I've done it. A lot of us have. And if you're like me, you've probably asked yourself, "Does chicken color mean anything? Is one fresher? Healthier? Tastier?" Spoiler alert: the answer's more interesting than you'd expect.

What Chicken Color Really Tells You

Let's get the obvious out of the way - yes, chicken color does tell you something. But it's not about quality in the way you might think. There's a long-standing misconception that white chicken is somehow "cleaner" or better, and that yellow chicken looks suspicious (or the other way around depending on where you grew up). Truth is, the color difference mostly comes down to diet, breed, and how the chicken was raised.

White chicken typically comes from factory-farmed birds raised indoors on commercial feed, usually consisting of grains like corn, wheat, and soy. These chickens grow rapidly, don't get much exercise, and aren't exposed to the outdoors. The meat ends up being pale pink or white, sometimes with a slightly bluish tint (especially if it's cold). This is the kind of chicken you'll see in most grocery stores.