Since many households today enjoy chicken at home, we usually go to grocery stores and buy raw chicken in bulk. Then, we usually store them in the fridge until we’re ready to cook. However, you may notice that your chicken smells a little off, like milk with a hint of sourness in some cases. So, you may ask:
If a chicken smells like milk, is it bad? If your chicken smells like milk with a hint of sourness, it is bad, which means your chicken is about to spoil. Raw chicken that smells like sour milk is not fit for consumption. However, if it smells like regular milk, you’re probably okay with it. Still, make sure you cook your chicken properly.
While it’s easy to find and pick raw chicken in groceries and markets, choosing fresh ones can be tricky. Thus, if your raw chicken has a hint of sour milk scent, it’s best to choose other options. By doing so, you can avoid the potential risks of eating spoiled chicken.
In this article, you’ll see our explanation of chicken and how it can smell like milk with a hint of sourness. This way, you can understand what it means and why you should avoid it.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
- Why does my raw chicken smell like milk?
- Why does my cooked chicken smell like milk?
- Is chicken bad if it smells like milk?
- Can you cook chicken that smells like milk?
- Is it safe to eat chicken that smells like milk?
- What happens if you eat chicken that smells like milk?
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
- Resources
Why does my raw chicken smell like milk?
If your raw chicken smells like milk, something is wrong with the chicken. In general, your raw chicken should have no scent, or at least it should only have a mild scent.
If you marinate your chicken with buttermilk or something, it can smell like milk. However, if you notice a hint of sourness in the milk scent of your chicken, it means your chicken is spoiled.
The thing about raw chicken is that it should be kept frozen if you’re not going to cook it. The constant refrigeration extends its shelf life.
Thus, if your raw chicken smells like milk, it can mean that it’s gone bad because of improper storage and preservation.
Why does my cooked chicken smell like milk?
If your cooked chicken smells like milk, it’s likely because you put buttermilk in its marinade. However, if you didn’t put any milk in the cooking process and notice a bit of sour scent, the chicken is spoiled and unfit for consumption.
When a cooked chicken smells like milk, the chicken isn’t fresh and isn’t in good condition. A fresh chicken doesn’t smell like milk. Thus, you should avoid eating such whenever you can.
Is chicken bad if it smells like milk?
Yes, a chicken is bad if it smells like milk. But, while chicken should have a bit of a natural smell, it’s not supposed to be funky or foul.
Thus, if your chicken smells like milk with a hint of sourness, you should not consume such since it may have spoiled already.
The best thing to do is to make sure you pick a fresh chicken and store it in the fridge properly until you’re about to cook it.
Can you cook chicken that smells like milk?
No, you cannot cook chicken that smells like milk. It’s best not to risk eating spoiled chicken, especially when you smell milk in your chicken.
If your chicken smells like sour milk, you should avoid cooking it. Instead, you should discard it and pick fresh chicken.
Is it safe to eat chicken that smells like milk?
No, it’s not safe to eat chicken that smells like milk. When a chicken smells like milk, it’s likely about to get spoiled or has already spoiled. It’s also prone to bacterial growth that can cause health problems when consumed.
For this reason, you should take the sour milk scent as a sign to discard your chicken. This way, you can stay safe by avoiding eating chicken that’s not fresh because it already smells like milk.
What happens if you eat chicken that smells like milk?
If you eat chicken that smells like milk, you can suffer digestive problems like vomiting, upset stomach, and even diarrhea. The reason is that these types of chicken are prone to bacteria that are not good for our health.
In some cases, proper cooking can kill bacteria in the chicken. However, if your chicken already smells like milk, it’s not something you should pursue since it follows several risks.
To avoid such cases, you should pick fresh chicken with no milk scent. While a mild scent is alright, the raw fresh chicken should generally give a faint scent.
Once you pick the fresh chicken, you can keep it stored for later use without worries. The only thing to ensure is to keep the chicken properly and always make sure it’s frozen.
Frequently asked questions
Below are some of the frequently asked questions you may have about chicken that smells like milk. You can look and see if it helps with any of your concerns.
Chicken smells like sour milk
The smell of sour milk on your chicken means something is wrong. Generally, your chicken should be scent-free or very mildly scented. This means that your chicken is spoiled if you notice such an odor.
If you’re not going to cook the chicken, it should be kept frozen. Continuous refrigeration keeps the chicken fresher longer.
Raw chicken that smells like sour milk may indicate gone bad because it was improperly stored and preserved.
Chicken smells like spoiled milk
Something is wrong when your chicken smells like sour milk. Your chicken should be odorless or at least very mildly scented. You have spoiled your chicken if you smell an odor like that.
If you aren’t planning on cooking the chicken, you should keep it frozen. The chicken will stay fresher for longer when kept in the fridge constantly.
It may be that raw chicken smelling like sour milk is bad because it was improperly stored and preserved.
Summary
When your chicken smells like milk with a touch of sourness, it is bad and indicates that it is about to spoil. Therefore, you should not consume raw chicken that smells like sour milk. Nevertheless, if it smells like regular milk, you should probably be okay with it. First, however, make sure your chicken is cooked correctly.
You can find raw chicken in most grocery stores and markets. However, choosing fresh ones can be difficult. If your raw chicken smells sour milky, you should choose other options. In this way, you can avoid the risk of eating spoiled chicken.
Related:
- Chicken Smells Like Sulfur
- Chicken Smells Like Eggs
- Chicken Smells Like Bleach
- Chicken Smells Like Vinegar
- Chicken Smells Like Fish
Resources
Image credits – Canva
