Chicken is one of the meats we enjoy all the time. Thus, we usually buy our chicken at grocery stores in bulk and place it in our fridge so we can take them out whenever we want to cook. Now, if you’re used to the smell of raw chicken, you know that they don’t have a strong scent. Thus, it may make you wonder if you suddenly smell sulfur in your chicken. So, if you ask:
If chicken smells like sulfur, is it bad? If your chicken smells sulfur-like, you’d smell like rotten eggs, it means your chicken has gone bad, and you should discard it. On the other hand, the raw and fresh chicken should not smell like sulfur. It should only have a mild scent, or it should have no scent at all.
When buying raw chicken, it’s essential to check its freshness, and you can do so by checking if it has a funky smell. If you want to make sure your chicken is fresh, you should note that raw chicken should not smell like sulfur. Instead, it should only have a mild smell or no smell.
This article will see our in-depth take on raw chicken and its smell, particularly a sulfur scent. This information should help you tell if a raw chicken is still fresh or not.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
- Why does my raw chicken smell like sulfur?
- Why does my cooked chicken smell like sulfur?
- Is chicken bad if it smells like sulfur?
- Can you cook chicken that smells like sulfur?
- Is it safe to eat chicken that smells like sulfur?
- What happens if you eat chicken that smells like sulfur?
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
- Resources
Why does my raw chicken smell like sulfur?
If your raw chicken smells like sulfur, it’s because of Salmonella enterica. Salmonella enterica is a bacteria that causes enterocolitis in humans. When a raw chicken isn’t correctly stored, this bacteria grows in the chicken, resulting in a gas that gives the sulfur scent.
In short, your raw chicken smells like sulfur because it’s about to go bad or have already gone bad. If your raw chicken has a deep sulfur smell, you should discard it because it’s no longer safe for consumption.
Why does my cooked chicken smell like sulfur?
If your cooked chicken smells like sulfur, it’s likely because of Salmonella enterica. When raw chicken is about to go bad or has gone bad, Salmonella enterica grows and causes the chicken to release a gas, hydrogen sulfide, to be particular.
In short, your cooked chicken has already gone bad if it smells like sulfur. It also means that the chicken is unsafe for consumption and that you should discard it soon.
Is chicken bad if it smells like sulfur?
Yes, a chicken is bad if it smells like sulfur. So when you’re getting a raw chicken, you should only smell a mild scent, or you should smell no scent.
In general, the indication of a fresh raw chicken is its subtle scent. Thus, if your raw chicken gives off a deep sulfur scent like a rotten egg, it means it’s gone bad, and you shouldn’t cook or consume it anymore.
Can you cook chicken that smells like sulfur?
No, you cannot cook chicken that smells like sulfur. When a raw chicken smells like sulfur, you should not cook it anymore since it’s gone bad.
Even if you cook such, the sulfur smell will remain, and it’s not safe for consumption because the bacteria has already grown in the chicken. So while proper cooking may kill the bacteria, it’s still best not to risk your health and avoid consuming such.
The best thing to do is pick fresh raw chicken without any scent and keep it frozen unless you’re about to cook it. This way, you can avoid that funky smell and keep the raw chicken safe for consumption.
Is it safe to eat chicken that smells like sulfur?
No, it’s not safe to eat chicken that smells like sulfur. When a raw chicken smells like sulfur, it’s because of the Salmonella enterica, a bacteria that grows in chicken when they go bad.
In short, the sulfur scent means that your chicken is not safe for consumption. Thus, you shouldn’t cook the chicken and consume it since it can cause health problems.
What happens if you eat chicken that smells like sulfur?
If you eat chicken that smells like sulfur, you can suffer from digestive problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, and an upset stomach.
While proper chicken cooking can kill the bacteria, eating a chicken that smells like sulfur is always a risk you should not take.
When picking raw chicken, it is best to pick a piece with no scent and keep it frozen unless you are about to cook it.
Then you won’t have to worry about that funky smell, and you will make sure that the raw chicken is safe to consume.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about raw chicken and if they smell like sulfur. Here, we have different types of chicken, and we’ll answer each concern for you to learn more about this matter.
Costco chicken smells like sulfur
If your Costco chicken smells like sulfur, it’s likely because the chicken is not fresh and it’s not been correctly stored at some point.
When your Costco chicken smells like sulfur, you may assume that bacteria has grown all over it, and that causes the funky smell of sulfur as you would smell with rotten eggs.
Thus, if such is the case, you should always ensure that the chicken you get from Costco has no smell. Also, make sure you keep it frozen until you’re about to cook it.
Ground chicken smells like sulfur
If your ground chicken smells like sulfur, it means it’s gone bad, and you should dispose of it already. Ground chicken that smells like sulfur means it’s filled with bacteria and unsafe for consumption.
A ground chicken that smells like sulfur might indicate that bacteria have grown on it. In addition, this bacteria causes the funky sulfur smell that you would get when you smell rotten eggs.
As a result, you should always ensure that the ground chicken you purchase does not have an unpleasant smell. Be sure to keep it frozen until you are ready to cook it.
Chicken breast smells like sulfur
Chicken breasts that smell sulfurous are usually bad and should be thrown away. It is not safe to consume chicken breasts filled with bacteria that smell like sulfur.
The smell of sulfur on a chicken breast might indicate that bacteria have grown there. Additionally, this bacteria produces a funky sulfur odor, similar to the smell of rotten eggs.
Because of this, you should always ensure that the chicken breast you purchase does not smell unpleasant. Keep the chicken breast frozen until it is time to cook it.
Whole chicken smells like sulfur
Usually, whole chicken that smells sulfurous should be discarded. Whole chickens contaminated with bacteria that smell like sulfur are not safe to consume.
Bacteria may have grown on a whole chicken if it smells sulfurous. In addition, these bacteria produce a sulfurous odor similar to that of rotten eggs.
Thus, before buying a whole chicken, you should ensure that it does not smell unpleasant. In addition, you should keep the chicken frozen until you need it for cooking.
Summary
You should discard your chicken if it smells like sulfur, which is the same smell you’d smell from rotten eggs. You shouldn’t smell sulfur in raw or fresh chicken. If it has a scent, it should be a mild one or not have one at all.
If you’re buying raw chicken, you should check if it’s fresh by checking if it smells funky. Raw chicken should not smell like sulfur if you want to be sure it is fresh. It should smell only mildly or not at all.
Related:
- Chicken Smells Like Fish
- Chicken Smells Like Eggs
- Chicken Smells Like Bleach
- Chicken Smells Like Vinegar
- Chicken Smells Like Milk
Resources
Image credits – Canva
