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Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse?

Learn the safety issues related to rinsing chicken and other poultry products, And why Julia Child is involved.

rinsing chicken wings._@ akulamatiau—Licensed from Depositphotos August 24 2021.

To rinse or not to rinse, that is the question. It has been ingrained in many of us to rinse our raw chicken. I will call it the Julia Child effect. For many years we all watched her carefully wash her chickens.

But the FDA has for years advised against rinsing poultry before cooking it. When you rinse raw chicken, the bacteria on the poultry's surface can spread to everything nearby, sink, counter surfaces, kitchen utensils, other food,s or you. So for good food safety, it is a definite no to rinsing.

So what about getting bacteria off the surface of the chicken? First, you can not rinse it to sterile. That is not happening. Second, properly cooked chicken (165° remember) will kill any bacteria. So no problem there.

Last, does rinsing chicken with skin make it cook crispier? Cooks Illustrated says no. If you want to get rid of the juices on the meat, pat it dry with a paper towel instead of rinsing it.

Food safety image licensed from Fotolia November 20, 2016. Copyright mybaitshop. Modifed per allow by licensed. DO NOT COPY
Image licensed from Fotolia November 20, 2016. Copyright mybaitshop. It was modified as allowed by the license.

So I'm mending my ways and suggest you do, too.

baby Lilly with green toy

Let's be safe out there.

DrDan

Comments

  1. Lori says

    January 04, 2018 at 10:51 pm

    I soak my chicken in salt water it cleans all the excess yucks from it ..then bleach sinks pots etc...easy peasy....

  2. bedlamb says

    December 12, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    I buy thighs, and skin, trim and rinse them at home. I've never tried brining. Think I'll give it a shot.
    Thanks.

  3. Lisa says

    November 28, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Liz, I like "One word BLEACH! That's it...I'm done. LOL So true.

  4. Liz says

    November 11, 2017 at 9:51 am

    One word
    BLEACH!
    That's it....I'm done.

  5. Mj says

    July 10, 2017 at 2:03 am

    I fill a container first, then place chicken in it and swish around. No spread of contamination. Next I use a clean plastic bag or tupperware and let chicken sit in white vinegar for a minute or two to cleanse chicken. It produces a cleaner taste....get rid of the 'chickeneee' taste.

    • rca says

      July 10, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      Nice tip! I wonder if using a lemon juice and water for a quick soak, then pat dry would do something similar AND add a bit of flavor? Or do we just start heading into brine territory? 🤔

  6. Shay says

    July 03, 2017 at 5:07 pm

    Jeff I agree. I ALWAYS rinse my chicken for the same reasons. And I do not splash water everywhere else. How is it people can't use common sense when cooking?

    • David says

      December 27, 2017 at 1:36 am

      We always brine the chicken to draw out the blood and the chicken is more tender then.

  7. Jeff Harris says

    April 28, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    For me, rinsing isn't about getting chicken guts everywhere, it's about removing the extra fat, machinery and other stuff off of my chicken. If you're splashing water everywhere, and contaminating your countertops, simply turn down the water. Also, rinsing can get sloppier if you're rinsing a whole bird instead of parts.

    When the chicken went through the processing plant to be separated into chicken parts, it went through some machinery, because chickens don't magically split into parts when their heads are removed. You assume the machinery has been cleaned recently, but do you also assume that it hasn't been maintained in a while?

    Is there cleaning material on the machinery that is now on your chicken parts? Is there machine oil on the machinery that is now on your chicken? What about the machinery that makes the packaging? Sure, it's probably food-safe, but that doesn't mean delicious or "dissolves in the cooking process."

    That's why I choose to rinse my bird, but you do what you want. I don't think I've died from unrinsed chicken yet.

    • TALUNJA says

      December 04, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      I completely agree.....I know they say it's not necessary but I feel a need to clean all my meat prior to cooking....especially pieces of meat such as neck bones, oxtails, where there are small fragments of bone.

  8. Rick McCall says

    February 13, 2017 at 4:18 pm

    i ALWAYS BOIL MY CHICKEN THEN COOK IT MUCH SAFER

  9. JOEL40 says

    January 21, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    THANK YOU FOR THE RACKING, TEMPERATURE INCREASE AND PATTING DRY. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE FINALLY GOT THE DRUMSTICKS TO DIE FOR. IT WAS A TASTY DELIGHT, WITH THE DRIPPINGS AND CREAM SHERRY AND GARAM MASALA FOR A SIDE SAUCE .

  10. NoniB17 says

    January 20, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    I usually brine all chicken that I cook, so this becomes sort of a non-issue for me. If not brining due to time constraints, I do not rinse it, just blot it dry first.

  11. Michele says

    October 22, 2016 at 9:34 am

    Can't wait to try the oven roasted thighs today I will be returning to your site as I need receipts that basically feed two!

  12. Randall says

    September 11, 2016 at 10:04 pm

    Thanks for the great post. I've always been a little freaked out about spreading bacteria everywhere while rinsing chicken. What I have gotten into the habit of doing now is to season my chicken and then place it on a rack in the fridge for 8-24 hours to allow the skin to dry. My chicken always comes out perfectly crispy.

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
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