It seems like the smart and safe thing to do, because of bacteria and the possibility of cross-contamination when prepping it. And besides, you even run on to recipes that call for rinsing chicken, And then there are those celebrity chefs who confidently advocate rinsing chicken.

But even considering all that, NO, actually it’s not a good thing. You should NEVER rinse raw chicken. The scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration explain why. Their latest research says that rinsing raw chicken will do much more harm than good.

We all know raw chicken carries dangerous bacteria that can make you sick (such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium Perfringens), but researchers have found that rinsing the chicken doesn’t address this issue at all. This is because bacteria present on the poultry’s surface is also present throughout. Thus, the only thing rinsing the outside of raw chicken does is spread the bacteria into your sink where you run the high risk of the afore-mentioned cross-contamination.

Rinsing chicken not only contaminates your sink, germs can even spread to other places in the kitchen—nearby towels, walls, and floors where water may have splashed or dripped.

Food safety experts explain that the very best way to avoid bacteria-caused illness from raw chicken is to cook it thoroughly and follow standard food safety procedures. You experienced Cook’n cooks are well-aware of these procedures, but for our newer cooks out there, here’s the protocol:

• Place chicken in a disposable bag before putting it in your shopping cart or refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination from the juices getting on other foods.
• When storing raw chicken in your fridge, put it on the lowest shelf to prevent any juices from dripping down onto ready-to-eat foods.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw chicken.
• Use a separate cutting board when working with raw chicken.
• Likewise, don’t put cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that has previously held raw chicken.
• After preparing chicken, wash your cutting board, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water before using them for anything else.


• When cooking chicken, use a food thermometer to make sure it reaches 165°F, the recommended internal temperature for poultry. (Get my free printable guide to meat temperatures here!)
• Refrigerate or freeze leftover chicken within 2 hours under normal conditions, or within 1 hour if the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F. Lots of scientific evidence ensures us that these simple rules will keep you and your family safe as you enjoy your favorite chicken-oriented meals! In fact, here’s a wonderful chicken recipe to enjoy sooner than later, from the terrific site, www.easychickenrecipes.com.

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