Chicken texture came out mushy after slow cooking it...

[purbeast0]

I make a lot of chicken salad for lunch nearly every week. I've been doing it for years. I'll put like 4lbs of chicken breasts into my slow cooker with a big tub of salsa, and cook it on low for 6-6.5 hours. When done I'll use those bear claw things to rip the meat apart and it's pretty much always the same texture.

A couple weeks ago they had chicken breasts on sale so I got more than usual and tossed them in the freezer. I then thawed half of it and put it into the slow cooker for my normal time. I did let it sit on "warm" for like 2 hours after cooking because I completely forgot about it, and the texture on it was really mushy. Like too mushy to even eat because it was gross after mixing it with my mayo and onions.

So I ran to the store to get fresh chicken breasts, made it the next day, and it was normal.

Fast forward to yesterday and I thawed out the other half I had frozen and cooked it for 6.5 hours. When I ripped it apart after it was again kind of mushy but not quite as mushy as it was the previous time.

But today I just ate some of it and it's definitely more mushy than normal and the texture is just kind of gross. I make 2 chicken burritos to eat each day and I ate one, and will eat the next one, but I also plan to get more chicken today and make a fresh batch for the rest of the week.

Does anyone know why this could have happened? Does freezing chicken breasts do "something" to them that makes you have to cook them different? FWIW they were frozen in vacuum sealed bags that I sealed myself, and I've used the vacuum sealer before for other meats and never had an issue.

 

[sandorski]

Yumm, Cat Salad sandwiches.

 

[snoopy7548]

Maybe the freezing and unfreezing of chicken breasts that's doing it. The quality of chicken seems to have gone downhill over the past few years, and I hate cooking with it most of the time now. Your "on sale" chicken may have been close to its expiration date.

 

[fralexandr]

https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/29829/frozen-and-unfrozen-chicken-whats-the-difference
since you're slow cooking it, that would probably explain the mushiness.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I thought pretty much any chicken you bought in a store, including from the butcher case, has already been frozen. Perhaps not the $15.99/pound free range grass fed certified organic artisanal chicken grown locally at Whole Foods.

 

[fralexandr]

they tend to use commercial freezers that can freeze them much quicker minimizing ice crystal formation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_freezing

 

[purbeast0]

https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/29829/frozen-and-unfrozen-chicken-whats-the-difference
since you're slow cooking it, that would probably explain the mushiness.

Yeah I guess that does. Thanks for that. I just bought more and have it slow cooking so this should turn out just fine. I just wish I knew this before I bought 9lbs of chicken breasts, but they were $2/lb which is why I stocked up. Oh well...

 

[MrSquished]

You could probably use the chicken breasts they sell at costco that come sealed in a set of three thick plastic bags to freeze. I bet those would hold their texture post-freezing

 

[purbeast0]

You could probably use the chicken breasts they sell at costco that come sealed in a set of three thick plastic bags to freeze. I bet those would hold their texture post-freezing

I dunno I had these in thicker vacuumed sealed bags as well, 2 per bag, and this happened. And I've vacuum sealed fish that I caught for months and it taste great.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Or, if you plan on throwing some in the freezer, you can usually find or ask for frozen ones at the grocery store. Most of the time if they're stocking the pre-packaged section, they'll still be frozen.

 

[Mr Clinton]

My experience cooking chicken for long periods is you have to keep it dry. This is kind of counter-intuitive I know. It's like like beef or pork where you can braise it for long periods and it come out right. For instance, I typically won't do chicken in a slow cooker because it always is mushy... especially the light meat... dark meat does better but is greasy in a slow cooker. I like to cook chicken (mostly thighs) at medium-low heat for about 90 minutes. Cooking it all day isn't really required IMO.

 

[Ns1]

I thought pretty much any chicken you bought in a store, including from the butcher case, has already been frozen. Perhaps not the $15.99/pound free range grass fed certified organic artisanal chicken grown locally at Whole Foods.

you can get jidori chickens from Gelsons for $4.99/pound.