Experts Explain Why Washing Raw Chicken Before Cooking is Not Recommended

Is it necessary to wash chicken prior to cooking it? There are some that argue rinsing chicken under water can remove harmful bacteria that might be present on the meat, a practice that has gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Reddit.

Contrarily, health agencies assert that this routine accomplishes nothing. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no need to wash chicken before cooking it.

Moreover, washing chicken might be doing more harm than good, says Darin Detwiler, PhD, author, consultant, and food policy professor at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies. According to him, rinsing a bird might lead to cross-contamination in your kitchen, without enhancing its safety for consumption.

Not washing chicken, however, does not rule out the importance of other food safety precautions. The CDC reveals that around a million Americans fall ill annually due to contaminated poultry. Salmonella, which is found in about 1 in 25 chicken packages, is a major concern for foodborne illnesses.

Salmonella is responsible for approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths annually in the U.S. This bacterium, more than any other, causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain for four to seven days. In extreme cases, it can spread to other body parts, like blood, joints, or the brain, causing serious illness.

While washing chicken might seem like a reasonable precaution against Salmonella, rinsing the meat won’t exterminate pathogens, confirms Detwiler. Ciara Lundy, RDN, an inpatient clinical dietitian at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, suggests it’s safer to kill bacteria by cooking chicken to 165 degrees.

Studies have shown chicken washing can lead to pathogens spreading around your sink. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture observational study, out of those who rinsed their chicken, 60% had bacteria in their sink. Also, 26% caused cross-contamination, with bacteria from chicken ending up on their lettuce.

Detwiler suggests that people wash chicken due to habits or cooking methods taught by older generations. In the past, washing chicken made sense, as people often slaughtered or plucked their own poultry. These practices are now obsolete, as most chicken is pre-packaged and prepared for cooking.

Zacking raw chicken with other grocery store ingredients that require washing could also contribute to this habit, explains Lundy.

Apart from not washing chicken, other measures can be taken to reduce the risk of poultry-related food poisoning. Lundy suggests deciding upon purchase whether the chicken will be cooked in the next few days (kept in the refrigerator), or later in the week (kept in the freezer).

Detwiler and Lundy both stress that chicken should not be left out to thaw for long periods nor cooked while frozen. Lundy further advises against running frozen chicken under cold water for quick thawing, recommending instead a slow defrost in the refrigerator to avoid the "danger zone"—40 through 140 degrees—where pathogens multiply.

The CDC also recommends that people bag their chicken when grocery shopping so that any juices don’t leak onto other foods. For the same reason, people should be sure their chicken is stored in a secure container, or stored at the bottom of their refrigerators.

During the cooking process, raw chicken should be kept on a separate cutting board so that it doesn’t come into contact with other foods, and any kitchenware that touches raw chicken should be washed with soap and hot water.

After cooking, chicken (or other poultry) is good in the refrigerator for three to four days, Detweiler said. It should be kept in the freezer if people are hoping to eat it any later than that.

If someone has gotten in the habit of washing their chicken or wants to continue doing so, the CDC recommends doing it as safely as possible.

This means gently running water over the chicken to lower the risk of splashing, cleaning the sink and surrounding areas immediately afterward, and practicing proper hand washing.

Though these steps may be a bit more tedious, they can go a long way in helping people stay healthy.

“We don’t want to undo all the great work that’s gone into food safety,” said Detwiler. “The consumer does need to play some role in terms of making sure that food is safe.”