Forgo washing chicken. Avoid rinsing chicken, soaking chicken, using vinegar to clean chicken, or using soapy water to clean chicken. If you use paper towels to pat dry the meat, throw that paper towel or paper towels away immediately, then wash your hands.
When handling: Always wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling raw chicken. Do not wash the raw chicken. Instead, take the chicken out of the package and put it directly into the cooking pan.
Put simply, if you wash raw chicken, you are cross-contaminating your kitchen. Yes, fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed with cold water before preparation, but raw poultry should not. Don't worry: Properly cooking chicken will destroy any pathogens. In fact, it is the only way to destroy those pathogens.
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.
Washing raw poultry in a diluted lemon juice or vinegar solution is an inefficient method for removing pathogens and results in pathogens both in the wash water and on the chicken, increasing the risk for cross contamination and potential foodborne illness.
It is not recommended to wash chicken meat before cooking. This recommendation has the endorsement of the Food Safety Information Council (FSIC). Washing is likely to splash raw meat juices and any bacteria in to the kitchen sink, bench top and utensils and washing will not remove all bacteria.
Some believe there is a need to wash faeces and other matter off the chicken meat. In fact, modern processing techniques mean chicken carcasses do not need additional cleaning. Others believe washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) will kill bacteria.
Natural way to tenderize
To ensure tender meat, Chinese cooks wash it thoroughly. The meat is tenderized as they rinse the meat and wring it out (via Milk Street).
The best practice is not to wash poultry.” The results of the observational study showed how easy bacteria can be spread when surfaces are not effectively cleaned and sanitized.
Consumers should rinse their fresh fruits and vegetables with cold water, but not raw poultry, meat or eggs, according to the experts. For decades, the Department of Agriculture has been advising against washing raw poultry and meat.
Washing chicken, even with a slow stream of water, can cause dangerous germs to splash from the raw meat onto other surfaces. These germs can then get onto other foods, like lettuce, that will not be cooked to kill germs before eating.
This is because washing raw chicken can spread food poisoning bacteria around your kitchen. The spray from the sink can travel up to 80cm - an arm's length. So be safe, protect your family and never wash raw chicken.
Soak chicken in equal parts white vinegar and water for about 30 minutes. This is Edna Eaton's surprise preparation.
According to the USDA, you should not wash raw poultry or any other meat, because you may spread bacteria that's potentially in the poultry juices to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. And in fact, washing it isn't even getting the bacteria off your chicken.
Roughly 90 percent of people say they wash their chicken before cooking it, as recipes have historically called for chicken washing.
Do You Need to Wash Chicken before Marinating? No, you shouldn't wash chicken. Washing raw chicken doesn't clean it, but it can actually spread germs in your kitchen. Raw chicken can have bacteria on its surface, including Salmonella, which can transfer into your sink, on your dishes or even onto nearby food.
Australian farmed chickens, including organic chickens, are always treated with chlorine. With organic chickens, the final wash spray lasts for 3 to 4 seconds, where chlorine is added at a rate of 20 parts per million (p.p.m.). Then the birds are put on racks for draining and air-chilling.
Use a food thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Keep raw chicken and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods, like salads or food that is already cooked. Raw chicken is ready to cook and doesn't need to be washed first.
Doneness should be determined with an instant-read thermometer 165°F for breast meat and at least 175° for thighs and drumsticks. Bake chicken at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes. View the full range of times and temperatures for chicken legs and quarters and breast meat in our detailed guides.
Adding the lemon juice merely neutralizes the fleshy, "fresh chicken" taste of chicken that's been sitting raw in its own juices for several days.
Avoid rinsing chicken, soaking chicken, using vinegar to clean chicken, or using soapy water to clean chicken. If you use paper towels to pat dry the meat, throw that paper towel or paper towels away immediately, then wash your hands.