If you start typing the word “undercooked” in a Google search, the word “chicken” will appear as a recommended autocomplete. Questions like, “I ate undercooked chicken, am I going to get sick?” pop up on the first page. There are pages and pages full of advice on how you can know your portion of the original white meat is thoroughly cooked. Websites of varying degrees of credibility are lying in wait to give you advice as to how you can eat chicken safely, dodging the ever-present threat of salmonella.
This can all be overwhelming for someone who wants to prepare a plump, and perhaps piquant, poultry plate. But have no fear; there are a few simple tips that will keep you in the clear (as opposed to the pinkish juices which flow from undercooked chicken). All poetic devices aside, here is a fail-proof list of how you can enjoy your cooked bird without hesitation:
- Don’t rely on the meat’s color. Although seeing red or pink in the middle of a piece of chicken should serve as a warning flag, the only way to know for sure if the meat is (or is not) cooked all the way is to take its temperature.
- Cook the chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the standard temperature required for chicken preparation and there are plenty of good food thermometers out there to help you with that. Remember to always insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Consider cross-contamination. Everything raw chicken touches has a great possibility of taking on salmonella. Store raw poultry in the bottom of your refrigerator (so that its juices will not drip onto other foods) and make sure all knives and cutting boards are vigorously cleansed.
For further guidance, check out the chart below that lists out the cooking temperatures required for safely preparing chicken as well as other types of meat.
Download Image: Temperature Guide Poster
—Jeremy Howard
