No. Do not wash chicken (or any other raw meat for that matter). Rinsing raw chicken in the sink can spread harmful bacteria all over and around the sink, as well as spray water droplets outside of the sink and into other areas of your kitchen.
Although raw chicken and turkey can carry bacteria on their surfaces, research has shown that washing raw poultry under running water in your kitchen sink is a bad idea.
Keep It Together – When throwing raw meat away, leave it in its packaging. You want to minimize the amount of handling so you reduce the risk of spreading any harmful bacteria. Throw Away ASAP – When you place meat and its packaging in the garbage, immediately tie up the garbage bag and take it outside.
And don't pour raw chicken juices down the sink.
“You may be compelled to pour it down the drain, but you shouldn't. Put the packaging in your trash instead, and take out the trash as soon as possible.” He explains that those raw juices can contain pathogenic microorganisms that are harmful.
The chicken should always be sealed well before coming into contact with water; never leave a bowl of raw chicken in water in your sink, as this will contaminate the entire area and the meat will end up absorbing some of the water.
The main thing that's important to remember no matter what: Never thaw chicken by leaving it out on the counter or submerging it in hot water, as this will allow bacteria to multiply rapidly. Another option is to skip the thawing process altogether and just cook it frozen.
Humans do not catch Salmonella from chicks or chickens the way you would catch a cold from your neighbor. Salmonellosis is food poisoning; you get it from eating infected meat or eggs.
Many different sanitizers can be used: an easy homemade version is to make a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or you can use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe. Pour or spray your sanitizing solution on surfaces and wipe them clean with a paper towel.
DON'T wash raw chicken before cooking it
Raw chicken meat doesn't need to be washed before cooking but, more importantly, it shouldn't be washed! Washing raw chicken risks splashing chicken juices and any accompanying bacteria around the kitchen onto benches, prepared foods and utensils etc.
After prepping meat, fill the sink with about a gallon of water and add that tablespoon of bleach. Swish it around, and use a sponge to wipe the solution up the sides. Leave the sponge in the water (to sanitize it, too) for a full five minutes, then drain and rinse both sink and sponge.
How should I store chicken? Packaged, raw chicken can be refrigerated in its original wrapping in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 48 hours after purchase. If it is not to be used in 48 hours, freezing is recommended.
If chicken has been left out of the fridge for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90° F), the bacteria can multiply to the point where the chicken is no longer safe to eat and should be discarded.
You can kill bacteria by cooking poultry and meat to a safe internal temperature . Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature. You can't tell if meat is properly cooked by looking at its color or juices. Leftovers should be refrigerated at 40°F or colder within 2 hours after preparation.
It is important to prevent cross-contamination from raw meat or poultry juices and other contaminants by washing countertops and sinks with hot, soapy water. For extra protection, you should also sanitize utensils and disinfect surfaces with solutions that can eliminate illness-causing germs.
Water can splash bacteria up to 3 feet surrounding your sink, which can lead to illnesses. We call this cross contamination. Researchers at Drexel University have shown that it is best to move meat and poultry straight from package to pan, since the heat required for cooking will kill any bacteria that may be present.
Washing chicken actually spreads germs
Raw poultry can harbor bacteria, including Salmonella and Campylobacter. You may not have heard of the latter, but it's linked to an estimated 2.5 million foodborne-illness cases annually in the U.S. (often from eating raw or undercooked poultry).
To safely store your chicken, keep it in its original packaging and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I then place mine in a plastic grocery bag to catch any remaining juices and stick it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Be sure it's not sitting on top of any other food or drinks.
Chicken can be a nutritious choice, but raw chicken is often contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and sometimes with Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens bacteria. If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning.
CDC estimates that Salmonella causes more foodborne illnesses than any other bacteria. Chicken is a major source of these illnesses. In fact, about 1 in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store are contaminated with Salmonella. You can get sick from contaminated chicken if it's not cooked thoroughly.
“I use the time-honored baking soda and vinegar trick. Dump a good handful of baking soda into the drain, let sit (don't run any water) for 15 minutes, then pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar down. Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Then, boiling water and voila!
Bacteria like Campylobacter can last on kitchen surfaces for up to 1 hour and E. coli can last for up to 24 hours.
Poultry (whole or ground) are safe to eat at 165°F. Washing, rinsing, or brining meat and poultry in salt water, vinegar or lemon juice does not destroy bacteria. If there is anything on your raw poultry that you want to remove, pat the area with a damp paper towel and immediately wash your hands.
Chickens sick with salmonella will be weak, lethargic, have purplish combs and wattles, a decreased appetite and increased thirst. Plus you will see distinct white, sulfur yellow or green diarrhea. In some cases, joints might be swollen and blindness might occur from swelling in the eyes.
Heat your meat
Poultry naturally contains Salmonella, which you can kill by cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 165°F or higher. Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F – and don't rely on guesswork. Measure the temperature with a food thermometer to be sure.