Ina Garten Says You Should 'Slightly Undercook' Chicken—But Is That Safe?

It’s clear that Ina Garten loves chicken as much as we do. From recipes like her Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme to her life-changing cooking tips, the Barefoot Contessa stays giving us all the tools we need for success with this popular protein. In her most recent Instagram video, Garten took some time to answer a question everybody’s been clucking about: “How do you make chicken that’s not dry?”

Garten starts the video with her pulling two large, skin-on chicken breasts fresh out of the oven… but they’re not finished cooking, yet. “First, I slightly undercook it,” she says. “If you overcook chicken, it gets very dry.” So, Garten keeps the meat on the sheet pan, covers it with aluminum foil and lets it rest outside of the oven for around 10 minutes. She finishes the reel by saying, “You won’t believe what a difference it makes.”

And if you’ve never heard of this cooking method before, it might sound outlandish. “Undercook and chicken don’t go in the same sentence for me,” says one person in the comment section. But there’s actually a culinary term to describe what Garten has shown us. It’s called “carryover cooking.”

Carryover cooking is when you cook food over direct heat (like the oven or stove) until it’s almost reached the ideal temperature. Then, you allow the food to continue cooking off the heat, usually covered. After extensive testing, culinary expert Martin Earl claims, “If you want to perfect your dish, you have to account for carryover cooking.” However, he also mentions that “the only way to do that is to use accurate, reliable temperature instruments.” (See our recommendations for the best food thermometers on the market.)

EatingWell’s senior food editor Carolyn Malcoun also weighed in on Ina’s tip to slightly undercook your chicken. She says, “I recommend pulling it when it's five degrees lower than the target temperature (so for chicken, pull it at 160°F), tent it with foil, then let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Not only does it allow for carryover cooking, but it helps the juices redistribute in the piece of meat for juicier results every time.”

However, Food Safety Specialist Beverly Lopez at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that “Chicken shouldn’t be removed from its heat source until it reaches 165°F.” The best way to ensure your chicken reaches a safe temperature is still by cooking it until it reaches “165°F as measured with a food thermometer.” This is exactly why culinary experts like Garten keep the chicken on the hot sheet pan and tent with foil to allow residual heat to help with the natural carryover cooking process. Then, for the safest eating experience, you’ll want to check the temperature of your poultry while it rests.

So grab your meat thermometer and start cooking the most tender and juicy chicken right in your own kitchen! Even skinless chicken breast (a notoriously dry main dish) can have amazing results when using carryover cooking correctly. Make it saucy on the stovetop with dishes like our Creamy Balsamic Chicken & Mushroom Skillet, or practice roasting it in the oven with our juicy and citrusy Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken.

Keep reading: How Long Can Cooked Chicken Sit Out?