We all lead busy lives and so welcome short cuts that make our lives that little bit easier. So you may be wondering if it is OK to get ahead with your meal plans and part cook some chicken to finish cooking later and save time.
Is it safe to part cook chicken and finish cooking later? NO! Part cooking chicken to finish at a later time should never be done. Part cooked chicken is a breeding ground for food borne pathogens that can cause food poisoning, and even result in death.
Continue reading if you want to know exactly why you should never part cook chicken to finish cooking later.
Partially Cooking Chicken Creates A Danger Zone
Chicken meat carries a variety of bacteria that can cause food poisoning, if not destroyed during the cooking process. Salmonella, Campylobacter and Clostridium Perfringens are the most common bacteria found in raw chicken.
These bacteria thrive in temperatures between 40oF – 140oF / 8oC – 60oC, and can double every 20 minutes that the meat remains within this temperature. That is why this temperature range is called the ‘Danger Zone’
That means that 100 bacteria present in a chicken could multiply to over 6000 bacteria within just 2 hours.
Why You Should Never Partially Cook Chicken
When you part cook a chicken, you are creating the perfect temperature for these bacteria to multiply as the meat does not get hot enough during the part cooking phase to destroy these harmful pathogens.
The whole time you are partly cooking the chicken, and then the time you are allowing it to cool before refrigerating, it is doubling those dangerous bacteria every 20 minutes.
Due to the increased levels of bacteria present in the part cooked chicken, if you don’t fully cook the meat to a safe internal temperature when you come to continue the cooking process, those bacteria will remain, and will present a real food poisoning threat to whoever eats the meat.
The Safe Internal Temperature For Cooked Chicken
Now you know the reason for NOT part cooking chicken, it is important that you understand the minimum safe internal temperature that the chicken should reach during cooking, to be considered safe from harmful bacteria.
The internal temperature for chicken to be considered safe to eat is 165oF/75oC when probed at the thickest part of the meat
The easiest and safest way to ensure that your meat reaches the minimum internal temperature is by using an instant read digital food thermometer. These thermometers allow you to ensure that the meat is safely cooked, as well as preventing you from overcooking and ending up with dry or rubbery chicken.
Digital Food Thermometers can be picked up for under $20 such as this best seller on Amazon (affiliate link!)
Possible Exception To The Rule Of Part Cooking!
One exception to the rule of part cooking chicken is when you are part cooking in the microwave to finish in the oven or grill. However, this is not considered part cooking to finish later, as you will be continuing the cooking process straight away.
Once again, it is vitally important that you ensure the meat reaches the internal temperature of 165oF/75oC when adopting this method of dual cooking!
