If you’ve ever wondered, “Should you wash chicken?”—you’ve come to the right place. We spoke to a variety of food pros from around the world to get their take, so you can make the right choice for you.
Should You Wash Chicken Before Cooking?
Do you need to wash chicken before cooking? Many people do so because they think it’s safer to rinse chicken to get rid of bacteria or germs, notes Anna Vocino, bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer and founder of Eat Happy Kitchen. “However, the heat from the oven kills off any germs or bacteria, so there’s no need for it,” she says. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you don’t need to wash your chicken. In fact, the CDC advises against washing raw meat, chicken, turkey and eggs because this can spread germs to your sink, countertops and other surfaces. Those germs could then get on other foods you’re preparing and make you sick. “The CDC issues a reminder every year to home cooks about preventing food poisoning while cooking chicken,” says Vocino. “The idea is that washing or rinsing raw chicken can spread bacteria from the chicken to your counter or your utensils in your prep area.”
Do Chefs Wash Chicken?
Ask a few professional chefs, “Should you wash raw chicken?” and you’ll get very different answers depending on who you ask. In general, though, chefs in the U.S. and Europe rarely wash chicken before cooking it for both flavor and safety reasons. “As a private chef, I’ve never washed a chicken in my life,” says Christina Woodlief, private chef and culinary instructor for Cozymeal. “Adding moisture will prevent the skin from crisping and browning, especially when you’re cooking skin-on cuts or a whole roasted chicken.” Woodlief adds that sometimes, a chef may also lightly rinse a cut of chicken that seems a little slimy or has an off smell to see if the smell is on the surface of the chicken or if the meat has truly gone bad and should be thrown out. “But this is done rarely, if ever,” she says. Dane Blom, executive chef at Grange Restaurant & Bar in Sacramento, says at Grange, they never rinse their chicken before cooking. “Although this seems to be a common step in preparation among home cooks and was recommended in the past, professional chefs do not typically rinse poultry,” he says. “Not only is rinsing chicken not necessary, but it can also spread harmful bacteria if it splatters on the counter or in the sink and those surfaces are not cleaned properly afterward.” Instead, Blom says they brine chicken prior to cooking and roast it to the proper temperature. “When prepared correctly, any bacteria on the chicken will perish,” he says. FYI, poultry should be cooked to 165°F, per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It’s important to note, however, that outside of the U.S. and Europe, many chefs do wash raw chicken before cooking it. Basit Ali, blogger, cook and kitchen designer with Kitchen Strategist, says chefs in Asia wash chicken prior to cooking it because they feel this is the best way to ensure their chicken is safe to eat. “Most American and European chefs don’t prefer washing chicken as they believe it will take away its flavor and taste,” he says. “But here in Asia, there is the practice of washing chicken thoroughly before cooking.” Ali says he personally washes chicken before cooking. “I have been cooking chicken for years now and have always washed it before cooking,” he says. “I have never gotten sick or ill from doing this.”
How Should You Wash Chicken?
While most food pros in America warn against washing raw chicken, there is one situation they say merits this practice. “The only time I will rinse or wash chicken is when I buy a whole chicken or turkey,” says Vocino. “Typically, I’ll rinse it out and pat it dry—even inside the cavity.” She does this because she likes to dry-brine her chickens before roasting them. “It makes the most foolproof, moist, delicious roasted chicken,” she says. The USDA offers a few helpful tips for washing whole-brined chickens or turkeys because the brine must be rinsed off before cooking. Here’s how to clean chicken or turkey that’s been brined: That’s it. You don’t have to scrub or rinse the rest of the chicken or turkey. Just hold it up to let it drain into the sink, then place it in the roasting pan, remove the paper towel covering from your sink area and clean your sink and the area around it. Now you’re ready to get cooking!
What Happens if You Don’t Wash Chicken?
According to food safety experts and many chefs, nothing bad will happen (from a food safety or flavor standpoint) if you don’t wash chicken. Quite the contrary, in fact. “You won’t have risked spreading bacteria around your sink and countertop,” says Woodlief. “And you keep the surface of the skin as dry as possible, which is better for cooking—especially if you’re sautéing or cooking the chicken in butter or oil since fat and water don’t mix.”
Why Should You Wash Your Hands After Touching Raw Chicken?
Speaking of washing things in the kitchen, washing your hands is incredibly important when you’re dealing with raw chicken. The CDC explains that germs on your hands can get onto food—and you can spread germs if you touch raw chicken and then touch something else. This can lead to you getting sick. That’s why the CDC advises washing your hands before, during and after preparing food as well as before eating. The best way to wash your hands? Do so for at least 20 seconds with soap and running water after, according to the CDC.
The Bottom Line: Is Washing Your Chicken Necessary?
So, should you wash your chicken? To recap, according to the food safety experts at the CDC, washing your chicken isn’t necessary. And some chefs say it could cause your chicken to lose flavor. But the answer to this question is incredibly personal and comes down to what you feel most comfortable doing. The bottom line: “It basically depends upon personal preference and geographical area,” says Ali. “In western countries, most people believe that washing chicken before cooking it simply spreads the bacteria around, while here in Asia people feel that it’s the best way to ensure that their chicken is safe to eat.” Now that you know whether or not you should wash chicken, you’re ready to try these 40 Easy Chicken Breast Recipes.
