Why Does My Dinner Taste Like A Rubber Chicken And Other Meal Disasters (2024)

Last week my wife purchased fresh chicken breasts at our local grocery store, I might add that the store is famous for it’s extravagant prices , so you would expect the quality to be commenserate with the prices. High.

When she got the chicken home she immediately put the two large breasts in the freezer to be used this week. Two days prior to me grilling them she had taken them out of the freezer and placed them into the fridge.

By the time I went to cook them up, they were nicely thawed and ready for the grill.

I like to spray my grill with a cooking spray so the food won’t stick to it and be hard to pull off. I covered the chicken with a nice “blackening rub” which gives it a really good spice and char.

Meanwhile my wife was whipping up one of her tasty salads with tons of fresh veggies (from the same store), 30 minutes on the grill and it was ready to come off and sit a bit to continue to cook inside.

We like our chicken to be cooked through so when I cut into it, the breast was perfectly done.

Add some buffalo sauce on it for an extra spice and we’re set to go.

Until we each have one bite and look at each other wondering if we both bit into a rubbery chicken. We took another bite and sure enough, it was Rubber Chicken!

It was so chewy that you would get tired just trying masticate it down enough to swallow.

Bye , bye chicken!

Needless to say, we tossed the chicken out (not even fit for our dogs) and went vegetarian for the night.

So now I needed to know what causes Rubber Chicken?

I have done some research into the topic and this is what I have learned.

There’s more than one reason your chicken came out rubbery.

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken’s tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

The types of chicken you buy at the store can also make a difference. “Woody breast” and “white striping” are two conditions farmed poultry can experience that affect the texture of the meat.

I have never heard of “woody breast” and “white striping” but I will be on the lookout for it next time, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t over cook it or under cook it so for me the jury is still out but, for now I think I will stick to burgers, cause I’ve never had a “rubber burger”!

Bob is a native New Englander, growing up (sorta) in Maine where his love for radio started at a young age. While in high school he hosted radio shows on a local radio station, and he has never looked back. Bob joined the US Navy and served onboard the Sixth Fleet Flagship as a radio and TV host. After serving for 3 years, it was off to Emerson College in Boston. Bob hosted shows in Boston on WMEX, WVBF and WSSH in the 80’s and 90’s before heading to radio stations in Raleigh, NC, Manchester, NH, and New York City. Bob has been married for almost 25 years to Carolyn, a Woburn gal and they have 3 daughters, Nicole, Taylor, and Bridget. Bob and Carolyn are proud first-time grandparents to baby Caroline, who they plan to spoil every chance they get! “I started my career in New England and could not be happier to come back to Boston where I can root for all the Boston sports teams and eat lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder (okay not lots)… It is an honor to host the WROR morning show with LBF and wake up the World’s Greatest City!” Bob writes about recipes and restaurants, pop culture and trending topics.