Why Does Chicken Taste Like Fish? What Should You Do Now?

Let’s say the raw chicken you bought in the grocery stores looks fresh, yet it has a terrible fishy odor, and you do not know why.

Or you might prepare the chicken meat and everything seems okay at first. But when you cook it, you realize that the chicken tastes like fish.

So, why causes the fishy taste of the chicken? Is it still good to eat in that case? How can you eliminate that bad smell and have a flavorful chicken dish?

Let’s follow the article below to discover everything you need to know about chicken taste like fish.

The Reasons Why Chicken Tastes Like Fish

Why does chicken taste like fish? There can be many reasons for problems, such as fish waste used to feed chicken, a mix of certain bacteria, or improper cooking methods.

However, depending on the kind of chicken “raw chicken” or “cooked chicken”, it will have different reasons why it tastes bad.

Now, let’s dive into the parts below to discover the detailed answers to why chicken comes with a fishy flavor.

1. Why Does Raw Chicken Taste Like Fish?

The most common reasons why raw chicken smells like fish are fishmeal in the chicken diet.

Since the 1960s, many people have used fish-based food as chicken food because it was rich in protein. As such, fresh chicken would be richer in protein yet might contain a slightly fishy smell.

Another possible reason for this issue is that the raw chicken is no longer fresh. When unfresh, chicken meat might contain different bad odors, including a fishy smell. However, they are still fine to eat.

2. Why Does Cooked Chicken Taste Like Fish?

What about cooked chicken? Why does my chicken taste like fish?

This issue might happen because you accidentally mix up the bacteria of different meats when making chicken.

If you do not clean cookware and utensils carefully after cooking, the leftover meat might stick to your chicken when you prepare it. As a result, chicken tastes funny after cooking.

What else makes chicken smells a bit fishy?

Using an unwashed pan and old cooking oil to fry chicken meat might trigger fish-like chemicals in the meat. Thus, if you want to have a flavorful fried chicken dish, let’s clean the pan with care and use fresh cooking oil.

Besides, lipid oxidation during the frying process might be the reason chicken tastes fishy.

Chicken meat contains a pretty high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which produce dodgy compounds on low heat. These compounds cause the chicken dish to smell like fish, taste like chicken.

Can You Eat Chicken With A Fishy Odor?

My chicken smells like fish; is it still edible?

To answer this question, you need to go through some common signs of bad chicken. Without the signs below, chicken meat is safe to eat.

First, fresh chicken always has a pinkish-peach color. So, when you notice gray color in the chicken meat, discard it right away, as it has been spoiled.

Another sign to check is the chicken smell. Apart from the fishy odor, if the raw chicken smells sour, get rid of it immediately.

What to do when you cannot detect the sour smell or changes in skin color? In that case, you check for the bad smell when cooking.

Besides, you can try a tiny piece to test the quality of chicken. If it comes with a bad taste, then discard it right away.

How To Get Rid Of The Fishy Smell In The Chicken?

It is super unpleasant to have a dish that tastes like chicken smells like fish, right? So, how to remove the fishy smell in the chicken?

Here, let us show you some common methods for addressing this issue.

Use Vinegar

The first method is to use vinegar – the well-known ingredient to remove unpleasant smells and tastes.

All you have to do is prepare a vinegar-water mixture (the ratio: one tbsp of vinegar per liter) and then place the raw chicken meat.

You can add a little water and vinegar until the mixture reaches all parts of the meat.

Then, leave the chicken in the mixture for around 20 minutes before taking it out and rinsing it under running water.

Use A Salt-flour Mixture

Another way to bring back the chicken fresh flavor is to use a salt-and-flour mixture.

First, wash chicken meat thoroughly and sprinkle one tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of flour over the chicken meat. Then, rub salt and flour well all over the meat. After 8-12 minutes, rinse the chicken with clean water.

If it still features an unpleasant odor after cleaning, soak it in a mixture of ½ cup of lemon juice, one tablespoon of salt, ¼ cup of white vinegar, and water.

Let the chicken rest for 15 to 20 minutes to eliminate the fishy taste and harmful germs.

Use Tomatoes

What if you do not have any vinegar in your kitchen? How can you get rid of the bad smell? Well, you can use a tomato mixture to mask the foul smell of chicken meat.

In a medium bowl, mix two mushy or smashed tomatoes with one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of lemon. Then, rub the clean chicken meat with this mixture and rest for around 20 minutes.

Rinse the chicken meat under running water, and cook as you prefer.

Use Fresh Cooking Oil

As mentioned, reusing old cooking oil might be the reason why chicken smells like fish. So, to solve the fish-taste issue, you only need to use fresh oil whenever you fry chicken.

Moreover, it would be best to deep fry the chicken meat at high heat to avoid lipid oxidation in the fat. Hence, your chicken smells great with a delectable taste after cooking.

Wrapping Up

Now you know why your chicken tastes like fish, along with several methods to remove the fish smell.

We hope that this article will help you have better cooking time and more flavorful chicken dishes.Is there anything you want to know about chicken meat?

Please let us know through the comment box below. And we will be back with more useful articles to help you out.