So yes, it’s perfectly safe. Chicken farmer Paul Greive adds that it’s basically the same juice naturally present in the meat—just drawn to the surface during cooking. While clumps may look a little strange, they carry no health risks.
Want to reduce the appearance of albumin? Try cooking “low and slow.” Lower your oven or air fryer temperature by about 25 degrees and use a meat thermometer to check doneness. The gentler the heat, the less white protein will leak out. Boiling chicken for soup or stock? Skim off the foam if you want a cleaner look, but leaving it won’t affect flavor.
And it’s not just chicken—albumin shows up in frozen fish, shrimp, and even ground meats like burgers and sausages.
The takeaway: that white goo is harmless, natural, and part of the science behind cooking meat. So the next time you see it, don’t panic—your chicken dinner is safe, delicious, and ready to enjoy.
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Sources: Reader’s Digest