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. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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.

Should you wash chicken with vinegar? ›

After plucking and priming the meat, washing off any other external contaminants became a logical next step. “Chicken is usually washed in vinegar or citrus juice,” says Delish's food director and second-generation Jamaican-American Rob Seixas. “The acid is believed to purify the meat.”

Why do you scrub chicken with salt? ›

Salt. This method involves seasoning the meat with a generous amount of salt and citrus, then adding water and soaking for 30 minutes. It is said to exfoliate chicken and while this sounds impressive, it's not entirely necessary.

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 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 professional chefs wash chicken? ›

Most American and European chefs don't prefer washing chicken as they believe it will take away its flavor and taste,” he says. “But here in Asia, there is the practice of washing chicken thoroughly before cooking.”

How do you prepare chicken before cooking? ›

Here are some additional tips for preparing chicken:
  1. Pound the chicken to an even thickness before cooking. This will help it cook evenly.
  2. Marinate the chicken in a flavorful marinade for at least 30 minutes before cooking. ...
  3. Don't overcook the chicken. ...
  4. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing or serving.
May 13, 2022

Why do jamaicans wash chicken? ›

In some cultures around the world, such as those in the Caribbean — where I live — washing meat is a common practice that's considered an indicator of cleanliness in the kitchen. Acidic agents like lemon juice or white vinegar are typically included in the process.

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 does adding vinegar to chicken do? ›

Vinegar can have several effects on meat, depending on how it is used and the type of vinegar used. Here are some common ways vinegar can affect meat: Tenderizing: Vinegar has acidic properties that can help break down the meat's proteins, making it more tender. This is particularly useful for tougher cuts of meat.

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.

Why do Americans wash chicken? ›

This is done to treat high levels of bacteria, a symptom of poor hygiene and low animal welfare conditions not allowed in UK farming. The practice of chlorine washing chicken is banned in the UK, but it is common practice in the US poultry industry. Discover everything you need to know about chlorinated chicken below.

What is the fastest way to add flavor to chicken? ›

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

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? ›

Food safety authorities and regulators around the world recommend you don't wash raw poultry before cooking. That's because washing chicken can splash dangerous bacteria around the kitchen. It's best just to thoroughly cook the chicken without washing it, so it is safe to eat.

How long do you soak chicken to clean? ›

You can add water and let it sit in the solution for up to 30 minutes or you can rinse it off right away. You can rinse off each individual piece under running water or collectively in the bowl until the water is fairly clear. Depending on the type of recipe the chicken will be used for, we sometimes "shode" it.

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. People are advised not to wash raw poultry before cooking because it increases the risk of cross-contamination.

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