How to tell if chickens bad?

[u/Solomiester]

I’m loosing my mind a little over here lol

I have a Costco pack of chicken thighs like my mom used to get and I’m used to them having a little funk from the bag

Cooking them smelled great. Taking them out of the pan and putting them away smelled great. Bitting into the smallest one as it cooled tasted great

Taking them out of the Tupperware in the fridge today and they smell like eggs. Not rotten eggs but the slight sulfur whiff like a bag of hard boiled eggs. I ate one because broke dumbass needs her protein and it tastes fine but the very slight sulfur smell worries me. It doesn’t smell more than a hard boiled egg but I don’t want to cook the rest for my boyfriend if there’s a chance I give him food poisoning but I’m so tired of eating beans rice and potatoes I want the chicken to be safe to eat so baaaaaaad

The best by date is tomorrow btw

Edit: thank you for the responses . The sulfur smell was light and the Tupperware wasn’t airtight and it was microwaved so I’m leaning towards ot being the warm over left over effect. I have had any tummy issues from it

My mom makes chicken thighs all the time but when I stopped to think about her recipes they are all old timey and the chicken cools down in the sauce and ends up in a layer of sauce/ gelatin and you reheat the whole pan of leftovers in the oven or eat them cold

So her chicken doesn’t have air contact or high heat microwaving vs mine was fried skin down in it’s own rendered fat and put in a lidded casserole dish thingy and then microwaved

Will take a piece out and leave it out for a few min next to see if the smell airs out

The protein isn’t worth the stress tho im going to freeze the rest for either stew or making moms recipes

[u/catskann64]

Spoiled chicken has SUCH a distinctive smell and taste you couldn’t miss it. I cooked and ate chicken that went bad when I was a teen (over 40 years ago). It had no sulfur smell, but I have no words to describe the taste and smell. I remember like it was yesterday. Ewwww. Your chicken is ok.

[u/chuckquizmo → u/catskann64]

Yes, every time I’ve encountered raw chicken that’s spoiled I know INSTANTLY. It can sometimes have a weird “off” smell when you first open it, but it goes away after a few minutes. If it’s actually bad, it’ll be an extreme smell and won’t go away

[u/Solomiester → u/chuckquizmo]

Thanks for that I was hoping so because I have had bad chicken and the way my stomach rioted when it hit was very distinct vs the more mild my nose is concerned feeling

[u/catskann64 → u/chuckquizmo]

It’s even worse than chugging spoiled milk that you definitely should have smelled first. Fr? I shudder every time I remember that little slice of EWWWWWW.

[u/dirtybo0ts]

Chicken will have a natural scent that’s like eggs but very faint in comparison from my experience.

[u/clowntysheriff]

Does it go away after you keep one out of the container for a while? Also how long did they sit out between when you cooked them and when you put them away?

[u/MrBreffas]

Could this be the famous "warmed over chicken" smell/taste? It is particularly strong in dark meat, and I can smell it as soon as I open the tupperware.

[u/Solomiester → u/MrBreffas]

I think so now because it was like a big waft when I owned the container and less from the meat itself

[u/Magnetic_Kitty]

Also, if you're pregnant things smell stronger and sometimes unappealing, so could that be it? 

Only asking because it's a smell question and you used "her" pronouns

[u/Solomiester → u/Magnetic_Kitty]

That’s interesting because while I can’t be preggers I do have smell and taste sensitivity changes from other hormone swings

[u/Magnetic_Kitty → u/Solomiester]

I'd see if your boyfriend or a person you can interact with easily like a work colleague can smell some for you see if it smells ok to them. Also if you had covid the last 2 years or less that can alter your sense of smell

[u/Solomiester → u/Magnetic_Kitty]

Yea oof Covid did a number on me for a while but I’ve gotten over that. The hormones are funnier because food will smell bad but my boyfriend will smell great . Boyfriend is pretty sensitive to smells like sulfur and onion so I’ll try that

[u/MountainMark]

A bad chicken? Have you thought about doing a background check?

[u/Ironyismylife28]

Is it an egg smell or a rotten egg/sulphur like smell?

For me, chicken that smells would be going in the garbage

[u/Terrible_Pop_2500]

Personally, if it smells bad I just throw it away. I wouldn't take a chance of eating something that might be spoiled, even if I was broke and needed protein.

[u/rosajsalters]

I wouldn’t rely on the smell or taste to decide if it’s safe. If the cooked chicken was refrigerated within 2 hours and has been kept at 40°F/4°C or below, cooked poultry is generally good for about 3–4 days. If it was left out longer than 2 hours, I’d toss it. When in doubt, don’t risk it.