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Many home cooks have that one kitchen habit they picked up years ago and never questioned. Maybe it's adding oil to pasta water, searing meat to seal in the juices or rinsing raw chicken before it hits the pan. For plenty of home cooks, that last one still feels like common sense. After all, if you're about to cook raw poultry, wouldn't giving it a quick rinse make it cleaner and remove some of the salmonella-causing bacteria?
Not according to professional chefs—or modern food safety experts.
In fact, what many people think is making chicken safer may actually do the opposite. Rather than washing away harmful bacteria, rinsing raw chicken can spread it around your kitchen, sending tiny droplets of contaminated water onto your sink, countertops, faucet handles, nearby dishes and foods that won't be cooked before eating.
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It's one of those pieces of kitchen advice that has changed over the years. Decades ago, many home cooks were taught to rinse poultry before cooking, so it's no surprise the practice has stuck around. Today, however, both chefs and food safety experts agree there's a better—and much safer—approach.
"Washing raw chicken is one of my biggest culinary bugbears," says Hazel McKinlay, a former head chef with more than 20 years of professional kitchen experience. During two decades in professional kitchens, rinsing raw chicken was never part of her routine, and she says it shouldn't be part of yours either.
The good news? Skipping the rinse doesn't just help keep your kitchen more sanitary; it can also help you cook better-tasting chicken. From achieving crispier skin to avoiding dry, overcooked meat, Chef McKinlay says a few simple changes before your chicken ever reaches the pan can make a noticeable difference. Read on to see her advice for your best chicken yet.
The One Thing to Stop: Rinsing Your Chicken in the Sink
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If you've always rinsed raw chicken before cooking, you're certainly not alone. It's one of those kitchen habits that's been handed down through generations, often with the belief that it washes away bacteria or residue left behind during processing.
The problem is that it doesn't.
"I never rinsed raw chicken in a professional kitchen during 20 years as a chef, and I don't recommend doing it at home either," Chef McKinlay says. "Rinsing doesn't remove bacteria, but it can spread contaminated water around your sink, worktops and nearby utensils. Any bacteria present on the chicken will be destroyed by cooking the chicken to the correct internal temperature."
That's exactly why food safety experts have spent years trying to break the habit. When water hits raw chicken, tiny mist-like droplets can spray well beyond the sink, potentially contaminating surfaces you didn't notice were affected. Even if the chicken itself eventually cooks to a safe temperature, those stray droplets can create opportunities for cross-contamination.
Chef McKinlay says the guidance today is pretty straightforward. "Modern food safety guidance is clear that raw chicken shouldn't be washed before cooking," she says. "Instead, remove it from the packaging, pat it dry with kitchen paper if needed, season it and cook it."
It's one of those rare kitchen tips that's actually easier while also being more effective. By skipping an unnecessary step, you'll save time, reduce the chance of spreading bacteria around your kitchen and set yourself up for better results once the chicken starts cooking.
The Culinary Science: Why Moisture Ruins Your Sear
View this post on InstagramThere's another reason professional chefs avoid rinsing chicken, and it has nothing to do with food safety. It's about flavor.
One of the biggest differences between restaurant-quality chicken and the version many people make at home comes down to browning. That deep golden color on roasted chicken skin or the beautifully caramelized crust on a pan-seared chicken breast doesn't happen by accident.
In a recent Instagram Reel, food creator Joseph Abell (@thejosephabell) explains that removing excess surface moisture helps kick-start the Maillard reaction—a series of chemical reactions that occurs when proteins and natural sugars are exposed to high heat. It's what gives seared chicken a deeply browned crust, savory aroma and complex flavor profile.
In order to produce a Maillard reaction, "surface moisture has to evaporate," Chef McKinlay explains. "If the skin or meat is wet, the heat is spent evaporating water instead of creating a golden crust, so the chicken steams before it sears. Dry chicken browns faster and develops much better flavor."
Think of it this way: If your chicken is still wet, your pan has to cook off that water before it can start browning the meat. During that time, you're essentially steaming the chicken instead of searing it. That's why chicken that's gone straight from the sink to the skillet often looks soft and pale instead of crisp and browned.
Related: We Asked 5 Chefs Their Favorite One-Pan Meals—and They're Anything but Basic
The Prep Method to Use Instead
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Fortunately, replacing the rinsing habit is incredibly simple.
Rather than holding the chicken under running water, Chef McKinlay recommends removing it from the packaging and patting it thoroughly dry with paper towels. That removes excess surface moisture without sending potentially contaminated water splashing around your kitchen.
"Instead of rinsing chicken, remove it from the packaging and pat it dry thoroughly with kitchen paper," she says. "Dispose of the packaging immediately, wash your hands with soap and warm water, and clean any surfaces or utensils that have come into contact with the raw chicken. That approach is both safer and produces better results in the pan."
Professional kitchens know that dry surfaces are the key to crisp skin and better caramelization, which is why patting chicken dry has long been standard practice. It may seem like a small detail, but it's one that pays off every time you cook.
How To Get Crispy Chicken Skin
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Once you've stopped rinsing your chicken and started drying it properly, you're already well on your way to crispier chicken skin. But Chef McKinlay says there are a few more tricks professional kitchens rely on.
"The secret to crispy chicken skin is removing as much surface moisture as possible before cooking," she says. "Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge for a few hours if you have time, then cook it in a hot oven or pan without overcrowding. If the pan is overcrowded, the chicken releases moisture and starts steaming instead of crisping."
Having the uncovered chicken rest in the refrigerator acts like a mini dry brine, allowing even more moisture to evaporate from the skin before it ever reaches the heat. Combined with a hot pan, oven or grill, and enough space between each piece of chicken, and the ideal conditions for a crisp, golden skin are created
It's also worth resisting the urge to fuss with the chicken once it's cooking. Constantly moving or flipping it too soon interrupts the browning process and can prevent the skin from crisping evenly.
Another Mistake to Avoid: Stop Overcooking It
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If rinsing chicken is one of Chef McKinlay's biggest kitchen frustrations, overcooking it isn't far behind.
She says many home cooks accidentally dry out perfectly good chicken because they're so focused on making sure it's safe to eat. The irony is that cooking it longer than necessary doesn't make it safer—it just makes it less enjoyable.
"The biggest mistake I see is people cooking chicken until it's dry because they're worried it isn't safe," Chef McKinlay says. "A digital thermometer removes the guesswork. Once the thickest part reaches a safe internal temperature, take it off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving."
A good instant-read thermometer is one of the easiest ways to improve your cooking confidence. Instead of cutting into the chicken to check whether it's done—or leaving it on the heat "just to be sure"—you'll know exactly when it's time to remove it from the pan or oven.
Giving the chicken a few minutes to rest afterward is just as important. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out onto the cutting board, leaving you with a juicier, more flavorful bite.
2 More Chef-Backed Tips
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Small habits often make the biggest difference in the kitchen, and Chef McKinlay says there are a few more worth adopting if you want consistently better chicken.
Take your chicken out in advance. One of the simplest ways to improve chicken is by taking the chicken out of the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Allowing it to lose some of its chill helps it cook more evenly, especially when preparing thicker cuts. She also recommends leaving the chicken alone once it's in the pan. "Bring the chicken out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking so it starts closer to room temperature," she says. "Once it's in the pan, resist the urge to keep turning it. Letting the chicken cook undisturbed helps it brown evenly and release naturally from the pan."Say no to rinsing chicken with vinegar or lemon juice. If you've ever wondered whether rinsing chicken with vinegar or lemon juice is any safer than rinsing it with plain water, Chef McKinlay's answer is simple: "No. Neither vinegar nor lemon juice makes raw chicken safer to eat," she says. "They might add flavor if used as part of a marinade, but they don't replace proper cooking or food hygiene."In the end, great chicken isn't about adding extra steps—it's about skipping the unnecessary ones. Leave the sink out of the process, keep the chicken dry, trust your thermometer and let the heat do what it's designed to do. Your kitchen will stay cleaner, your chicken will stay juicier and that beautifully browned crust will finally have a chance to shine.
Source:
Hazel McKinlay was head chef at the former Secret Garden in Maldon Essex, UK, where she earned the restaurant numerous accolades, including the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years. Under Chef McKinlay's leadership, the restaurant consistently ranked No. 1 in Essex. She later worked at British TV Chef Mark Baumann'ssteak and lobster restaurant before leaving the kitchen to teach professional cookery and found the online guide Hazel's Travels.Related: The Greek Way To Make Chicken 10x Better
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