The chicken smells like eggs - What is the reason?

You come home after a long day at work, hungry and ready to eat. You take out the chicken you bought at the store a day or two ago and open the package to prepare it for cooking.

As you do so, the smell of boiled eggs hits you in the face like a ton of bricks. This had never happened to you before and you don’t know why the meat gives off that particular smell. What are you supposed to do with it?

Chicken is a complicated meat that may or may not have an eggy odor and may or may not be edible even with that distinctive smell.

So why does chicken sometimes smell like eggs?

Chicken may smell like eggs because the chicken’s blood has gone bad, the packaging it came in has oxidized, or because it contains traces of salmonella.

However, just because it has a slight eggy odor doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inedible.

Read on to better understand why raw and cooked chicken smell like eggs, when is it safe to eat or when to throw it away, how to store it, and the best place to buy it.

Why does my raw chicken smell like eggs?

When opening a package of fresh, frozen, or vacuum-sealed chicken, you may notice an eggy odor in the meat.

It’s important to note that this is a boiled egg smell, not a rotten egg smell (you should throw the chicken away immediately if it smells rotten or rancid).

If you’re not sure about the difference, chicken that smells like a boiled egg won’t leave you indifferent, while chicken that smells like a rotten egg will be rancid and may make you nauseous. Trust your gut!

Here are some reasons why your raw chicken may smell like eggs, and why it may still be edible despite the smell.

spoiled blood

Sometimes chicken opened before or at the expiration date still has a strange odor. This may be because the blood in the chicken goes bad faster than the meat itself.

Because chicken blood can go bad faster than meat, it can give off a boiled-egg smell.

However, this does not automatically mean that your chicken is bad. You can rinse the chicken with water and let it sit for a few minutes to remove the egg smell.

If the chicken no longer has an eggy odor, it is safe to cook and eat. Just make sure you cook it to the correct internal temperature of 165°F.

enteric salmonella

Another culprit for the eggy odor in raw chicken is a bacterium called Salmonella Enterica.

Salmonella is the number one bacteria responsible for most food poisoning and is similar to E. coli. Salmonella has the potential to cause bacterial enterocolitis and greatly affects both chicken and egg products.

Salmonella is the specific bacteria that causes an eggy or sulfurous odor in raw chicken.

However, it is a preventable bacteria that can be killed if the meat is cooked properly.

To ensure that salmonella is killed in the chicken, be sure to cook it to the correct internal temperature of 165°F.

vacuum sealed chicken

One last reason raw chicken can smell like eggs is the packaging it comes in.

Unless you buy your chicken over the counter at a grocery store or from a butcher, you’ll find the meat in vacuum-sealed packages. This is the case for both fresh and frozen chicken.

Many grocery stores will warn you about the eggy smell of packaged chicken, but don’t explain exactly why that smell occurs.

This eggy smell, also known as confinement smell, appears due to the gases used in the meat packaging process.

The chicken canning process requires the removal of oxygen and the addition of another preservative gas, such as sulfur dioxide.

Both the addition and removal of these gases are the causes of egg odor in vacuum packed chicken.

However, this should not be a cause for concern.

The boiled egg odor should be removed from the chicken after it has sat on the counter for a few minutes and finally cooked to the correct internal temperature of 165°F.

The cooked chicken smells like eggs.

Even after the chicken is cooked, it may still have an eggy odor. You can try to hide it with spices and sauces, but the smell can still be very present.

The reason for the eggy smell of cooked chicken is the same as that of raw chicken.

It may be due to blood spoiling before meat, salmonella may be present, or the loss of oxygen and the addition of a preservative gas that has remained in the meat during the cooking process.

Unfortunately, the smell alone cannot determine if the chicken is still edible or not. Therefore, cooked chicken with an egg odor may or may not be edible.

It is important that you use your best judgment with cooked chicken and you may have to use other signs to decide whether or not the chicken is edible.

Is it safe to eat chicken that smells like eggs?

Well… that’s a complicated answer. In most cases, if it’s just a slight eggy odor, the chicken is most likely edible.

There are also ways to get rid of that boiled egg smell on your meat (keep reading for some tips on how to do it).

In short, it’s up to you and what you feel comfortable consuming.

What to do if raw chicken smells like eggs

Although the eggy smell of chicken may scare you, it doesn’t mean the meat has actually gone bad. There are a few steps you can take to eliminate that odor and, in turn, ensure that the chicken is actually edible.

• • First, take the chicken out of its packaging and let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes. Giving the chicken some fresh air can make the odor go away.
  • However, if the smell is coming from salmonella, don’t expect it to go away (it can linger before the chicken is cooked and should go away after cooking).
  • If you’ve left the chicken on the counter and it still has an eggy odor, give it a good rinse under cold water to help remove some of the odor.
  • Another step you can take is to apply some type of acid to the chicken.  Vinegar or lemon juice are best for removing odor. 
  • You can wash off the acidic ingredient from the chicken after 2-3 minutes if you don’t want it to affect the flavor of the chicken. Or you can leave the acidity out to give the chicken some flavor, but also to increase the chances that it won’t smell like eggs even after you’ve cooked it.
  • You can also wash the chicken and cover it with salt to try to get rid of the smell.
  • You’ll want to cook the chicken with the salt already on it , so be careful what other ingredients you add (you’re trying to get rid of the egg smell, not the chicken being too salty!)
  • A little bit of baking soda is another method to get rid of the boiled egg smell . Just sprinkle some all over the chicken, let it rest for a minute, then wash it well before cooking.

• Adding spices and herbs , such as oregano or bay leaves, can also help mask the boiled egg smell and make the chicken more palatable.

Although these methods may remove the odor, use your best judgment in deciding whether or not to eat the chicken.

Smell alone doesn’t dictate whether or not chicken is edible, so it’s important to be aware of other signs, such as discoloration, in order to make an informed decision about whether to cook the meat or throw it away.

How to tell if chicken has gone bad

Since the smell of boiled egg can be present before and after chicken is cooked, it is important to look at other aspects of the meat to make an informed decision about whether or not to consume the product.

These other aspects of the chicken, such as color and texture, can help you determine if the chicken you are about to cook, or have already cooked, has gone bad or is still edible.

Texture

Texture is one of the first ways to decide if chicken is edible or not.

For raw chicken, you want the texture to be smooth and shiny, but not slimy. If raw chicken feels slimy and sticky, and/or leaves a sticky feeling on your hands after handling, it has gone bad and should not be cooked.

In the case of frozen chicken, the same anti-slip rule applies. If it’s slimy and/or excessively covered in ice (imagine freezer burn ) it’s inedible and shouldn’t be cooked.

Cooked chicken should have a very firm, dry texture.

The juices coming out of the chicken are fine, but again, they shouldn’t be slimy or sticky. If the texture is sticky or extremely stringy and sticky, it’s probably not safe to eat.

Color

The color of the chicken is another indicator of whether or not the meat is safe to eat.

For raw chicken, you want it to be bright pink, almost meaty, and the bits of fat to be almost white.

If the chunks of fat on your chicken look creamy or almost yellow, it’s a sign that your chicken is bad.

If raw chicken looks a little green, gray or dull, that’s also a sign that it’s probably gone bad. Don’t risk eating the discolored chicken and be sure to throw it away.

Very similar rules apply for frozen chicken when it comes to color.

It should be fleshy and shiny in color, and the frost on the outside should be light in color, not cloudy or opaque.

The fat should be almost white, and if it is dark cream or yellow, it cannot be eaten.

In the case of cooked chicken, the color of the meat must be white throughout. If there are pink bits, it’s a sign that the chicken isn’t fully cooked and may pose a salmonella risk.

If the chicken starts to look dull gray or a bit green once you start cooking it, that’s also a sign of spoilage, and you shouldn’t eat the meat.

On all types of chicken, fresh, frozen, or cooked, any moldy spots are also a sign that your chicken is no longer edible.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to find out if your chicken has gone bad or not, let’s look at some related questions!

How long can chicken be left in the fridge before cooking?

Chicken should not be cooked more than 1-2 days after being in the fridge.

Even if the expiration date is later, to ensure the best quality without the eggy smell, cook the chicken as soon as possible . This will also help you avoid eating spoiled chicken.

How long can you leave cooked chicken in the fridge?

Cooked chicken will remain edible in the refrigerator for about 3 days . You shouldn’t eat chicken that has been left there longer. Each additional day increases the risk of food-related illness.

What is the best way to preserve chicken?

If you’re not going to cook raw chicken within a day or two of buying it, it’s best to store it in the freezer until you’re ready to cook it.

Raw chicken can last in the freezer for 6-9 months before going bad.

For cooked chicken, make sure it is in a tightly closed container in your fridge. Your fridge can’t go above 40°F so the chicken doesn’t go bad.

What is the best place to buy chicken?

To ensure the best quality chicken, try to find a local butcher in your area . Butchers usually have the freshest cuts of meat.

If this is not possible, try to buy the chicken at the meat counter of your supermarket , instead of the packaged chicken.

Also opt for organic and farm chicken to ensure a better quality meat.

How can I prevent chicken from spoiling?

First, check the expiration date on the package. If you plan to cook it in 1-2 days, it’s okay to choose a package that expires soon.

However, if you plan to cook it later in the week, try looking for a later expiration date.

When you do the shopping, take the chicken last and be sure to put it in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible.

Chicken has about 1 hour from when you take it out of the display case to when you put it back in the fridge or freezer before bacteria start to build up.

Always make sure to cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F. This will reduce the risk of salmonella poisoning.

The best way to ensure that your chicken is cooked thoroughly is to invest in a digital meat thermometer. Using your eye to check the doneness of chicken is not as reliable as a meat thermometer.