Cooking chicken to the right internal temperature is also super important. You want to aim for a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to ensure that all the bacteria are killed off. And don't even get me started on the importance of washing your hands before and after handling raw chicken - it's just basic food safety 101.
But, I mean, let's be real - we've all been guilty of not cooking chicken to the right temperature at some point (no? just me?). And, yeah, it's not the end of the world... unless you're one of those unfortunate souls who ends up with salmonella poisoning. Then it's a whole different story.
In conclusion, the moral of the story is: thawed chicken is like a ticking time bomb (I told you I'd come back to that), and you should cook it ASAP to avoid any, ahem, "fowl" play. Get it? Fowl, like a chicken? Okay, moving on. Seriously though, just cook the chicken soon after thawing, and you'll be golden.
