Chicken is a wonderfully versatile meat that is used extensively in most non-vegetarian kitchens.
Its mild flavor pairs with many other tastes and can be used in a huge number of recipes, from sweet and sour Asian flavors to Indian-style curries to an American classic – fried chicken.
It also lends itself to most cooking methods –stewing, roasting, frying, or even steaming. Chicken is much quicker to cook than many other types of meat. Also, it’s readily available in every local store.
However, some people complain that they dislike the distinctive “gamey” or “chicken” smell and taste that chicken sometimes has. Read on, and we’ll explore ways to solve this issue.
Why Does Chicken Taste Gamey?
Firstly, for health reasons, you must establish why your chicken has this taste and smell. Is it just the normal distinctive chicken smell, or is it off?
Chicken that’s off is not safe to eat and must be discarded immediately. If your chicken has been in the refrigerator (unfrozen) for more than two days, it’s no longer safe.
Check the date stamp when buying unfrozen chicken from the supermarket. About a million Americans every year become ill from eating chicken that’s off, so it’s not worth taking a risk.
You should not keep frozen chicken for more than three months. Cooked chicken should not be refrigerated for more than 3-4 days.
- Usually, if the chicken is off, it will be sticky or slimy to the touch. There will be a layer of stickiness over it. Fresh chicken is glossy and slightly slippery to the touch.
- Bad chicken will have a particularly unpleasant odor that is stronger than usual. It may smell slightly sour.
- The color also gives you a clue about how fresh it is. Chicken should have a pink, fleshy color and should not be dull greyish.
Once you’ve established that the meat isn’t off but merely has a strange smell from how it was butchered, farmed, or stored, go ahead and use our tips to remove or disguise this odor.
How to Remove Gamey Taste from Chicken
- Thoroughly Wash Your Chicken with Cold Water
Washing meat with cold water is the best solution for getting rid of the unpleasant gamey smell.
Run your chicken under freely running cold water to make sure it’s thoroughly washed.
Now pat it dry with a clean paper towel. You may now proceed with your recipe.
- Wipe the Chicken with White Vinegar
When it comes to cleaning and fixing the meat’s unpleasant taste and odor, vinegar is a great resource.
Lemon juice is also effective. Take a shallow glass or ceramic dish and put your chicken into it.
Drizzle a generous amount of vinegar or lemon juice over the chicken, cover it and leave it to marinate for about ten minutes in the fridge.
Pat it dry with a paper towel and proceed to cook it.
- Choose the right Recipes
If you’ve purchased a batch of gamey-tasting chicken that you need to finish, cook it in ways that disguise the taste.
Spicy curries are a good option, as recipes call for the addition of red wine like coq au vin.
Barbequing the meat over a charcoal fire will impart a delicious smoky taste and smell.
Go a step further and marinate the chicken in a tasty sauce first.
- Change Your Supplier
If the chicken you buy from a certain place consistently has a flavor you don’t like, you might consider changing where you buy it from.
Look for an organic, free-range source because organic chickens are fed differently to regular factory-farmed chickens, so they are said to have a better taste and smell.
As a bonus, they’re better for your health and the environment too.
We hope these tips have helped you to get the most out of your chicken. Enjoy your meal!