Chicken can stay noticeably pink near the bone even after its internal temperature has reached a safe level; that appearance usually doesn't mean the meat is undercooked. The pink color often comes from pigments seeping out of the bone marrow during cooking, and it shows up more often in young, fast-growing birds.
That doesn't mean color is a reliable signal on its own, though; the only sure way to know chicken is actually safe to eat is to check its internal temperature.
What actually causes the pink color?
A pigment found in bone marrow can seep out through the bone's surface during cooking and lightly tint the surrounding meat pink. This effect shows up more in young, fast-growing chickens often sold frozen, since their bones haven't fully hardened yet and let the pigment escape more easily.
This pinkness usually appears in bone-in cuts like thighs and wings; it's much rarer in boneless breast meat, since the same mechanism doesn't apply there.
Chicken that's been previously frozen can make this effect stronger too; small changes to the cell structure during freezing and thawing make it easier for the pigment to spread into the meat.
Does that always mean it's safe?
Pinkness from bone pigment isn't a warning sign on its own, but color by itself should never be used as the deciding factor. Some chicken can look slightly pink even when its internal temperature is fully safe, while some undercooked chicken can look white without having actually reached a safe temperature.
So both "if it's white, it's done" and "if it's pink, it's raw" are misleading rules of thumb; what actually matters isn't color, it's the internal temperature the meat has reached.
How do you actually know when chicken is done?
The only sure way to know chicken is safely cooked is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer at the thickest part, without touching bone. Reaching 74°C means harmful bacteria that might be present in the chicken have been reduced to a safe level.
In bone-in cuts like thighs, letting the thermometer tip touch the bone can give a false (usually higher) reading; the measurement should be taken at the thickest, boneless point instead.
What's the risk of eating undercooked chicken?
Chicken that's genuinely undercooked can carry various bacteria, salmonella chief among them, and eating it can lead to serious food poisoning. That risk can be more severe for children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
That's why checking with a thermometer every time, instead of trusting appearance alone, removes both the risk of undercooked chicken and the habit of overcooking it just to be safe.
In short
Chicken staying pink near the bone usually comes from pigments seeping out of the bone marrow, and by itself doesn't mean it's undercooked. But color is never a reliable doneness signal on its own.
The only way to know chicken is safely cooked is to confirm its internal temperature has reached 74°C with a thermometer; that method prevents both undercooked and needlessly overcooked chicken.
Attention Reader
This content is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any decision about your health.
Comments (3)
Kemik etrafındaki pembeliğin normal olduğunu söylüyorsunuz ama ben yine de güvenmedim, termometreyle 74 dereceyi görmeden asla servis etmiyorum; belki de herkes bu kadar temkinli olmalı, renk açıklaması yine de biraz cesaret kırıcı geldi.
Kemik etrafındaki pembeliğin normal olduğunu söylüyorsunuz ama ben yine de güvenmedim, termometreyle 74 dereceyi görmeden asla servis etmiyorum; belki de herkes bu kadar temkinli olmalı, renk açıklaması yine de biraz cesaret kırıcı geldi.
Kemik etrafındaki pembeliğin normal olduğunu söylüyorsunuz ama ben yine de güvenmedim, termometreyle 74 dereceyi görmeden asla servis etmiyorum; belki de herkes bu kadar temkinli olmalı, renk açıklaması yine de biraz cesaret kırıcı geldi.