Why Southern Cooks Are Rethinking the “Wash Your Chicken” Rule

To everyone who grew up in a household where "washing the chicken" was the first and most sacred step of Sunday dinner: we have been had.

I recently spent an eye-opening day at Nourishing Farm in Caddo Parish, documenting what it truly looks like to bring poultry from the pasture to the plate. While I was there, the founder of the farm, who you probably know as the mastermind behind Zuzul and El Cabo Verde, Chef Gabriel Balderas, said something that genuinely made me clutch my pearls.

"Washing your chicken actually spreads bacteria," he told me.

I’ll admit, my first instinct was to defend the honor of every Southern mother I know. We were taught that rinsing that bird was the only way to get it "clean." But Chef Gabriel explained that we’ve actually been doing the opposite. By rinsing raw poultry in the sink, we aren't "cleaning" the meat; we are atomizing bacteria and splashing it across our countertops, sponges, and kitchen towels.

According to Chef Gabriel, the only way to actually kill the bacteria found on poultry is through heat, specifically, cooking it to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Naturally, I had to fact-check him the second I got home. I wasn't about to let a local chef call my mom a liar without some receipts! But a quick search confirmed the hard truth: the USDA and the CDC have been shouting this from the rooftops for years. Rinsing raw meat doesn't remove germs; it just gives them a ride around your kitchen.

After seeing the meticulous, ethical process at Nourishing Farm and understanding the "farm-to-table" journey, I feel like a bit of a chicken expert. It’s a bit of a culture shock to realize our kitchen habits were actually a health hazard, but when a local culinary leader steps in to educate us, we listen.

I never thought I’d say this, but the colander is officially retired. From now on, the only thing touching my chicken is seasoning and a hot pan.