Here’s the headline: Chicken itself isn’t “dirty,” but raw chicken can carry salmonella. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 1 in 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store contains salmonella. That means most chicken is perfectly fine—but a small percentage is playing host.
When you cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), you kill the bacteria. It’s that simple. The danger zone is when raw chicken touches your cutting board, your hands, or—heaven forbid—your salad greens. Cross-contamination is the sneaky villain here.
Think of it like this: chicken is a wild card. You can handle it with confidence, but you must respect the rules of the game. No raw chicken near your ready-to-eat foods. Ever.
