This Is the ONLY Time You Should Wash a Turkey

Are you planning on washing that raw turkey before roasting it? You might want to think again.

According to food safety experts at the USDA, there’s only one time you should wash a raw turkey. And that’s when you brined the bird.

Photo by Meredith

In fact, this advice holds true for most raw meats and poultry. Research shows that washing raw meat and poultry, rather than rinsing the bacteria safely down the drain, instead spreads it around the kitchen. There’s the splash factor, of course. No matter how careful you are, water will splash off the skin of the bird, splashing bacteria “up to 3 feet surrounding your sink,” writes Marianne Gravely, who is part of the Food Safety Education Staff of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. But even if you’ve been vigilant about washing your hands after touching the turkey, you can still spread bacteria by accidentally touching, say, a cross-contaminated countertop and then touching the refrigerator door handle, dishes, utensils, towels, table tops, other food, your cell phone, etc.

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Related: Check out our collection of Roast Turkey Recipes.

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What should you do instead?

Just take the turkey (or other raw meats) directly from package to roasting pan. This way, you limit the mess, and the heat of the oven will kill the bacteria.

Which brings us to the exception that proves the rule. When you’re brining the bird, you’ll want to rinse off the brine before you roast the turkey.

Brining the bird in a bag | Photo by Meredith

Safety Tips for Rinsing a Brined Turkey

If you’re washing your brined bird, there are a few precautions you can take to reduce the risk of cross contamination and illness.

Do the dishes. There should be no dishes in the sink or on the counters around the sink. Then clean the sink with hot soapy water and rinse it well. You want to start with a clean workspace.

Clear the decks. Don’t have knife blocks, dish towels, sponges, vases holding spatulas, or anything else on the counter, except the roasting pan.

Lay down a bed of paper towels around the sink.

Keep the roasting pan close so you’re not dripping water unnecessarily.

Use cold water for rinsing. The USDA recommends filling the sink with a few inches of cold water. Place the bird in the sink, and gently run cold (not warm) water to clean out the cavity. That’s the key: rinsing out the cavity. Let the water flow through the cavity.

Hold the bird up to drain thoroughly from the cavity into the sink. And place it carefully on the roasting rack.

Clean up the mess. Toss the paper towels in the trash and before you do anything else wash the sink and countertop with hot soapy water.

More Turkey Tips:

Get all the tips you need to cook the perfect turkey, from prepping and basting to roasting and carving.
Use this chart to determine the right turkey cooking time.
This turkey roasting method cooks turkey in a fraction of the time — and boasts the crispiest skin and juiciest meat.

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