’t reached the expiration date on the package.

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How can you tell if ground chicken has gone bad?

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The chicken might smell sour or be slimy to the touch. You might also notice that it has a dull or greyish color.

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What does it mean if raw chicken smells like eggs?

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The eggy smell is sulfur, which can be released by some types of bacteria. If your chicken smells eggy and it came out of a cling-wrapped or regular plastic package, it’s probably best not to eat it. On the other hand, sometimes an egg smell can be a result of the cryovac packaging process. If your chicken was cryovac packaged, let it sit for a few minutes to see if the smell dissipates. If it does, it is likely safe to eat if you cook it thoroughly.

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Tips

If there is any question if your chicken is "grey enough" or "slimy enough", it is and you should toss it.

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If it was frozen, thawed, and then frozen again, throw it away. Refrozen food has the potential for being a bacteria hotspot.

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If your chicken has been thawing on the counter, toss it.

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