Should You Rinse Raw Chicken?

It's chicken season again here at Fluffy Butt Farms! Which means we're moving chickens to greener pastures, picking up more chicks at the post office, and doing all the things that eventually get a delicious chicken onto your dinner table.

And somewhere between raising the chicken and handing it over to you, I get asked a question that still makes me laugh a little.

“Do I need to wash this chicken?”

Well, no. But I started wondering where this whole chicken-washing business came from in the first place. Because I certainly didn't grow up doing it.

Let's Talk About My Grampa for a Minute

My grandparents came from Italy, and I don't remember anyone in my family ever talking about washing raw chicken.

Now, before you assume this means I grew up in a household that practiced impeccable food safety, let me tell you about my grampa.

And yes, that's how we spell grampa. It's not a typo.

I don't think that man fully cooked a piece of chicken a day in my life. Seriously. How we all survived his cooking is beyond me. You'd think I'd have a stomach of steel by now.

We also did things like leave frozen meat in the sink to thaw all day. Which, for the record, is not something I recommend. These days I thaw meat in the refrigerator or use cold water with the meat in a leakproof package, changing the water regularly.

But washing chicken? Nope. That wasn't one of our questionable family traditions.

So when customers started asking, I genuinely didn't know what to tell them. Why would you wash a chicken that's already been cleaned?

Naturally, I went looking for answers. Because apparently raising the chickens isn't enough. Now I need to investigate their bathing habits.

Where Did Washing Raw Chicken Come From?

As it turns out, washing chicken used to be pretty common. You can even find instructions for rinsing poultry in older cookbooks.

And when you think about it, that makes sense.

Years ago, more families raised and processed their own chickens. If you were cleaning a freshly butchered bird, you might need to rinse away loose feathers, blood, or other debris.

That was part of processing the chicken.

But somewhere along the way, that practice followed people into their home kitchens, even after chickens were being professionally processed and sold ready to cook.

And that's where things get a little interesting.

Why We Don't Recommend Washing Raw Chicken

Here's the problem with washing chicken in your kitchen sink.

When water hits raw chicken, it can splash tiny droplets around your sink, countertops, faucet, and whatever else happens to be nearby.

And those droplets can carry bacteria.

So while you think you're cleaning the chicken, you might actually be giving your kitchen a nice little coating of something you definitely didn't want on your countertops.

Fantastic.

And rinsing doesn't reliably remove the bacteria that can make you sick anyway.

That's what cooking is for.

Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat without touching bone.

Not “it looks done.” Not “the juices are clear.” And definitely not whatever cooking time you found online that assumes every chicken is exactly the same size.

If you read my story about the 50-pound Thanksgiving turkey, you already know how I feel about relying on cooking times.

Get a thermometer. Trust me on this one.

But Don't You Wash Chickens on the Farm?

Yes! We do!

And before you accuse me of contradicting myself, there's a difference between cleaning a chicken during processing and rinsing an already processed chicken in your kitchen sink.

When chickens are processed, washing is part of removing the things that don't belong on a finished bird. Our processing procedures, and those of the butchers we work with, include cleaning the chickens before they're packaged.

By the time you bring one of our chickens home, that work has already been done.

Your job is much easier.

Keep it cold, handle it carefully, season it, cook it, and enjoy it.

And wash your hands, utensils, and anything else that touches the raw chicken. That's the washing I want you to do.

What About Patting Chicken Dry?

Now this is something I actually do.

If I'm roasting a chicken and I want nice crispy skin, I'll pat the surface dry with paper towels before seasoning it.

Dry skin browns better than wet skin. It's one of those simple little cooking tricks that makes a difference.

Just be careful not to spread raw chicken juices around your kitchen, throw those paper towels away immediately, and wash your hands afterward.

See? No chicken bath required.

Fresh or Frozen, the Answer Is the Same

Whether you're bringing home one of our fresh, never-frozen chickens during processing season or grabbing a frozen bird to cook later, you don't need to rinse it.

And I know there's something special about getting a fresh chicken straight from the farm. You've waited for it to grow, we've spent weeks moving it around pasture, and now you're finally ready to make dinner.

The last thing I want is for you to think there's another chore involved.

There isn't.

Well, unless you count cleaning up after dinner. I can't help you with that one.

So, Should You Wash Your Chicken?

Nope.

Leave the chicken washing to the processing crew. Keep raw poultry separate from foods that are ready to eat, wash your hands and work surfaces, and cook your chicken to 165°F.

And if your grandmother washed every chicken she ever cooked and lived to be 100, I'm not here to argue with her. I'm just telling you what we know about keeping your kitchen safe today.

Although, given what I know about my own grampa's chicken-cooking skills, I'm starting to think some of our grandparents were just extraordinarily lucky.

XOXO,

Tawney