Why You Shouldn't Wash Your Chicken Before You Cook It

(Hint: The solution is on your stove, not in your sink. )

Step away from the faucet, folks.

Washing raw chicken doesn’t clean it, but it can spread germs in your kitchen.

And don’t wash other meat or fish either.

Washing chicken actually spreads germs

First, the science.

Raw poultry can harbor bacteria, includingSalmonellaandCampylobacter.

Research has found thatwashing chicken can spread bacteria up to 3 feet from your sink.

That means you’ve potentially contaminated a good portion of your kitchen.

This will also help it brown better.

The good news for us all?

The solution is on your stove, not in your sink.

Cooking chicken to the right temperature, 165F, kills any harmful bacteria.

So, rinsing is unnecessary when you’re cooking chicken properly.

The same is true for other meat or fish, although the right temperature varies for those proteins.

Per theUSDA, these are the temperatures required to kill bacteria in the following proteins.

I have a trick to keep from having to suds up a million times.

Keep one hand “clean” and let the other hand get “dirty.”

And don’t forget to properly wash and disinfect your cutting board,sinkand sponge.