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I made hunters chicken tonight, cooked a chicken breast for 20 mins then took out , covered with bbq sauce and cheese and lay 2 rashers of bacon over the top then returned to the oven - 225 degrees Celsius in a fan oven (that had been on for 20 mins with the chicken in) for about 8-9 minutes .

I didn’t flip the bacon, it was draped over the chicken.

Was this temperature and amount of time enough to kill bacteria? I’m 38 weeks pregnant and terrified of listeria. The pink meat had gone completely opaque and the fat had begun to brown, but the actual pink meat hadn’t gone brown or crispy.

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Bacon is already cured and smoked. In many cases could be eaten as is but that is not supported by food safety guidelines.

If the meat was opaque, it was cooked. That plus smoke and salt and you are fine, especially if you do not live in a germophobe lifestyle. Parents who sanitize everything incessantly wind up having children with weak immune systems.

Opaque, pink meat is OK. It is the heart and soul of all good barbeque cookery. In the future, for a similar preparation, cook the bacon on the side in a skillet first, then drizzle the fat on the rest of the dish and drape the cooked slices, then you won't have to worry a smidge!

Good luck and hope all goes well with the little one. You'll worry less when you see they are pretty durable!

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  • Thanks so much for the response. It was regular smoked back bacon rashers if that makes any difference. I’m sure undercooked bacon would by quite noticeable to the naked eye?
    – WorriedMum
    Feb 26, 2020 at 21:01
  • Would be rubbery and floppy, but again at 225 C it was heated through pretty thoroughly. Breathe and relax...
    – MarsJarsGuitars-n-Chars
    Feb 26, 2020 at 21:05
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    small correction: "parents who sanitize everything incessantly wind up having kids with weak immune systems"; once the system is "calibrated", further changes have little effect.
    – dandavis
    Feb 26, 2020 at 22:02
  • Thank you. It was rubbery, and dry. I just want to ensure that in 8 mins at 225C that the inside temp of the bacon reached 74C to kill of listeria (which can cause stillbirth if ingested) I guess at 225C a thin slice of meat would have reached 74C within a few mins? I’m maybe overthinking and over worrying..
    – WorriedMum
    Feb 27, 2020 at 6:29
  • @WorriedMum Yes a little bit of over-worrying, but I can understand. Lysteria is not very common if the meat is raised properly and handled properly after processing. Anyway, enjoy, cook it spearately, and good luck with the nipper.
    – MarsJarsGuitars-n-Chars
    Feb 27, 2020 at 14:04

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