You can order a medium-rare steak at a restaurant, enjoy citrusy ceviche on the beach, try a bite of beef carpaccio or tartar in Paris, and eat sushi, sashimi, and poke bowls, galore. But raw chicken? Now that is always a hard, haaard pass. Although you may instinctively know this, what comes after is a bit of a mystery. Its natural to wonder, What happens if I eat raw chicken?
The short answer? Consuming raw or undercooked chicken can lead to food poisoning, stomach pains, nausea, and/or diarrhea (so not fun!)—thanks to bacteria often found in chicken that typically gets killed off during the cooking process (grilling, frying, or baking). So, you should always stress about cooking chicken to 100 percent doneness. Every. Single. Time.
The simplest way to steer clear of this gastro-nightmare is to always make sure your chicken is fully cooked through. This means using a thermometer to check that your chicken clocks in at the FDA-recommended safe cooking temperature of 165°F.
Meet the Experts: Jennifer L Bonheur is a board-certified gastroenterologist in New York City. In addition to working at her private practice, she’s an attending physician at both NYU Langone Medical Center and Lenox Hill Hospital. Samantha Nazareth is double board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology/Hepatology. She practices in New York City and is a Womens Health Advisory Board member.
But the tricky part is that youre not always the one doing the cooking. What happens if youre eating out or you go to a friends house? You bite into your chicken breast or thigh only to discover its an undercooked (or even raw!) with a fleshy pink inside that screams “dont eat me.” Now what? Do you immediately spit it out across the table? (Sorry, everyone.) Start chugging water to rinse your mouth? Take some sort of medicine? Make a beeline to urgent care?!
I caught up with gastroenterologists to get the full low-down on what to do if you ever find yourself in this scenario, having accidentally eaten raw chicken meat. Then, WH test kitchen pros weighed in with tips on how to prevent yourself from consuming a raw breast or wing in the first place.
When cooked, chicken can be a nutritious choice, but raw chicken can be contaminated with Campylobacter, Salmonella, or Clostridium perfringens germs. If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning.
What should you do if you get sick from raw chicken?
First things first, immediately ban whatever establishment or home you previously ate at for ample time—and yes, even if that means avoiding your moms cooking for weeks. (Sorry, mom!)
Back to the question: No one wants to say it, but you kind of, sort of, just have to deal with the symphony of symptoms. There isnt really a magic pill or cure-all. “So, if youre having diarrhea, nausea, cramps—the usual food poisoning problems—start following a bland diet and stay well hydrated with water and electrolyte drinks until symptoms improve,” Dr. Bonheur says.
Most food poisoning cases will last up to a week. That said, if symptoms dont improve or worsen within a week, and/or you “have bloody diarrhea, develop a high fever (above 102 degrees), and are pregnant or immunocompromised, you should definitely speak to a doctor,” says Dr. Nazareth. Starting to show signs of dehydration (think: dizziness, dry mouth, low blood pressure, reduced urination)? Err on the safe side and give the doc a call. Some of these worsened symptoms like high fever and bloody stools might mean you have a more aggressive infection. But thats not usually the case.
How long after eating raw chicken will you get sick?
Lets talk timing. In the case of campylobacter, symptoms dont typically start to present themselves until two to five days after exposure, while salmonella can start wreaking havoc in as little as six hours, per the CDC. Similarly, these infections vary in length, from 24 hours (clostridium perfringens) to upwards of a week (campylobacter). The incubation time for E. coli is most commonly three to four days.
Unfortunately, once you eat raw chicken, theres not much you can do about it. Chugging water or rinsing your mouth wont bring on any magical fixes. And forcing yourself to vomit? “That wont help either,” Dr. Bonheur says.
What Really Happens If You Eat Raw Chicken
FAQ
Is it ever safe to eat raw chicken?
Why can Japanese eat raw chicken?
Can you eat raw chicken if it was just killed?
Is slightly pink chicken OK?
Can you eat raw chicken?
Despite whatever reason you may hear, you should never eat raw or “rare” chicken. “Raw chicken can have bacteria that can cause food poisoning ,” says DiGeronimo. The most common bacterial food poisoning from chicken include: Campylobacter. Salmonella. Clostridium perfringens. And food poisoning isn’t just a brief thing, either.
Can one eat chicken while on a diet?
If it’s not a vegetarian, vegan diet, with restrictions on animal protein, more specifically chicken, it’s okay to eat chicken. It is recommended to consume preferably organic chicken and to have healthy habits and lifestyle.
Will eating raw chicken make you sick?
Raw chicken can harbor two particularly harmful bacteria that can cause infections that can lead to complications like typhoid fever and bacteremia, which occurs when bacteria enter your bloodstream. Chicken is one of the most widely consumed proteins in the world.
Can you eat raw or undercooked poultry?
The United States Department of Agriculture does not recommend eating or tasting raw or undercooked poultry. Poultry may contain harmful bacteria. Thorough cooking is important to kill any bacteria that may be present in the food. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casserole and other food.