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

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

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

      Reply

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  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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  1. » CK Friday Links–Friday May 23, 2014 - […] How to exfoliate your… chicken? And your cutting board. (Steamy Kitchen) […]

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

FAQs

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.

How long to leave salt on chicken before cooking? ›

Generously salt your chicken (about 1 teaspoon per pound) and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes, but don't let the chill time exceed 24 hours.

Why clean 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 chefs wash chicken before cooking? ›

After years living and cooking in the U.S., particularly in professional kitchens which are governed by strict USDA guidelines, many chefs have abandoned the taboo meat washing practice.

Can I clean chicken with apple cider vinegar? ›

Can be used as a wash rinse in some luke-warm water when washing chickens due to a very dirty vent (behind). Remember, that if you think that your hens are sick, please contact your local vet.

What is the proper way to clean raw chicken? ›

Poultry (whole or ground) are safe to eat at 165°F. Washing, rinsing, or brining meat and poultry in salt water, vinegar or lemon juice does not destroy bacteria. If there is anything on your raw poultry that you want to remove, pat the area with a damp paper towel and immediately wash your hands.

Should you clean chicken with salt? ›

Callers to the United States Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline sometimes ask about soaking poultry in salt water. This is a personal preference and serves no purpose for food safety.

Do I need to wash chicken with salt? ›

The “internet wisdom” of rinsing a chicken with vinegar, lemon juice or salt water to kill germs has been debunked by scientific studies as well. These methods will apply a quick brine to the chicken, but they do not have any effect on bacteria.

What does salting chicken do? ›

Salt in the brine seasons the poultry and promotes a change in its protein structure, reducing its overall toughness and creating gaps that fill up with water and keep the meat juicy and flavorful. Brining works faster than salting and can also result in juicier lean cuts since it adds, versus merely retains, moisture.

What does adding salt to chicken do? ›

At first, the salt draws moisture out of the cells, but a few hours later, the cells reabsorb the salty water in a kind of reverse osmosis, drawing back both moisture and flavor.

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