Via iStockphoto / @lawnjohnsilver TikTok
A man bit into what appears to be undercooked Publix fried chicken, leaving viewers horrified and questioning the chain's deli chicken.
There are few things more sacred in the Southeast than a box of crispy Publix fried chicken. Now, one viral incident is giving shoppers a very good reason to check their poultry before taking a bite.
In a video posted on Aug. 14 by TikTok user @lawnjohnsilver, a man says he bit into a breaded piece of fried chicken purchased from a Publix in Orlando, Florida, only to discover that the meat inside looks seriously undercooked.
It’s about as appetizing as it sounds.
The outside looks like a perfectly normal piece of fried chicken: golden-brown breading and white tender meat underneath—but the inside tells a very different story.
As the man pulls the chicken apart, it appears pink and translucent in parts, prompting the kind of immediate reaction that launched his video into viral stardom.
“I don’t know what this is, but this is disgusting; I’m pretty sure that’s blood in there. I’m pretty sure this chicken is not cooked all the way. I’m trying not to throw up right now just looking at this. And I really hope I did not get sick,” he says.
To note, @lawnjohnsilver’s video has 49,000 views.
Quality Concerns Hit Publix Fried Chicken
The video has struck a nerve because Publix fried chicken has something of a cult following, particularly across the Southeast. In fact, complaints about the chain’s fried chicken quality aren’t exactly new.
Recent discussions among Publix shoppers on Reddit have included complaints about the quality, size, and consistency of the supermarket chain’s fried chicken, and the video’s comments are mirroring the same sentiment. Some customers have specifically alleged that pieces appeared undercooked, while others have blamed inconsistent preparation.
That doesn’t establish that Publix has a widespread undercooked-chicken problem, but it does make this particular TikTok especially unsettling for anyone who regularly grabs an eight-piece box from the deli.
Some commenters came to the beloved green grocery chain’s rescue, advising that if a shopper ever gets anything that they didn’t expect, they could always go to customer service for a refund or replacement, as is Publix’s policy.
Is It Safe To Eat Undercooked Fried Chicken?
Short answer: not really.
However, there’s an important distinction here—pink chicken isn’t automatically proof that chicken is raw.
The only reliable way to determine whether chicken has been cooked safely is to check its internal temperature. The USDA recommends that poultry reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit throughout.
People don’t generally carry a cooking thermometer with them, so if your chicken looks suspiciously raw in the middle, maybe don’t just convince yourself that the lighting is weird and keep eating. This TikTok is a pretty effective reminder that appearance matters—and when something looks genuinely undercooked, stop eating it.
If you encounter chicken that appears raw or undercooked, the safest move is to stop eating it and contact the store where you purchased it.
And if you already took a bite?
Well…
Maybe don’t take another one.
How Did This Make It Out Of The Fryer?
That’s ultimately what makes the TikTok so unsettling.
Fried chicken is supposed to be one of the easiest foods to visually identify as cooked. The breading gets crispy. The meat turns opaque. You move on with your life.
Instead, this guy’s bite reveals what appears to be a very different situation underneath that perfectly fried exterior.
It’s also a particularly brutal reminder that crispy doesn’t necessarily mean cooked.
The breading can look completely finished while the meat underneath hasn’t reached a safe temperature.
BroBible reached out to Publix and TikTok user @lawnjohnsilver for comment. We will update this story when either responds.