Should you wash raw chicken before cooking?
No, current food safety guidelines strongly advise against washing raw chicken. While this was once a common practice, scientific studies have shown that washing chicken doesn’t effectively remove harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter. Instead, it creates an aerosol effect where water droplets containing bacteria can spray up to 3 feet away, contaminating kitchen surfaces, utensils, and nearby food.
The USDA, NHS, and other food safety organizations have updated their guidelines to discourage this practice due to the significant cross-contamination risk The only reliable way to kill bacteria on chicken is to cook it thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C)
What are the best practices for handling raw chicken safely?
Instead of washing chicken follow these safety guidelines
- Store raw chicken in sealed containers on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator
- Cook chicken to 165°F (74°C) using a reliable meat thermometer
- Clean and sanitize all surfaces and utensils that contact raw chicken with hot, soapy water and a bleach solution
- Wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds after handling raw chicken
- Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and produce
- Keep raw chicken away from ready-to-eat foods
- Purchase chicken from reputable sources and check for spoilage signs
What about using vinegar, lemon juice, or soap to clean chicken?
The article from Chef’s Resource specifically notes that using lemon juice or vinegar is not effective for sanitizing chicken. These substances might change the texture but don’t eliminate the risk of foodborne illness. Similarly, you should never use soap, detergent, or other cleaning products on chicken as these substances aren’t meant for consumption and can be harmful.
The safest approach remains to skip washing and focus on proper cooking to kill bacteria.
Are You Supposed to Wash chicken?
We wash our fruits and veggies, so it feels like we should do the same with raw chicken and poultry, right? Nope!
In fact, according to the CDC, washing chicken spreads raw chicken juices all around your kitchen contaminating it. YIKES. You definitely don’t want to run your chicken under the faucet to clean it before cooking.
If washing chicken is out – what should you do?
Great question! Be sure to cook chicken properly to an internal temperature of 165F for white meat and 175F for dark meat. When checking doneness, insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, which takes the longest to cook.
Unlike rinsing or washing, these high temperatures will take care of the pathogens on raw chicken.
I go into detail about the best chicken cooking methods and what you need to know in this video.
Washing Chicken: Popular Methods & What to Do Instead
When talking about how to clean chicken breasts, chicken wings, or other bird pieces, there are four main methods that are always mentioned.
Since we know that cooking chicken safety is more about temperature than it is washing, let’s go over these methods and see which ones might still be useful for other reasons.
Using an acid like vinegar to wash chicken is unnecessary since it doesn’t kill any bacteria. Instead, use it in a vinaigrette based marinade to tenderize and add flavor to the meat. I often use my Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette as a marinade and it is EPIC.
Similar to vinegar, lemon juice is often paired with water to wash chicken. This practice will add a little bit of flavor and help with tenderizing, but there is a better way.
Get flavorful, juicy chicken marinating it in a lemon juice-based marinade like the Lemon Oregano vinaigrette used in this recipe. It’s been a favorite go-to of mine for flavoring grilled and pan sauteéd chicken.
This method involves seasoning the meat with a generous amount of salt and citrus, then adding water and soaking for 30 minutes. It is said to exfoliate chicken and while this sounds impressive, it’s not entirely necessary.
If you want to take advantage of flavoring the chicken go ahead and rub a generous amount of salt along with herbs and spices into the skin of the chicken and allow to marinate 30 minutes or overnight. My Taco Seasoning doubles as an excellent rub!
Before I lose you, hear this out! While using baking soda sounds like you are about to deep clean, it can actually be useful in making incredibly tender chicken!
This process is called ‘velveting’ and it’s what Asian restaurants have the best chicken, beef, and pork stir-fries because they velvet the meat.
Try this method by
- Adding 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda to each pound of sliced boneless, skinless chicken. Toss to coat and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse well in a colander or strainer and shake off the excess water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cook as directed in a stir-fry or Healthy Teriyaki Chicken.
It’s important to keep in mind that this trick works best with thinly sliced meat and not a whole chicken breast or thigh. The baking soda will tenderize the outside but not the center.
How Do You Wash Chicken? #shorts
FAQ
Should you clean chicken before cooking?
Safety is the most important thing to keep in mind if you are considering cleaning chicken before cooking it. Oops, something went wrong Enter your email and we’ll send you some samples of our favorite classes. See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development.
Should you wash chicken in water?
The Minnesota Department of Health noted that, even if you wash chicken in a “slow stream of water,” risky germs are still able to splash on to fresh food or other dishes. Although most reports advise against soaking or rinsing poultry, some people still prefer to do so.
Can You Wash chicken if it’s raw?
They even started a website called Don’t Wash Your Chicken, which explains that raw chicken can carry bacteria on the outside, and that research shows that washing poultry under running water can cause the bacteria to spread.
What is the best thing to wash chickens with?
We showed poultry for years. Always used Dawn dish soap. If you’re worried about it, use baby shampoo. They must must must be completely dry to go back out. A hairdryer on a medium to cool setting can be used. Fluff with your fingers while drying.
Are you supposed to wash chicken with vinegar?
Vinegar Using an acid like vinegar to wash chicken is unnecessary since it doesn’t kill any bacteria. Instead, use it in a vinaigrette based marinade to tenderize and add flavor to the meat. I often use my Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette as a marinade and it is EPIC.
What do you soak raw chicken in?
Place breasts in water with sea salt and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes,.