Chicken and shrimp both contain a rich supply of protein with little fat or calories. Both have mild flavors that complement a number of dishes. If you're eating more healthful meals, you'll probably gravitate toward poultry and shellfish as sources of lean protein. However, for all their benefits separately, combining cooked shrimp with raw chicken could lead to an unhealthy case of food poisoning.
Cross-Contamination
Anytime you combine cooked animal proteins with raw proteins, you risk cross-contamination. Cross-contamination refers to the spread of harmful microbes from one food to another. Raw chicken is a prime suspect in cases of food poisoning because of its propensity to contain harmful salmonella bacteria. This microbe naturally occurs in the animal and therefore cannot be eliminated during processing; you must cook chicken thoroughly to destroy these pathogens. If you mix raw chicken with cooked foods, including shrimp, you risk introducing salmonella bacteria into the cooked food where it can sicken you or other diners.
Cooking Temperatures
Chicken and shrimp require markedly different cooking temperatures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safety. Shrimp cooks at around 145 degrees Fahrenheit, so the temperature at which you must cook the chicken in a dish would turn delicate shrimp into morsels with all the texture and tenderness of rubber gaskets. Foods with such disparate cooking temperatures are best cooked on their own.
Cooking Times
Small shrimp take only seconds to cook, and even larger prawns require just a few minutes on the grill or in the pan to turn opaque. Chicken needs not only higher temperatures, but longer cooking times to reach an appropriately safe degree of doneness. Even if you divide the chicken into smaller pieces that will cook through more quickly, the pre-cooked shrimp will become overcooked well before the chicken is ready to eat. The proteins in chicken must also sit for a few minutes after cooking to become tender; shrimp needs no resting period, so combining the two too soon during preparation of the meal leaves one or the other less flavorful than it should be.
Other Possibilities
If you want to make a dish that incorporates chicken and shrimp, cook the chicken first and reserve it while you prepare the rest of the meal. Then combine cooked chicken and shrimp in the finished dish. You can also combine the two in the form of a sauce. Top chicken piccata with succulent shrimp that you toss in the lemony sauce to create a new take on the classic meal. Diced cooked chicken and shrimp in a salad or stir-fry lends variety to the meal while keeping it safe to eat.
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