Exfoliate your chicken before cooking it! • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (2024)

by Jaden | Chicken, Cooking Tips | 17 comments

Exfoliate your chicken before cooking it! • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (1)

Why you should ALWAYS exfoliate your chicken before cooking! It gets rid of:

  • bone fragments
  • loose outer membrane that you don’t want to eat (yuck)
  • small feathers
  • dried blood

Watch short video on how I exfoliate my chicken before cooking:

  1. Vira Gupta on 2/27/16 at 9:51 pm

    Well – with salt that changes the natural taste in the culinary preparation. probably you want to make it as a quick to-do tip.

    Reply

  2. Theo on 6/25/14 at 1:02 am

    This my first visit to your blog and I’m loving it.

    Indeed, i couldn’t have agreed more to the need to exfoliate our chicken before cooking as you mentioned on this post.

    This is something we cannot not afford to miss because its very necessary owing to the reasons you outlined here.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  3. Dee on 5/23/14 at 5:07 pm

    The skin look so clean, thanks for the tip! Hope that cuts down on the scum when making chicken broth hehe

    Have you try using lemon halves to scrub the salt off of your chopping board? It gives the chopping board a nice smell and much easier on your hand too =)

    Reply

    • SteamyKitchen on 5/24/14 at 8:52 am

      What a great tip – I’ll definitely give that lemon a try!

      Reply

  4. Beverly on 5/23/14 at 7:01 am

    They now say not to rinse chicken anymore because it spreads bacteria over a lot of the area where you are rinsing it. I imagine it’s ok to rinse it AFTER you have rubbed it with the salt because the salt, being a natural antibacterial, will not spread the bacteria as much or at all. Scrubbing with soap???? NOT!

    Reply

  5. Arthur in the Garden! on 5/21/14 at 5:10 pm

    Yes! Its gets a good scub down with soap to remove bacteria and fat and what ever other junk is on it!

    Reply

  6. Maryann on 5/21/14 at 11:51 am

    I have been doing this for a few years after reading about it here. One of the best kitchen tips ever!

    Reply

  7. Janice on 5/21/14 at 10:45 am

    The chickens are so lucky they get a spa treatment from you!

    But, in all seriousness, thanks for the tips! Easier than what I usually do.

    Reply

  8. Mary on 5/21/14 at 1:21 am

    Love this idea and am going to try it. Tired of getting the gross parts of the skin and little feathers left on by having to do a minute inspection all over. Also loved the cutting board hint too! Thanks.

    Reply

  9. Karen Martin on 5/20/14 at 11:41 pm

    It never occurred to me to do anything more than rinse the chicken, but you have enlightened me! Thanks, Jaden!

    Reply

  10. Kentucky Lady 717 on 5/20/14 at 8:31 pm

    Love the video’s love seeing step b step of what you do …never heard of this, but will be doing this from now on…but I usually take off all the skin…..but may decide to leave on now after seeing this video, especially when I make chicken and dumplings…..

    Reply

  11. philip francoeur on 5/20/14 at 5:56 pm

    exfoliating sounds good with cheap kosher salt but I skin most of the chicken we eat and rinse them in white vinegar and water, the cutting board hint was the best though! Thank you Philip

    Reply

  12. BARB on 5/20/14 at 5:53 pm

    never thought to do this before but will be doing so from now on; thanks, barb

    Reply

  13. debbie on 5/20/14 at 5:27 pm

    Yes, I exfoliate my chicken w/ salt. I also like to remove the clear membranes under the skin and if it’s cut-up, I remove the fat inside the thighs.

    Reply

  14. Theda Stoppel on 5/20/14 at 5:27 pm

    I get the point in general but please don’t try to trick us with those “Before and after” pictures where you show us the breast first and the back on the other one…….

    Reply

  15. Lira on 5/20/14 at 4:52 pm

    Where did you get your cutting board? Mine is cracking all over and I am shopping around for a new one!

    Reply

  16. EllenCF on 5/20/14 at 4:39 pm

    I love this tip! I just kept rubbing (no salt) until most of the dead skin was gone – this looks SOOOO much easier.

    Do you have a good recipe for Cold Sesame Noodles?????

    Reply

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Exfoliate your chicken before cooking it! • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (2024)

FAQs

How do you clean raw chicken before cooking? ›

According to the USDA, you should not wash raw poultry or any other meat, because you may spread bacteria that's potentially in the poultry juices to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. And in fact, washing it isn't even getting the bacteria off your chicken.

Why do you scrub chicken with salt? ›

This helps to remove the slime and film off the chicken. The salt helps to "exfoliate" as you scrub the limes on the chicken like a "sponge". You can add water and let it sit in the solution for up to 30 minutes or you can rinse it off right away.

Should you season chicken before steaming? ›

Place your chicken in a large bowl and add the salt, oil and pepper. Give the chicken a good coating. Once done, add the fillets to the deep steaming tray. Add your water to the mixing bowl and insert the deep steaming set.

Do Chinese wash chicken before cooking? ›

The majority of people in Southeast Asian countries wash raw poultry meat at home before cooking, according to a study.

Do I need to clean raw chicken before cooking? ›

While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it. Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary.

Do you have to wash chicken with vinegar? ›

Chicken-washing myths, busted

Others believe washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) will kill bacteria. On the contrary, research has shown washing raw poultry in lemon juice or vinegar does not remove bacteria and can increase the cross-contamination risk.

Do professional chefs wash chicken? ›

And, you guys, not even a chef at a fancy French chicken restaurant recommends washing chicken. According to Chef Antoine Westermann, "In France, we do not believe in washing chicken with water, as it takes away the taste of the skin. When you are cooking the chicken, the bacteria is cooked out."

Why soak chicken in vinegar? ›

Does soaking chicken in vinegar make it tender? Yes, The vinegar removes all the gooey, fatty residue from chicken skin so that chicken parts hold coating better. Rinse off vinegar water and pat chicken pieces dry. You will be amazed to notice the difference in how the chicken feels!

What happens if you don't wash your chicken with vinegar? ›

Chicken-washing myths, busted

Others believe washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) will kill bacteria. On the contrary, research has shown washing raw poultry in lemon juice or vinegar does not remove bacteria and can increase the cross-contamination risk.

How long should I soak my chicken in vinegar? ›

Marinate chicken in vinegar for a minimum of 1 hours -- overnight is better. Mix flour, spices, and baking powder.

Why do Jamaicans wash meat? ›

She's found that washing meat “the Caribbean way” — with water and citrus juice or vinegar — also improves the flavor. “The main reason that we do it is to tenderize it, to get rid of the sliminess, and also to loosen up any strangling pieces of fat,” she says.

Are you supposed to wash chicken eggs? ›

It's not necessary or recommended for consumers to wash commercially packaged eggs, and it may actually increase the risk of contamination because the wash water can be "sucked" into the egg through the pores in the shell. When the chicken lays the egg, a protective coating is put on the outside by the hen.

What kind of salt is best for chicken? ›

Sprinkle sea or kosher salt evenly over the entire surface of the meat or poultry. For poultry allow it to air dry (for amazingly crisp skin) or, if crispness isn't a concern, loosely wrap in plastic wrap.

What is the proper way to clean chicken? ›

Should You Wash Chicken? 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.

Can you put raw chicken in a steamer? ›

Yes you can cook chicken in the steamer, but a few points worth considering first. What size is the chicken breast and is it boneless? I am presuming it is so I would say for approx 140g weight, this would take 15-20 minutes.

Are you supposed to wash chicken before cooking? ›

While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it. Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary.

What can I use to clean my chicken? ›

Washing Chicken: Popular Methods & What to Do Instead
  1. Vinegar. Using an acid like vinegar to wash chicken is unnecessary since it doesn't kill any bacteria. ...
  2. Lemon Juice. Similar to vinegar, lemon juice is often paired with water to wash chicken. ...
  3. Salt. ...
  4. Baking Soda.
Oct 6, 2020

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