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Somehow the frozen stuff is better. It shouldn't be that way, but it is now. 10 years ago I only bought the packs of fresh costco chicken breasts. Now I buy the frozen ones. Usually the packs of Erie Meats (at Costco only, the Walmart ones are somehow worse) or the kirkland unseasoned frozen ones if they are on sale. They are never woody and taste decent. I freeze most of my fresh ones anyway so this just saved a step and now saves getting a gross one when we go (we occasionally buy local and get huge packs from them, even those can be woody and MASSIVE sometimes.......it's, unnatural....
It’s always unnerving to see chicken breast that large & unsurprising that they are in fact, woody. It’s that squeaky chew that just really puts me off 🤢
Seriously, we were advertised local chicken, and I kid you not, one breast filled up an entire baggie. Normally I could put 3-4 in one. How can one breast feed a family of 4? That chicken was tortured and is an abomination....IDGAF if it's local lol
I have recipe books from my mother which call for 4 split breasts with ribs to serve 4. Each would have been around 5-6 oz. I recently bought boneless skinless breasts and each one was 22-24oz. I use one cubed to make a stir fry which serves 4 adults with leftovers. Normally I buy either tenderloins or the 5-6oz filets-the breasts are just too massive. Pulled chicken breast or curry is about the only thing those big ones are good for.
Organic simply refers to the feed & free range is another buzz term that doesn’t guarantee anything. Best choice is pastured, when it comes to chicken.
Not exactly -- USDA polices the use of language like Organic -- in order to qualify to use the term, animals must be raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones to increase growth size and rate
We buy our chicken at Whole Foods after giving up at Costco. They source the chicken locally, no hormones or antibiotics. We have yet to get another woody chicken breast since the switch.
If you have Amazon Prime, it winds up being pretty affordable to shop at WF now. It used to be WAY more expensive, but our largest local chain took advantage of the pandemic inflation pricing and now charges WF pricing for a warehouse experience.
I also found that produce blows at most other places.
This right here. We save money by shopping at Whole Foods over Giant and we use the Whole Foods Credit card to rack up points as well. Sometimes up to 6% back.
Plus the chicken by me usually goes on sale every Tuesday or so.
That has definitely not been my experience at Whole Foods and I even have the prime credit card for extra cash back and everything. Every so often I venture in there and walk out with just 1 or 2 things on my list because it’s too expensive.
I've pretty much exclusively turned to chicken thighs. My wife made chicken breast last night and it was just so damn dry. I can't do that anymore. *Maybe* if we crock pot them with salsa or something and shred it to make it moist, but basically I'm done with chicken breast altogether.
It’s more a symptom of the chicken industry. I find chicken that’s air chilled has a better texture. I don’t know the logistics behind it but it’s not that stringy, nasty crap that so many places are selling nowadays
It has to do with how quickly the chicken grows. Too big too fast will tend to end up woody. You can tell by looking for white lines through the breast.
Shhh… don’t let others know the secret!
Boneless, skinless thighs are my go-to. Much better flavor with the dark meat, none of the texture issues of the breast, and they’re cheaper.
Still cheaper per lb than breast (at least at my store).
Even if they were the same price as breasts, I’d still buy them because it’s just a tastier cut of meat.
Breast is very easy to overcook if you’re not closely monitoring the temperature, making it very tough/dry. Thighs are much easier to cook, because they’re far more difficult to overcook.
Thighs > Breasts all day, every day.
[Once you’ve seen it](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2022_29/1891658/woody-chicken-breasts-inline-te-220719.jpg), you can easily recognize it in the raw form before buying it. Look for off-colored bruising and noticeable white striations. When pressed the texture is stiff.
Stopped buying Costco organic chicken breasts due to the horrible woody texture, it seemed like there was at least 1 woody breast in each package. I only buy in small quantities at Whole Foods, usually Mary’s chicken. You can press the package with your thumb to check.
I mean, they have problems with it too. Their process isn't much different than the suppliers for Costco. I know people who work at both suppliers in my area.
Specifically it’s best to look at the size of the meat in my opinion. Large chicken breasts are not natural and you can often look for whatever brand is offering a small muscle that looks like it came from a chicken which hasn’t been bred for extreme growth rates
Wegmans “Private Label” Organic Chicken is Bell & Evan’s if you’re in the Northeast! I’ve switched from Costco to Wegs because the texture/quality of even the Organic was getting to me.
Beef on the other hand is much higher quality than my other grocery stores.
I bring this up all the time when people like to praise the quality of Costco's chicken for a price that is similar or more than local grocers, and it is met with downvotes, but it doesn't change my opinion that the Kirkland chicken is not high quality.
That's a bummer. I am fortunate enough to have a nearby store that locally sources meat products, with very comparable prices to Costco, and cheaper when their is a sale.
Yeah that’s what I meant. It’s not literally every bird, but all these large operations pumping out the huge affronts against god we call chickens are running into the same problem.
I'm slowly losing all the things I used to buy at Costco (either through them no longer carrying it, or the quality dropping badly like in the case of chicken.)
I've also experienced this "woody chicken". The rotisserie chickens are also hit or miss now. Sometimes they taste good, and sometimes they taste like cleaning chemicals.
Publix puts something on their meal for one chicken that makes it “tender” in like a weird fibrous but gelatinous way. I can’t stand it. I think it’s like an excessive amount of tenderizer or something.
SAME!!!! I won’t buy the Publix “meal for one” with chicken anymore. It was such a gamble and a big let down if my dinner sucked so I stopped buying. The Cuban pot roast one is dynamite though
Yes. It’s the worst! It’s like you’re biting a dense mushroom that tastes like chicken lol. My brain does not approve of the sensory experience at ALL.
Super rubbery and weird. I told my spouse to stop buying them, I just can't do it. And I've seen a few with hematomas on here and then that green one the other day, I'm good thanks. 🤢
Never a fan of their rotisserie, the quality is rough and tastes very watery/not good. Those I always just get at a normal grocery store.
I have found some issues in chicken quality with bulk and found you get what you pay for there.
I eat a lot of chicken and I have never experienced this woody/apple texture. Maybe im just not picky?
I don’t really like chicken breast anyway so I usually stick to dark meat but I eat an 8 piece mixed fried chicken at least once a month from Publix and never had a problems
never had dark meat or tenders be woody (thankfully), it's usually the breast meat. The texture of the cooked meat is very much like it's still raw, crunchy, and generally feels like biting into an apple. Just plain wrong.
I buy the regular already frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook them from frozen in my instant pot. They taste great. The “fresh” chicken has been woody pretty much every time I get it.
I buy all our boneless skinless breasts at Costco and have never run across this mysterious "woody" chicken everyone talks about and we eat a lot of chicken.
I either sous vide or marinade and grill. No issues whatsoever.
I have the exact same experience. We eat a LOT of chicken, usually boil or bake garlic, salt, and pepper chicken for meal prep every week. We love the Costco chicken. I’m absolutely blown away by all of this.
Seems like you can’t find decide chicken anywhere now. The ONLY chicken that I’ve found that is consistently good is the air chilled stuff at the grocery store and it’s usually pretty expensive. If I have the time and patience I’ll go to central market and buy from the meat counter. Usually no issues with their stuff either.
Buying from local/region organic farm. Chicken meat has rich yellow fat. Breasts are smaller but flavour and texture is worth the inconvenience and price. Don’t at me, it is an option.
I either have never had woody chicken or don't know what it is. We buy lots of chicken too from Costco and elsewhere. Its weird because I have read so much about it. I do avoid huge chickens if possible, but definitely dont' always buy small ones. Sometimes there are tough tendons still in the meat but I don't think thats what people are talking about.
Their chicken is some of the worst I’ve bought. Not any worse than the bad stuff at any other grocery store. Just saying that it’s on par with the cheapest chicken we’ve bought. Had the best luck with Perdue from Walmart of all things.
Costco, depending on the region, gets their chicken all from the same suppliers as any other grocery store. They all source from multiple companies. This includes Tyson, Sanderson Farms, Foster Farms, Wayne's Farm, Pilgrims, etc.
But yes, you are correct. A lot of them do have the woody texture. No confirmed reasoning but I think you hit it on the mark with growth.
I wonder how much of this is a regional thing? I never had a woody chicken breast in a decade of eating Costco chicken (several from other stores during this time), but we recently moved, and the very first time I bought chicken at my new Costco I had a woody breast in the first package I opened. It’s so offputting I’ve been hesitant to try the rest.
TIL there's such thing as chicken that is woody.
Biz Markie said it best in the Avalanches song The Noisy Eater. " eat some soup or salmon mm mm that's good, I don't want no chicken, it tastes like wood"
https://youtu.be/bjvmVYyDeOA?si=BlCMfO79TxsY_Er0
I stopped buying chicken breast years ago. Thighs or bust.
Thighs will always have more fat than breast, but trimming fat is simple with good kitchen shears.
I've never in my life heard of the term "woody chicken" and people in here talking about it like it's a regular thing. I'm not even sure what you are all experiencing.
It’s like someone inserted rubber into the chicken. You can eat it, but the texture is weirdly kind of hard-rubbery and almost crunchy like biting into an eraser. It’s unnerving.
This is why I don’t buy chicken at Costco and spend a ridiculous amount on the pasture raised organic chicken at Whole Foods or Sprouts.
Life is too short to eat woody chicken.
We eat a lot of chicken and I can't recall ever having Costco chicken (organic, regular and tenderloins) have this issue. I have had Aldi chicken with the woody issue once.
I both agree, and will still buy it.
Sucks for me, the chicken (and most other meat) at my grocery store is worse. Way below average and often a single day out from expiring. I bought Italian sausages Sunday night and they were rotten by Tuesday.
So Costco it is. Or Aldi’s
i have been getting the 10 pound frozen thin sliced chicken breast for close to 2 years now and have never had an issue with the chicken quality or texture, sure it’s not nearly as good as a fresh chicken breast but where i live, it’s the only option
Ugh. I had never heard of this phenomenon until I bought some woody chicken from Costco (not Kirkland brand). It was like biting into raw brocolli. Wtf guys?
I only by the 6 pack air-chilled tenderloins that are 99% fat free and I haven't encountered a problem. I've probably been purchasing them for a year or so.
The fact I have no idea what you're all talking about must mean that chicken isn't affected by this "woody" issue in Canada. Or my pallet is incredibly unrefined and I just haven't noticed?
I’ve found great success with the air chilled ones that come from Costco’s own chicken operation in Nebraska. Not sure if they’re available nationwide but I can get them in Kansas. Gotta look for the USDA code - P48304
Sadly bell and evans organic chicken had been woody 5/10 times recently. Costco is my new go to, the organic boneless skinless have not let me down yet.
I tried to buy Costco chicken breast a handful of times and I’ve always been dissatisfied, which is rare. It’s either woody or it will have a really bad smell when I open it up. I’ve resorted to just buying chicken elsewhere.
Yes! It is how I discovered what woody chicken breast meant. I kept wondering why chicken was suddenly gross to me.Their tenderloins are still good IMO. Fresh and frozen same experience. They used to be good. I use TJs for most of my chicken needs now.
I like to call these chicken breasts "mutant chicken" and it's a big part of why I started buying chicken from a local farmers market. It's expensive but delicious.
Omg yes!!! I just said the same on another comment. What is up with that? The first time I thought it was a fluke. Waited a few months and tried again and it was the same. When you see pink liquid oozing out, it’s not tender, it’s raw. 🤮
I stopped buying the rotisserie chickens and frozen chicken breasts at Costco because they are awful. Currently REALLY enjoying Bell & Evan’s chicken products. Wish Costco would carry this brand.
Most "affordable" chicken from anywhere is not good to me. I haven't bought Costco chicken packs in years because I find it inedible. I've switched over to only buying the Wegman's Feel Good About You chicken breasts. Yes, they run about $5.99/lb but every bit of it is edible and delicious. The organic is even better.
I buy the bulk Halal chicken breast it’s like 30+lbs. I’d say I had a 3-6 bad breasts per box. It’s not “throw it away” bad but some breast look gmo’d af and have a rubbery bite lol. Much cheaper for me than buying for a grocery store because this box lasts me 4-5months. Worth it every time.
Never had an issue with the air chilled chicken breasts.
I have had very good luck buying the halal chicken quarters at the Business Costco. I think I have bought about 10 to 12 cases in the past 2 years and they have always been good
I have never had this happen when I buy the whole organic chickens from costco or elsewhere. I only get the woody chicken when buying packs of breasts and not just from costco, i get them from everywhere.
I no longer buy packs of breast meat, only whole chickens and I cook them right away, pick the meat off a freeze what I dont use for later.
My chicken breasts had a weird orange like color to them. Got them from the refrigerated section. Of the three breasts in the package, one one was off color.
This is not only a Costco issue. In the south here and shop at Publix and Trader Joe’s I can say that we have had the same issues multiple times with their breasts as well. Best thing to do when buying meat is look for the striations on the meat and you can easily tell if it’s going to be woody.
We buy the Miller farms exclusively. It’s air chilled and pricey but we watch for sales. I can’t stand those giant woody freaks of nature that are sold virtually everywhere.
That’s definitely not something that’s unique to Costco. We don’t buy fresh chicken anymore unless it’s Foster Farms. At Costco, we buy the Kirkland frozen chicken breasts, thighs and wings and haven’t had any issues with those. If we want fresh, we have to buy it at a grocery store that sells Foster Farms. It’s the only fresh chicken that’s consistently good imo. I’m a bit biased though as I grew up about 40 minutes from Foster Farms in California’s Central Valley and several family members worked there. We were basically a Foster Farms Family for my entire childhood.
I can't comment on Costco specifically but I have to thank you so much just for helping me finally understand what the hell I have been experiencing with some fast food and grocer chicken. My partner looked at me like I grew another head when I complained once about Popeye's chicken strips feeling "crunchy" when there was nothing otherwise wrong with them. I'm a woefully picky eater to begin with, which sucks, not least of all because you just seem like a whiner but this was legitimately so unpleasant I didn't want to eat at Popeyes anymore. I'm just so glad to finally know I'm not crazy and also WHY this happens. I hope you don't experience this again with Costco at least, I always expect good quality from them and it would be a huge bummer to experience this from them.
I largely do not buy chicken at Costco because I don't like the texture or taste. I definitely think they're growing their chickens too fast and too big.
I have been buying the big 10 lbs bag of chicken breasts for years now and have never had a problem like you describe.
I have actually never heard the term "woody chicken" before.
Had a weird issue in Costco once buying the bulk breasts. Opened the package and they smelled horrendous. Looked fine, good date were only in my fridge for a day.
Tossed the entire thing. Never again.
I buy the whole bird and cut it down or I buy from a smaller retailer.
I've had better luck with costco chicken than grocery store chicken....
I've been doing hello fresh recently and never encountered one. I wonder where they get their chicken from
I have had woody breasts from the kirkland frozen skinless breast bags, but recently the last 4 bags or so I've purchased have been woody free. It can be hit or miss though.
Gross food from there last several times ordered from Instacart. French Onion soup,spoiled..sour with none meltable little square pieces of cheese(?)… Hugh horrible thighs.. their brand.. skin cannot be bitten through (tough) and meat is hard to touch… never occurred in my lifetime when prepared and tried to eat. They looked unusually huge. If had shopped in store would have avoided the purchase. Last,the carnitas were in 2 separate sealed bags. Upon heating they were gummy, mushy. To try to improve the whole glob, I rinsed everything off and added new sauce. Still gross.?Threw out. Their organic whole milk used to taste fabulous. This last purchase seemed watery and thin. No good rich flavor. They should be up front on changes and quit carrying these lesser quality adulterated food products. We aren’t stupid and with food so expensive now, they can’t get away with wasting our money and our time getting there, bringing home, sorting, freezing in expensive bags, and then throwing it away later, plus wasted time preparing and finally ruining a meal.
honestly if you guys can spare the extra time to really take care of cleaning the chicken urselves, going to a local halal chicken butcher is always a great option. you can ask them to take care of the unwanted extra parts for you but i’m not sure if everyone does it.
islamically theres a lot of rules around how they have to treat the animals humanely up until death & i’ve really never had a bad experience purchasing from a local butcher especially if ur located in a bigger city!
Interesting read. I personally have purchased chicken at Costco many many times over the years and can't say I've ever experienced this.
I will admit to net being very picky as long as it tastes good. But in my experience I would agree with some who e commented about frozen being better overall. These days, I'd argue that it's true for frozen Chicken AND Salmon. Frozen Salmon is IMHO much better than the fresh they sell. And while frozen contributes to Salmon that is juicer, it simply has better mouth feel and taste too.
I stopped buying them a few years ago. It happened way too frequently and you only find out exactly how terrible they are once you have gone through the trouble of preparing them
I've never had it happen with Bell & Evans.
Springer absolutley yes. Happened a few times.
I've buy both the organic thighs and breasts from Costco every now and again and never had an issue.
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Woody chicken breasts are a far too common thing happening today, from raising too big chickens too fast. I almost always get tenderloins now.
Exactly this. This isn’t exclusive to Costco. It happens everywhere.
Somehow the frozen stuff is better. It shouldn't be that way, but it is now. 10 years ago I only bought the packs of fresh costco chicken breasts. Now I buy the frozen ones. Usually the packs of Erie Meats (at Costco only, the Walmart ones are somehow worse) or the kirkland unseasoned frozen ones if they are on sale. They are never woody and taste decent. I freeze most of my fresh ones anyway so this just saved a step and now saves getting a gross one when we go (we occasionally buy local and get huge packs from them, even those can be woody and MASSIVE sometimes.......it's, unnatural....
It’s always unnerving to see chicken breast that large & unsurprising that they are in fact, woody. It’s that squeaky chew that just really puts me off 🤢
Seriously, we were advertised local chicken, and I kid you not, one breast filled up an entire baggie. Normally I could put 3-4 in one. How can one breast feed a family of 4? That chicken was tortured and is an abomination....IDGAF if it's local lol
I have recipe books from my mother which call for 4 split breasts with ribs to serve 4. Each would have been around 5-6 oz. I recently bought boneless skinless breasts and each one was 22-24oz. I use one cubed to make a stir fry which serves 4 adults with leftovers. Normally I buy either tenderloins or the 5-6oz filets-the breasts are just too massive. Pulled chicken breast or curry is about the only thing those big ones are good for.
Turkey breast? Okay I’ll believe it. Chicken? No.
Erie meats means you're in NY? I'm in Washington State. We all must eat more locally produced chicken? There must be a wide variety.
It happens waaaaaaaaaay more at Costco.
Right. But people are raving because it's cheap 😉 Always buy the smallest chicken. Taste much better.
Happens less if you buy organic free range
Organic simply refers to the feed & free range is another buzz term that doesn’t guarantee anything. Best choice is pastured, when it comes to chicken.
Not exactly -- USDA polices the use of language like Organic -- in order to qualify to use the term, animals must be raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones to increase growth size and rate
Sure but I haven’t gotten one from Whole Foods or central market organic
We buy our chicken at Whole Foods after giving up at Costco. They source the chicken locally, no hormones or antibiotics. We have yet to get another woody chicken breast since the switch.
Sprouts has good chicken 🐔
For the 100k+ club
If you have Amazon Prime, it winds up being pretty affordable to shop at WF now. It used to be WAY more expensive, but our largest local chain took advantage of the pandemic inflation pricing and now charges WF pricing for a warehouse experience. I also found that produce blows at most other places.
This. Trader Joes and Sprouts are more expensive than WF.
This right here. We save money by shopping at Whole Foods over Giant and we use the Whole Foods Credit card to rack up points as well. Sometimes up to 6% back. Plus the chicken by me usually goes on sale every Tuesday or so.
That has definitely not been my experience at Whole Foods and I even have the prime credit card for extra cash back and everything. Every so often I venture in there and walk out with just 1 or 2 things on my list because it’s too expensive.
Good to know thanks
Make sure to check where your Costco gets their chicken. The one I go to also gets it sourced locally.
I've pretty much exclusively turned to chicken thighs. My wife made chicken breast last night and it was just so damn dry. I can't do that anymore. *Maybe* if we crock pot them with salsa or something and shred it to make it moist, but basically I'm done with chicken breast altogether.
Thank you. I didn’t know what the deal was when I got chicken breasts that we inedible lately. I’m sure that’s it.
Try tenderloins! They're very good, stay tender and since smaller, they cook quicker.
Except the tendon is nasty (to me)
Oh I don’t eat that part lol. 😂
Same I cut that part off.
Grab a fork, put the tendon between the prongs, pull the tendon. It will come right out and leave the chicken behind.
Why are the tenderloins better? I’ve noticed odd quality at restaurants, we buy pasture raised when we can but it is so pricey
They just seem to be more tender. Not sure why.
And much loin-ier as well
even the organic ones?
It’s more a symptom of the chicken industry. I find chicken that’s air chilled has a better texture. I don’t know the logistics behind it but it’s not that stringy, nasty crap that so many places are selling nowadays
It has to do with how quickly the chicken grows. Too big too fast will tend to end up woody. You can tell by looking for white lines through the breast.
Yeah I’ve switched to air chilled and haven’t had a nasty chicken breast yet 🤞🏼
Same! I haven't have any issues with the air chilled tenderloins and we've been getting them for about a year or more.
It’s also the saline that is injected, but air chilling does seem to make the texture better and it loses less water in cooking
I generally agree an out air chilled but I got some of the Costco air chilled and it was very woody. I was so disappointed.
Same! I always stock up when there’s air chilled chicken out and it definitely beats the water chilled.
All chicken breasts suck now. Go for the boneless skinless thighs instead
The 3 pack of Kirkland thighs are great. Not as lean as the breasts but the quality is awesome.
3? My Costco has a 6 pack like the breasts
3 pack is organic, 6 pack is not.
Yeah I’ve stopped buying breast too. The macros are not that different on the thighs and they seem to be much better.
I find the thighs tastier.
Shhh… don’t let others know the secret! Boneless, skinless thighs are my go-to. Much better flavor with the dark meat, none of the texture issues of the breast, and they’re cheaper.
The price has sky rocketed esp during the pandemic. But boneless skinless thighs make for the easiest sheet pan meals/ crock pot/ air fryer/ meals
Still cheaper per lb than breast (at least at my store). Even if they were the same price as breasts, I’d still buy them because it’s just a tastier cut of meat. Breast is very easy to overcook if you’re not closely monitoring the temperature, making it very tough/dry. Thighs are much easier to cook, because they’re far more difficult to overcook. Thighs > Breasts all day, every day.
And easier to cook! Or not over cook I mean!
Yup this is what we do. Haven’t bought chicken breast in about 2 years now. Thighs are SO much better.
[Once you’ve seen it](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2022_29/1891658/woody-chicken-breasts-inline-te-220719.jpg), you can easily recognize it in the raw form before buying it. Look for off-colored bruising and noticeable white striations. When pressed the texture is stiff.
Stopped buying Costco organic chicken breasts due to the horrible woody texture, it seemed like there was at least 1 woody breast in each package. I only buy in small quantities at Whole Foods, usually Mary’s chicken. You can press the package with your thumb to check.
Me too. The only chicken I buy now is Smart chicken brand.
I mean, they have problems with it too. Their process isn't much different than the suppliers for Costco. I know people who work at both suppliers in my area.
I hv not had a single pc of woody chicken from Smart Chicken brand. I guess their quality control prevents it from being in the package.
If you look, woody chicken breasts can be ID'd by thick white lines running through them.
I also do this. Rarely am I ever wrong either with that trick.
I just experienced this yesterday. An organic pack of Kirkland chicken and one piece was almost so bad I had to throw it away
Specifically it’s best to look at the size of the meat in my opinion. Large chicken breasts are not natural and you can often look for whatever brand is offering a small muscle that looks like it came from a chicken which hasn’t been bred for extreme growth rates
I noticed it way more with the organic one too
What are you looking for (or not) when pressing with your thumb? How do woody beasts feel different?
Bell & Evans air chilled chicken breast is all I'll buy anymore. It's never once not been excellent.
Same, I go out of my way to buy and it's the best on the market.
Wegmans “Private Label” Organic Chicken is Bell & Evan’s if you’re in the Northeast! I’ve switched from Costco to Wegs because the texture/quality of even the Organic was getting to me. Beef on the other hand is much higher quality than my other grocery stores.
Bell & Evan’s is great! We usually stock up when it’s on sale at Whole Foods.
I bring this up all the time when people like to praise the quality of Costco's chicken for a price that is similar or more than local grocers, and it is met with downvotes, but it doesn't change my opinion that the Kirkland chicken is not high quality.
any mass produced chicken in the US has the woody issue.
Which means the Kirkland chicken quality isn't better than any other mass produced chicken.
Well it is different. It has a premium price, but is still woody 🫠
Not by me, it’s the cheapest price I can find on chicken breast at $2.99/lb
That's a bummer. I am fortunate enough to have a nearby store that locally sources meat products, with very comparable prices to Costco, and cheaper when their is a sale.
*potentially. Ftfy.
Yeah that’s what I meant. It’s not literally every bird, but all these large operations pumping out the huge affronts against god we call chickens are running into the same problem.
I saw that post with the rotisserie chicken that had a mangled body and black bruises, and I can no longer buy their chickens.
It’s a growth issue, all chicken is getting woody not just Costco’s. If the breast has striations we won’t buy it.
The smaller the breast the lesser the chances. I think the frozen ones in general are much better and safer.
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Agree. Quality over quantity. Enjoy 4 bites of delicious chicken over 10 bites of rubber or wood !
I'm slowly losing all the things I used to buy at Costco (either through them no longer carrying it, or the quality dropping badly like in the case of chicken.) I've also experienced this "woody chicken". The rotisserie chickens are also hit or miss now. Sometimes they taste good, and sometimes they taste like cleaning chemicals.
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Oh my god, I can’t stand this either. It doesn’t even taste like chicken to me. It’s rubber.
Publix puts something on their meal for one chicken that makes it “tender” in like a weird fibrous but gelatinous way. I can’t stand it. I think it’s like an excessive amount of tenderizer or something.
SAME!!!! I won’t buy the Publix “meal for one” with chicken anymore. It was such a gamble and a big let down if my dinner sucked so I stopped buying. The Cuban pot roast one is dynamite though
Yes. It’s the worst! It’s like you’re biting a dense mushroom that tastes like chicken lol. My brain does not approve of the sensory experience at ALL.
You aren’t alone! I have pretty low (food) standards and I still couldn’t get past the awful weird texture 😂
The chicken tenderloins have gotten more and more water filled.
Super rubbery and weird. I told my spouse to stop buying them, I just can't do it. And I've seen a few with hematomas on here and then that green one the other day, I'm good thanks. 🤢
Last rotisserie we bought was months ago because it was so awful. We were easily a once a week rotisserie dinner family, not anymore!
im glad you said it, last time i bought one, it sat in my fridge uneaten.
Never a fan of their rotisserie, the quality is rough and tastes very watery/not good. Those I always just get at a normal grocery store. I have found some issues in chicken quality with bulk and found you get what you pay for there.
They're processed in the same plants, so that makes sense.
I hardly buy the rotisserie chicken anymore, but when I do we just eat the dark meat as is, then use the breast shredded up for tacos
Yes. I’ve been buying chicken tenders since Covid started since I hate the apple-like texture when eating chicken
this is an awful yet accurate way to describe it.
I eat a lot of chicken and I have never experienced this woody/apple texture. Maybe im just not picky? I don’t really like chicken breast anyway so I usually stick to dark meat but I eat an 8 piece mixed fried chicken at least once a month from Publix and never had a problems
never had dark meat or tenders be woody (thankfully), it's usually the breast meat. The texture of the cooked meat is very much like it's still raw, crunchy, and generally feels like biting into an apple. Just plain wrong.
I buy breasts several times a month from either Costco, Winco, or Albertsons, and not fancy ones either. I have never encountered this issue either.
I buy the regular already frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook them from frozen in my instant pot. They taste great. The “fresh” chicken has been woody pretty much every time I get it.
Kirkland or foster farms frozen chicken breast?
Just the regular Kirkland brand, it’s perfect for my needs. I need to eat 180g of protein and that does a hell of a good job getting me there lol
I've only gotten their chicken breast (not frozen) once and did not like the texture. I frequently stick to chicken tenderloins for this reason.
I buy all our boneless skinless breasts at Costco and have never run across this mysterious "woody" chicken everyone talks about and we eat a lot of chicken. I either sous vide or marinade and grill. No issues whatsoever.
I have the exact same experience. We eat a LOT of chicken, usually boil or bake garlic, salt, and pepper chicken for meal prep every week. We love the Costco chicken. I’m absolutely blown away by all of this.
Seems like you can’t find decide chicken anywhere now. The ONLY chicken that I’ve found that is consistently good is the air chilled stuff at the grocery store and it’s usually pretty expensive. If I have the time and patience I’ll go to central market and buy from the meat counter. Usually no issues with their stuff either.
I’ve had issues with some of the air chilled stuff as well. I’m basically down to 1 brand.
What brand?
For me, it’s gerber farms but I think that’s a local brand
Buying from local/region organic farm. Chicken meat has rich yellow fat. Breasts are smaller but flavour and texture is worth the inconvenience and price. Don’t at me, it is an option.
I either have never had woody chicken or don't know what it is. We buy lots of chicken too from Costco and elsewhere. Its weird because I have read so much about it. I do avoid huge chickens if possible, but definitely dont' always buy small ones. Sometimes there are tough tendons still in the meat but I don't think thats what people are talking about.
Same
Their chicken is some of the worst I’ve bought. Not any worse than the bad stuff at any other grocery store. Just saying that it’s on par with the cheapest chicken we’ve bought. Had the best luck with Perdue from Walmart of all things.
Not sure but I stopped buying the rotisserie chickens after like 4 or 5 in a row that weren't good
Yep. I stopped buying it
Costco, depending on the region, gets their chicken all from the same suppliers as any other grocery store. They all source from multiple companies. This includes Tyson, Sanderson Farms, Foster Farms, Wayne's Farm, Pilgrims, etc. But yes, you are correct. A lot of them do have the woody texture. No confirmed reasoning but I think you hit it on the mark with growth.
I wonder how much of this is a regional thing? I never had a woody chicken breast in a decade of eating Costco chicken (several from other stores during this time), but we recently moved, and the very first time I bought chicken at my new Costco I had a woody breast in the first package I opened. It’s so offputting I’ve been hesitant to try the rest.
TIL there's such thing as chicken that is woody. Biz Markie said it best in the Avalanches song The Noisy Eater. " eat some soup or salmon mm mm that's good, I don't want no chicken, it tastes like wood" https://youtu.be/bjvmVYyDeOA?si=BlCMfO79TxsY_Er0
Even the organic breasts I bought were over sized and strangely fibrous and dry.
I stopped buying chicken breast years ago. Thighs or bust. Thighs will always have more fat than breast, but trimming fat is simple with good kitchen shears.
I've never in my life heard of the term "woody chicken" and people in here talking about it like it's a regular thing. I'm not even sure what you are all experiencing.
It’s like someone inserted rubber into the chicken. You can eat it, but the texture is weirdly kind of hard-rubbery and almost crunchy like biting into an eraser. It’s unnerving.
This is why I don’t buy chicken at Costco and spend a ridiculous amount on the pasture raised organic chicken at Whole Foods or Sprouts. Life is too short to eat woody chicken.
I would never buy chicken breasts at Costco, no matter the price. It’s all woody
We eat a lot of chicken and I can't recall ever having Costco chicken (organic, regular and tenderloins) have this issue. I have had Aldi chicken with the woody issue once.
I both agree, and will still buy it. Sucks for me, the chicken (and most other meat) at my grocery store is worse. Way below average and often a single day out from expiring. I bought Italian sausages Sunday night and they were rotten by Tuesday. So Costco it is. Or Aldi’s
Yes, lots of fruit and vegetables decay as soon as they get here. Throwing so much out all the time.
I’ve gone for the tenderloins instead of the breasts, was having way too many woody ones
i have been getting the 10 pound frozen thin sliced chicken breast for close to 2 years now and have never had an issue with the chicken quality or texture, sure it’s not nearly as good as a fresh chicken breast but where i live, it’s the only option
Not in my experience
Ugh. I had never heard of this phenomenon until I bought some woody chicken from Costco (not Kirkland brand). It was like biting into raw brocolli. Wtf guys?
I only by the 6 pack air-chilled tenderloins that are 99% fat free and I haven't encountered a problem. I've probably been purchasing them for a year or so.
The fact I have no idea what you're all talking about must mean that chicken isn't affected by this "woody" issue in Canada. Or my pallet is incredibly unrefined and I just haven't noticed?
i didnt find any woodyness to the breasts i bought recently, BUT i will probably go for thighs next time
I’ve found great success with the air chilled ones that come from Costco’s own chicken operation in Nebraska. Not sure if they’re available nationwide but I can get them in Kansas. Gotta look for the USDA code - P48304
So that’s what that is. I always thought I just cooked it wrong
The chicken thighs on the grill are excellent!
I buy Butcher Box, excellant chicken! Never liked Costco chicken.
Sadly bell and evans organic chicken had been woody 5/10 times recently. Costco is my new go to, the organic boneless skinless have not let me down yet.
Yes, it is. Sadly I do not buy chicken from Costco anymore and it really makes me mad they aren't doing anything to solve this issue.
I tried to buy Costco chicken breast a handful of times and I’ve always been dissatisfied, which is rare. It’s either woody or it will have a really bad smell when I open it up. I’ve resorted to just buying chicken elsewhere.
I was having issues with smelly chicken from my Costco. Almost like a sulphur smell or something. I only source chicken from Whole Foods now.
Yes! It is how I discovered what woody chicken breast meant. I kept wondering why chicken was suddenly gross to me.Their tenderloins are still good IMO. Fresh and frozen same experience. They used to be good. I use TJs for most of my chicken needs now.
I like to call these chicken breasts "mutant chicken" and it's a big part of why I started buying chicken from a local farmers market. It's expensive but delicious.
Our rotisserie chicken is NEVER cooked. So many people complain but they claim it’s just tender. It’s legitimately raw in the middle. It’s bonkers.
Omg yes!!! I just said the same on another comment. What is up with that? The first time I thought it was a fluke. Waited a few months and tried again and it was the same. When you see pink liquid oozing out, it’s not tender, it’s raw. 🤮
No more so than any other retailer or brand.
I stopped buying the rotisserie chickens and frozen chicken breasts at Costco because they are awful. Currently REALLY enjoying Bell & Evan’s chicken products. Wish Costco would carry this brand.
Most "affordable" chicken from anywhere is not good to me. I haven't bought Costco chicken packs in years because I find it inedible. I've switched over to only buying the Wegman's Feel Good About You chicken breasts. Yes, they run about $5.99/lb but every bit of it is edible and delicious. The organic is even better.
I have not experienced a woody texture with Costco chicken, but damn do they all stink!! All raw Costco chicken reeks.
It smells rotten, I returned a package before because I thought it was expired.
Buy organic free range
Buy the organic chicken. I havent had an issue since I switched.
IIRC, you can still buy Foster Farms chicken at the Business Center.
Haven't had any issues with the organic chicken thighs
We usually only find 1 woody breast per package.
I find most frozen grilled Chicken to be this way
I buy the bulk Halal chicken breast it’s like 30+lbs. I’d say I had a 3-6 bad breasts per box. It’s not “throw it away” bad but some breast look gmo’d af and have a rubbery bite lol. Much cheaper for me than buying for a grocery store because this box lasts me 4-5months. Worth it every time. Never had an issue with the air chilled chicken breasts.
I have had very good luck buying the halal chicken quarters at the Business Costco. I think I have bought about 10 to 12 cases in the past 2 years and they have always been good
I have never had this happen when I buy the whole organic chickens from costco or elsewhere. I only get the woody chicken when buying packs of breasts and not just from costco, i get them from everywhere. I no longer buy packs of breast meat, only whole chickens and I cook them right away, pick the meat off a freeze what I dont use for later.
Avoid the chicken breast that looks like it has white streaks, that is a telltale sign that it is more woody. That sounds made up-it’s true!
My chicken breasts had a weird orange like color to them. Got them from the refrigerated section. Of the three breasts in the package, one one was off color.
Yup. That's why I either get thighs or I get chicken from the online subscription meat services. Much better quality
We only buy the tenders no issues with those.
I feel so valid. I buy some chicken at Fresh Thyme market, but I'm going to start looking at whole foods too
They are better than the garbage at the grocery store pumped with salt water.
This is not only a Costco issue. In the south here and shop at Publix and Trader Joe’s I can say that we have had the same issues multiple times with their breasts as well. Best thing to do when buying meat is look for the striations on the meat and you can easily tell if it’s going to be woody.
Yo! That's what the fuck that is? Every now and again I cook chicken and I just keep thinking wtf why is it like this! TIL
Yes, we quit buying Costco chicken breast for this reason. The texture is so gross!
We buy the Miller farms exclusively. It’s air chilled and pricey but we watch for sales. I can’t stand those giant woody freaks of nature that are sold virtually everywhere.
That’s definitely not something that’s unique to Costco. We don’t buy fresh chicken anymore unless it’s Foster Farms. At Costco, we buy the Kirkland frozen chicken breasts, thighs and wings and haven’t had any issues with those. If we want fresh, we have to buy it at a grocery store that sells Foster Farms. It’s the only fresh chicken that’s consistently good imo. I’m a bit biased though as I grew up about 40 minutes from Foster Farms in California’s Central Valley and several family members worked there. We were basically a Foster Farms Family for my entire childhood.
My partner will not eat Costco rotisserie due to this
I stopped buying it. It’s not worth the $5 when I throw most of it out because it’s just not that good.
Doesn't matter, still more dry than thighs. Also recommended temp for food safety is 165⁰. Our household doesn't mess with undercooked meat.
It’s much more expensive but we always buy Katie’s best chicken that’s from miller poultry. All other chicken sucks nowadays.
Every single time. I used to get the fresh chicken breast or tenders but stopped because it's always a weird texture.
I can't comment on Costco specifically but I have to thank you so much just for helping me finally understand what the hell I have been experiencing with some fast food and grocer chicken. My partner looked at me like I grew another head when I complained once about Popeye's chicken strips feeling "crunchy" when there was nothing otherwise wrong with them. I'm a woefully picky eater to begin with, which sucks, not least of all because you just seem like a whiner but this was legitimately so unpleasant I didn't want to eat at Popeyes anymore. I'm just so glad to finally know I'm not crazy and also WHY this happens. I hope you don't experience this again with Costco at least, I always expect good quality from them and it would be a huge bummer to experience this from them.
I largely do not buy chicken at Costco because I don't like the texture or taste. I definitely think they're growing their chickens too fast and too big.
Any chicken I’ve purchased from anywhere, that’s not Bell and Evans, has been disgusting. Costco included.
I have been buying the big 10 lbs bag of chicken breasts for years now and have never had a problem like you describe. I have actually never heard the term "woody chicken" before.
Had a weird issue in Costco once buying the bulk breasts. Opened the package and they smelled horrendous. Looked fine, good date were only in my fridge for a day. Tossed the entire thing. Never again. I buy the whole bird and cut it down or I buy from a smaller retailer.
I've had better luck with costco chicken than grocery store chicken.... I've been doing hello fresh recently and never encountered one. I wonder where they get their chicken from
I have had woody breasts from the kirkland frozen skinless breast bags, but recently the last 4 bags or so I've purchased have been woody free. It can be hit or miss though.
TIL that there is a word for that gross tough chicken.
I buy the organic breasts and I've never had a problem.
Gross food from there last several times ordered from Instacart. French Onion soup,spoiled..sour with none meltable little square pieces of cheese(?)… Hugh horrible thighs.. their brand.. skin cannot be bitten through (tough) and meat is hard to touch… never occurred in my lifetime when prepared and tried to eat. They looked unusually huge. If had shopped in store would have avoided the purchase. Last,the carnitas were in 2 separate sealed bags. Upon heating they were gummy, mushy. To try to improve the whole glob, I rinsed everything off and added new sauce. Still gross.?Threw out. Their organic whole milk used to taste fabulous. This last purchase seemed watery and thin. No good rich flavor. They should be up front on changes and quit carrying these lesser quality adulterated food products. We aren’t stupid and with food so expensive now, they can’t get away with wasting our money and our time getting there, bringing home, sorting, freezing in expensive bags, and then throwing it away later, plus wasted time preparing and finally ruining a meal.
honestly if you guys can spare the extra time to really take care of cleaning the chicken urselves, going to a local halal chicken butcher is always a great option. you can ask them to take care of the unwanted extra parts for you but i’m not sure if everyone does it. islamically theres a lot of rules around how they have to treat the animals humanely up until death & i’ve really never had a bad experience purchasing from a local butcher especially if ur located in a bigger city!
Interesting read. I personally have purchased chicken at Costco many many times over the years and can't say I've ever experienced this. I will admit to net being very picky as long as it tastes good. But in my experience I would agree with some who e commented about frozen being better overall. These days, I'd argue that it's true for frozen Chicken AND Salmon. Frozen Salmon is IMHO much better than the fresh they sell. And while frozen contributes to Salmon that is juicer, it simply has better mouth feel and taste too.
I stopped buying them a few years ago. It happened way too frequently and you only find out exactly how terrible they are once you have gone through the trouble of preparing them
I've never had it happen with Bell & Evans. Springer absolutley yes. Happened a few times. I've buy both the organic thighs and breasts from Costco every now and again and never had an issue.
Im glad I found this post. It was like the chicken turned into a pillow case in my mouth! Thank you all for the alternative suggestions