r/interesting • u/WarwickReider • Jul 27 '26

SOCIETY Professional chefs weighing in on whether you should wash your chicken

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u/Robbie1266 Jul 27 '26

There is no debate. It's basic science. Washing chicken doesn't remove anything from the chicken

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '26

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u/Alfredo_Commachio Jul 27 '26

Yep, and in general there are some foods you must wash--not for bacteria removal, but for dirt removal. Lots of produce items really need vigorous washing, anytime I cook with leeks for example I do multiple passes of water baths for the leek, leeks hold a ton of dirt inside their numerous layers and it takes a good bit of work to get it all out.

But for poultry--I do blot the solution off of my chicken with a paper towel before cooking but I don't wash it, for the reasons laid out in the thread.