If you buy chicken from supermarkets and grocery stores, you’ll always find clean cuts of raw chicken for cooking. However, it can be alarming if you see red spots on the chicken. If you see dark red marks on your chicken, you may wonder if it has gone bad.
Here’s a quick answer:
Often, red spots on chicken are blood spots, and they occur when the chicken isn’t properly handled and processed. So while chicken with red spots may seem unsafe to eat, you can eat it as long as you cook it properly.
In this article, you’ll learn everything about the red chicken spots and what makes them appear on your chicken meat. This way, you can know how to deal with red spots and prepare your chicken to be safe to eat.
What Causes Red Spots on Chicken?
Red spots on raw chicken are their blood stuck on the skin during the butchering process. Thus, you’ll notice red spots when the chicken isn’t properly cleaned.
Other reasons for red spots on raw chicken are poor handling and storing procedures. If the chicken’s storage conditions aren’t proper, it can cause red spots. Red spots can be the result of chilling the chicken. In general, air chilling brings out skin imperfections on raw chicken. This way, it makes red marks more visible on the raw chicken. However, such red spots on chicken go away once you cook your chicken properly.
Skin Conditions Also Cause Red Spots on Chicken
You can see different parasites on the head and bodies of chickens. These parasites often appear as black, brown, or red “spots” on chickens. These can be mites, fleas, lice, and ticks. Also, pox is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Red spots on chicken caused by pox fade once you cook it properly.
Blood/Meat Spots
What Causes Red Spots on Chicken Thighs?
The red spots on chicken thighs result from the blood that should’ve been properly drained before packaging. And so, these dark spots were caused by poor handling after butchering the chicken.
You may be wondering, are red spots on chicken thighs bad?
Here’s a quick answer:
Red spots on chicken thighs are harmless, and you can also remove them. Since these are blood spots, you can remove them by running your chicken underwater for two minutes. This way, you can clean the blood on the surface, and the red spots will also go away.
And because these are just blood spots, you can eat your chicken thighs. However, make sure you cook your chicken meat properly until it reaches the proper internal temperature.
What Causes Red Spots on Chicken Legs?
Those pesky red spots you see on chicken legs are blood spots. These spots are caused by poor handling and chickens, and they usually occur on chicken legs.
If you’re wondering whether red marks on chicken legs are bad, here’s a quick answer.
The red spots on chicken legs are safe. You can remove the red spots on the chicken legs by running them under boiling water for a few minutes. Once you remove the blood spots on the surface, your chicken legs will be ready for cooking.
The blood spots on chicken thighs are not bad, so you can still eat them. But make sure you cook them properly until the correct internal temperature is reached.
What Causes Red Spots On Chicken Breasts?
A red spot on the chicken breast occurs when the meat has been handled or butchered incorrectly. These blood spots can also happen when the chicken meat is undercooked. You can easily remove blood spots on chicken breasts, and they’re not something you must worry about.
So, are red spots on chicken breast unsafe to eat?
Red spots on chicken are not a bad thing. But, it is important to cook your chicken thoroughly if you notice red spots on your chicken breasts. This way, you will enjoy eating the chicken without any issues.
What Causes Red spots on Chicken Wings?
If you notice red spots on your chicken wings, these are blood spots, and they can be removed by blanching your chicken wings. Improper or poor handling causes red spots on chicken wings, but they’re still safe to eat if you cook them properly.
What Causes Red Veins In Cooked Chicken?
You may be alarmed to find red veins in your chicken meat when cooking chicken. Typically, you’ll see this with cuts of chicken that are cooked with the bone-in. When you’re cooking chicken, sometimes the hemoglobin in the veins can react. This causes the red veins to be more pronounced. However, as long as your chicken is cooked to temperature, it is safe to eat.
Blood Spots on Live Chicken
If you notice blood spots on live chicken, it can indicate parasites like mites, lice, fleas, and ticks. But, if you see red spots only on chicken meat, it’s safe to eat when cooked properly.
How to Clean Blood on Raw Chicken?
Fixing Raw Chicken with Blood Spots
Place the raw chicken in a large bowl and cover it with ice water. Soak the chicken meat for 30 minutes, then drain it and pat it dries with paper towels. Most of the red blood spots will soak away in the cold water.
Final Thoughts
In summary, red spots on chicken are called blood spots, and they are caused by the chicken being handled or processed improperly. Although it may seem harmful, you can eat chicken meat with blood spots as long as it is properly cooked.
The red spots on the chicken are nothing but the dried blood that became stuck or released during the butchering process. You’ll also notice red spots on chicken if the meat has been stored improperly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my live chicken have red spots?
A blood-feeding parasite known as mite can cause your chicken to have red spots. The affected chickens will have blood spots on their eggshells and scabby areas on the face or body.
Is the red stuff in chicken blood?
Many people think the pinkish-red liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is water absorbed by the chicken meat during the chilling process. Blood is removed from chicken during slaughter, and only a small amount remains stuck in the muscle tissue.
Can cooked chicken still have blood?
As the chicken continues to cook, the heat disrupts the chemical reaction that causes myoglobin to appear pink. The juices coming out from the chicken will lose their rosy hue, becoming clear. It’s also possible your chicken reaches this temperature and still shows blood spots near the bone.
Why does blood come out when frying chicken?
According to the USDA, many people mistake the pinkish liquid they see when frying chicken for blood. However, the pink liquid in chicken is just water absorbed by chicken meat during the chilling process.
Can I get sick from eating bloody chicken?
Bacteria can invade your system if you consume undercooked, bloody chicken. According to WebMD, it can cause bloating, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody stools. Most people recover within a week, but some people may experience serious complications.
Is it safe to eat commercially frozen meat?
When chickens are frozen commercially, the freezing process reduces the chances of the marrow seeping through the bones. The meat still is perfectly safe to eat and wholesome.
