Removing hair from a raw chicken in preparation for cooking can be an easy or tedious process depending on the amount of hair remaining once feathers are plucked. While fewer hairs remain if you have purchased the chicken from a store in comparison to butchering it yourself, removing as much hair from the chicken before cooking is preferred (although not necessary) for many cooks. Depending on the amount of hair remaining on the chicken and the thickness of the hair, there are several ways to remove it.

  • Removing hair from a raw chicken in preparation for cooking can be an easy or tedious process depending on the amount of hair remaining once feathers are plucked.

Scrub rinsed chicken lightly with either a paper towel or food scrubber. This method is ideal if there are a few stray or fine hairs on the chicken.

Try plucking hairs with a pair of tweezers or your fingers. This can be time consuming yet effective.

Use an open flame on a gas hob to singe the hair off of the chicken by running the chicken parts back and forth through the flame.

TIP

If you are butchering the chicken, there are also automated plucking machines that will remove hair and feathers. Wash raw chicken thoroughly using cold water. When baking chicken, stray chicken hairs usually burn off during cooking.