Why is boiled chicken still red?

When chopping boiled chicken and seeing red bones or red juice running out, many people think they haven't boiled the chicken enough time, leading to a situation where the inside is cooked on the outside. However, there are times when boiled chicken meat is still red, causing the cook to become confused and no longer confident in their housekeeping skills.

The reason boiled chicken is still red forever

Dr. Greg Blonder, an American physicist who teaches at Boston University, said: ' This phenomenon is often seen in young chickens and young chickens. Because the bone and muscle structure is not yet stable, during the cooking process, myoglobin reacts with air and mixes with water, forming a liquid that flows out.

This reaction causes some parts of the meat around the chicken bones to appear red, similar to the pink-red liquid that flows out when chopping chicken, which is simply chicken broth mixed with myoglobin . .

Animal bodies have two forms of protein: hemoglobin and myoglobin .

Hemoglobin helps provide oxygen to small cells in the blood, while myoglobin binds more tightly to oxygen usually stored in muscles and bones. Poultry such as chickens and ducks have both white meat and slightly dark red meat in areas of high activity such as legs and wings.

Surely you have the answer to the question why boiled chicken is still red? (Photo: Burgermood).

Myoglobin looks red like blood but in reality it is not. The pinkish-red areas in the boiled chicken or even the pink juice that flows out are not blood. That's why boiled chicken remains red, and it's not a sign that the boiled chicken is undercooked.

The correct way to tell if boiled chicken is really cooked is to use a food thermometer. You can measure the temperature in the thickest part inside the thighs, wings as well as in the chicken breast.

It's important to note that the color of meat is not always an accurate indicator of doneness or safety to eat . You should use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Chicken must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 74 degrees Celsius to be safe to eat, ensuring the destruction of any potential bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.

To determine the doneness of your chicken or whether it is safe to eat, you should use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. (Photo: Washington Post)

Tips to avoid the situation where boiled chicken remains red forever

Although not harmful, the red part inside also makes the chicken piece unsightly, making many people feel scared and unappetizing.

To avoid this situation, change the pH level of the environment by adding a little vinegar or lemon . Using lemon and salt to rub when preparing chicken not only helps to effectively deodorize but also limits the condition of boiled chicken remaining red forever.

Another tip is to marinate it with a little lemon juice or vinegar. This method both helps make the skin crispier and limits myoglobin from changing when exposed to air while boiling.

The condition of boiled chicken meat remaining red forever will not happen if the bones are separated before boiling. If there are no bones with surrounding myoglobin to "dye" , the chicken will not be red.

How many minutes does it take to boil chicken?

Boiled chicken is best when it is just cooked. Time and temperature control are important.

If you boil chicken in cold water , put the chicken in a pot, pour water just enough to cover the chicken and place it on the stove. Initially, put on medium heat, until the water boils, skim off the foam and turn down the heat. When the chicken has boiled for 10 minutes, turn off the stove, cover the pot and braise the chicken for another 20 minutes so that the meat cooks evenly, without scorching. broken skin, red bones.

If the chicken is large in size, you can boil it for another 5-10 minutes then turn off the stove, cover the pot to braise the chicken until cooked.

If you boil it in hot water , you should not immediately drop the chicken into the pot of boiling water because it will crack the skin. Take the chicken and dip it into the pot of hot water 2-3 times to let it "get used to" the high temperature, then put it down completely, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil again. Then, reduce the heat so the water simmers, use a ladle to remove the foam.

Chicken from 1.5kg-1.8kg needs to be boiled for about 10-15 minutes; If the chicken weighs 2kg-2.5kg, it should be boiled for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the stove and cover the pot to incubate the chicken for another 10-15 minutes so that the meat cooks evenly and does not turn the bones red.

After boiling the chicken, take it out and soak it in a bowl of ice water to make the skin crispy. When cool, take it out and let it drain before chopping.

Be careful not to chop while the chicken is still hot because it will make the chicken watery and reduce its sweetness. Moreover, it causes the skin and flesh to burst out, lacking aesthetics.