Chicken Tastes Sour: Is It Bad? (Explained)

Among the many foods we enjoy eating, chicken is one of the common ones. People buy raw chicken at home to cook it whenever they want, while restaurants serve them regularly. If you cook chicken regularly, you may find it troubling if it tastes sour. In this case, you may ask:

If my chicken tastes sour, is it bad? If the chicken tastes sour, your chicken may have spoiled. A spoiled chicken usually gives a sour taste. The sour taste indicates that you have to discard the chicken. A chicken that’s safe to consume shouldn’t taste sour unless you add some vinegar or lemon juice to it.

If your chicken tastes sour without any sour components or ingredients in the dish, you may take it as a sign to discard the chicken since it’s already spoiled. Knowing whether a chicken is spoiled or not is essential to ensure your and your family’s safety. 

This article will tackle all the things you need to know about chicken when it tastes sour. This way, you can learn the explanation of why chicken can taste sour and know what to do and how to deal with them to prevent further problems from occuring. 

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Can chicken taste sour?

Yes, chicken can taste sour. However, it should only do so when you add sour ingredients to your chicken, such as vinegar, lemon, lime, and other acidic components.

Now, if you didn’t add such an ingredient and your chicken tastes sour, it means the chicken is spoiled and is not fit for consumption.

Why does chicken taste sour?

A chicken tastes sour if it’s spoiled. When a chicken gets spoiled, bacteria grow in it and cause a sour taste accompanied by a funky and sour smell.

For this reason, it’s best to check whether you add anything sour to your chicken. If not, you should take it as a rule of thumb to discard the dish since it may pose risks when consumed.

In short, a chicken that tastes sour is spoiled or is about to spoil, and you shouldn’t eat much. Unless you add something to make it taste sour, you shouldn’t eat this type of chicken.

Does spoiled chicken taste sour?

Yes, spoiled chicken tastes sour. When a chicken gets spoiled, bacteria grows in it and causes a sour scent and taste. For this reason, you should avoid eating your chicken if it gives off a sour taste.

Is sour chicken bad?

Yes, a sour chicken is bad. However, if the chicken tastes sour without you adding any sour ingredient, it means it’s spoiled and not suitable for consumption. 

Another thing to note is that if the chicken gets a sour smell along with the taste, you should discard it since it can pose several health risks if consumed.

In general, a fresh chicken safe for consumption should not taste sour. Thus, unless you add a sour component to the recipe that is supposed to taste sour, you should not eat such.

Is it safe to eat chicken that tastes sour?

No, it’s not safe to eat chicken that tastes sour. When a chicken tastes sour, it’s because it’s already spoiled and not ideal for consumption. 

For this reason, you should take it as a rule of thumb to avoid eating chicken that tastes sour. If you find your chicken with such a taste, discard it to avoid further problems that can happen when you consume such.

What happens if you eat chicken that tastes sour?

If you eat a chicken that tastes sour, you may suffer digestive problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, or an upset stomach, negatively impacting your health. 

Proper chicken cooking can kill the pathogens that lead to infection, but eating a chicken that tastes sour is always a risk you should avoid.

If you want to eat some chicken, you should always find fresh ones and avoid eating any chicken that tastes sour without any sour ingredients on it.

This way, you won’t have to worry about the sour taste, and you’ll know that it’s perfectly safe for you to eat such.

Why is my chicken sour after cooking?

If your chicken is sour after cooking, it’s spoiled and not fit for consumption. Now, if your recipe calls for sour ingredients and is meant to be sour, it’s alright.

In general, fresh chicken in itself should not taste sour. If it does, your chicken isn’t fresh, and it’s not something you should consume.

How do I stop my chicken from being sour?

If your chicken is sour because it’s not fresh, you should find fresh chicken and use it in your recipes. However, if your chicken tastes sour because you add too many sour ingredients, you can fix it by adding something sweet.

Sourness in chicken can come from acidic ingredients such as wine, vinegar, lemon, lime, or tomatoes. If you add too much of one of these ingredients, you can add some sweet components. 

Most people add sugar or honey. On the other hand, you can add some cream or caramelized onions. Lastly, you can add something salty to overpower the dish. Just be careful not to put too much.

Is sour chicken undercooked?

No, a sour chicken doesn’t mean it’s undercooked. If a chicken is sour, it means it’s spoiled. An undercooked chicken, when fresh, won’t taste sour. If your undercooked chicken is sour, you should discard it since it’s likely spoiled.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about chicken that tastes sour. Here, you can find different chicken dishes and products and see why they taste sour.

Chicken soup tastes sour

If a chicken soup tastes sour, it means it’s spoiled. A chicken soup should not taste sour, so you should discard it since it’s not fit for consumption. 

In general, you can prolong the shelf life of your chicken soup by keeping it stored in the fridge. However, if it gets exposed for an extended period and starts smelling sour, it’s no longer suitable for consumption.

Chicken stock tastes sour

A chicken stock that tastes sour means the stock is old or the chicken used to make it is already spoiled. In general, the chicken stock shouldn’t taste sour and smell sour. Thus, always check your stock before using it to stay safe.

Butter chicken tastes sour

A butter chicken that tastes sour means that the chicken is spoiled and unfit for consumption. Thus, it would be best to discard it before it causes some health problems after consumption.

Chicken salad tastes sour

A sour chicken salad means the chicken is spoiled, significantly if you didn’t add anything acidic to the salad. However, if you add something acidic to the salad, such as vinaigrette, lemon, lime, or sour dressing, then it should be alright.

Chicken tikka tastes sour

A chicken tikka can taste a bit sour because it has tomato. However, if it becomes too sour, your chicken is spoiled or about to spoil. As always, check if a funky smell accompanies the sour taste. Thus, you can discard such and avoid further problems if you consume it.

Summary

In a nutshell, your chicken may have gone bad if it tastes sour. The taste of spoiled chicken is usually sour. This taste means that you should discard the chicken. As a rule, chicken that’s safe to eat shouldn’t taste sour unless you add some vinegar or lemon juice to it.

In other words, if your chicken tastes sour without any sour ingredients in the dish, you may want to discard it since it’s already spoiled. You must know whether or not a chicken is spoiled to ensure your family’s safety. 

Related:

• Chicken Tastes Watery
• Chicken Tastes Rubbery
• Why Does My Chicken Taste Like Fish?
• Chicken Tastes Metallic
• Chicken Tastes Soapy

Resources

Image credits – Canva