{"id":98525,"date":"2025-02-05T08:22:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T01:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/levanews.com\/?p=53420"},"modified":"2025-02-13T09:03:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T02:03:52","slug":"whats-that-white-goo-that-comes-out-of-chicken-after-cooking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/whats-that-white-goo-that-comes-out-of-chicken-after-cooking\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s That White Goo That Comes Out of Chicken After Cooking?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-53422 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/02%5C/476030132_122203076726227701_6738525272301855688_n.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"540\"' height='\"720\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p><strong><em>If you\u2019ve ever cooked chicken and noticed a slimy, white substance pooling in the pan or clinging to the meat, you\u2019re not alone. While it may look unappetizing, this occurrence is completely normal, harmless, and easy to explain.\n<h3>What Is the White Goo?\n</h3><p>The white substance is simply a combination of protein and water being released from the chicken during cooking. When heat is applied, muscle fibers contract, squeezing out liquid. As the liquid cooks, the proteins solidify and turn white\u2014similar to how egg whites change when heated.\n</p><p>Food scientist Dr. Topher McNeil explains, \u201cThe [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that\u2019s in between muscle cells.\u201d In other words, the white goo is just a natural byproduct of cooking.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-53426 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/02%5C/image-1049-683x1024-1.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"683\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h3>Why Does It Happen?\n</h3><p>This phenomenon can occur with any chicken but is more common with frozen or previously frozen meat. Freezing creates ice crystals within muscle cells, which rupture the fibers and release more liquid when thawed and cooked. The more times chicken is frozen and thawed, the more noticeable the effect\u2014similar to how frozen fruit leaks liquid when softened.\n</p><h3>The Science Behind It\n</h3><p>The goo closely resembles egg whites because both contain high levels of albumin, a protein that coagulates when exposed to heat. \u201cThe main protein in egg whites is albumin, which accounts for about half of the protein in chicken juices,\u201d culinary experts explain.\n</p><h3>Is It Safe to Eat?\n</h3><p>Yes, the white goo is completely safe to eat. It\u2019s just cooked protein and water, even if it doesn\u2019t look very appetizing. However, if the goo has an unusual color or odor, it could be a sign that the chicken is spoiled.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-53425 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/02%5C/image-1052.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"800\"' height='\"533\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h3>How to Reduce the Goo\n</h3><p>While you can\u2019t completely eliminate it, there are ways to minimize its appearance:\n</p><ul>\n<li><strong>Avoid refreezing: Buy fresh chicken or limit how often it\u2019s frozen and thawed.\n<li><strong>Pat it dry: Use a paper towel to absorb surface moisture before cooking for better browning.\n<li><strong>Cook at a lower temperature: High heat causes muscle fibers to contract quickly, pushing out more liquid. Cooking over moderate heat can reduce this effect.\n<li><strong>Brine your chicken: Soaking it in a salt solution helps retain moisture and minimizes leakage.\n\n<h3>Why Does It Look Worse Sometimes?\n</h3><p>Cooking methods can impact how much white goo appears. Overcooking, cutting into the chicken too soon, or using a meat thermometer can cause more liquid to be released.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-53424 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2025%5C/02%5C/image-1045.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"800\"' height='\"534\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h3>Other Proteins Do It Too\n</h3><p>Chicken isn\u2019t the only protein that releases this kind of substance. Fish, like salmon, also exude a white protein called albumin when cooked. Similar cooking techniques\u2014lower heat and slower methods\u2014can help minimize this effect in other meats as well.\n</p><p>If the white goo bothers you visually, you can easily scrape it off with a butter knife or blot it away with a paper towel without affecting the taste of your dish.\n</p><h3>No Need to Worry\n</h3><p>Although it may not be the most appealing sight, the white goo is a completely natural part of cooking chicken and doesn\u2019t pose any health risks. Dr. McNeil reassures, \u201cGo forth and cook your chicken without any fear of the mysterious white goo.\u201d\n</p><p>Understanding what\u2019s happening during cooking can help you prepare chicken with confidence, knowing that this common occurrence is nothing to worry about\u2014even if it\u2019s a little unsightly.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>If you\u2019ve ever cooked chicken and noticed a slimy, white substance pooling in the pan or clinging to the meat, you\u2019re not alone. While it may look unappetizing, this occurrence is completely normal, harmless, and easy to explain. What Is the White Goo? The white substance is simply a combination of protein and water being &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":98526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1441],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98525"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98531,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98525\/revisions\/98531"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></strong></li></strong></li></strong></li></strong></li></ul></em></strong></p>