That’s a question on many people’s mind. With the threat of possible E.coli, salmonella or any number of other bacteria residing on the skin of raw chicken, it seems like rinsing raw chicken before cooking would be the smart and healthy thing to do. Not so.
Rinsing raw chicken before cooking could actually cause your good intentions to backfire and make you (and your family) sick. When rinsing raw chicken, water droplets have the potential of splashing off the meat and onto all surrounding surfaces. The sink, faucet, faucet handle, countertop, walls, etc., and anything that comes into contact with those surfaces in the near future could possibly become contaminated.
Instead of washing raw chicken to remove bacteria, carefully cook chicken and let the cooking heat destroy the illness causing bacteria. Cook all poultry until well done, using a food thermometer to ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. And be sure to thoroughly wash hands with warm soapy water after handling raw chicken.