How to Clean Chicken

Cleaning chicken can seem quite scary or put a knot of disgust into someone’s stomach if they have never cleaned store bought chicken before. First, what you’ll want to do is select any type of chicken from your local store in the meat department. Most people tend to prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts, mostly because there isn’t too much to worry about as far as cleaning goes unless you don’t wish to keep the fat on the chicken.

Now that you’re back home with the chicken you selected at your grocery store you’ll want to store it either in your refrigerator or freezer, depending on when you are going to cook it. The best thing to do is if you plan on cooking it that day then simply place it in your refrigerator unopened and in a grocery bag to keep any juices from spilling into your refrigerator. If you plan on cooking your chicken the next day or any time after that simply store it in the freezer unopened. You do not need to place it in a grocery bag if you are storing it in the freezer. Some people store their chicken in the refrigerator if they plan on cooking the chicken the next day, however it’s really up to you. My personal preference is storing it in the freezer.

Once you’re ready to clean your chicken be sure your sink is empty then place the package of chicken in your sink. Start by cutting open the package of meat with either a knife or a pair of scissors. Individually take a piece of chicken from out of the package and then use either a sharp knife or pair of scissors to trim off any fat, though scissors are much more safer than a sharp knife for this task. If the chicken you selected has skin and you wish to remove it simply pull it off by using your hands, and for the more stubborn pieces of skin that won’t pull off so easy just use your knife or scissors to cut it off. Make sure you have a clean plastic (if possible) bowl ready beside you on the counter. As you clean your chicken place each individual piece of chicken into the bowl.

Once you are done cleaning your chicken throw away the package it came in along with the fat, etc. that you trimmed from off of it. Clean your sink with warm or hot water and soap and then wash your hands real well with soap and warm water. Next, prepare your chicken as you normally would when you cook it.