How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cutting up a whole chicken is a cost-effective way to make the most of your poultry, whether you're feeding one person or a whole family. Whole chickens are often priced at around $1 per kg, meaning you can get an entire bird for roughly 10 dollars. This makes it an economical choice, whether you're planning a family meal or prepping for several days' worth of meals. A whole roasted chicken can feed a family in one sitting, a couple for multiple meals, or even provide a week’s worth of food for one.

But if you’re not roasting the entire chicken, you may want to break it down into its parts—breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings—so you can cook them differently. For example, grilling the breasts while braising the thighs and drumsticks allows you to use every part effectively.

Why Break Down a Whole Chicken?

• Cost savings: You'll often save money by buying a whole chicken rather than individual parts. Although many butchers will break down a whole chicken for free, the real advantage comes from learning to do it yourself.
• Maximizing value: When you cut up the chicken, you can use every part, including the bones, to make homemade stock, a flavorful base for soups and stews.
• Self-sufficiency: There's a sense of satisfaction and empowerment in being able to prepare your own ingredients. Plus, it minimizes waste, which is great for sustainability.

Tools You’ll Need

1. A sharp chef's knife: A good knife makes cutting through joints easier.
2. Kitchen shears: These are especially helpful for removing the backbone.
3. A cutting board: Opt for a large plastic or acrylic board for easier cleanup and to avoid contamination from raw meat.

Preparing the Chicken

1. Remove the giblets: Start by taking out the giblets, which include the neck, heart, and other organs, from the body cavity. These can be saved for making stock or gravy, or you can discard them if you're not using them.
2. Rinse and dry the chicken: Rinse the bird inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. This will help reduce moisture, making the bird easier to handle and less slippery.

How to Break Down a Whole Chicken

1. Positioning: Place the chicken on the cutting board, breasts facing up, with the drumsticks pointing toward you.

2. Remove the legs:

   • Pull one leg away from the body and slice through the skin between the leg and the body.
   • Bend the leg down toward the cutting board, which will dislocate the thigh bone from the socket.
   • Slide your knife into the joint and cut through it, separating the leg from the body. Repeat for the other leg.

3. Separate drumsticks from thighs:

   • Turn the leg section skin-side down and cut along the fat line between the drumstick and thigh. This line naturally guides your knife right through the joint.
   • Repeat with the other leg.

4. Remove the wings:

   • Turn the chicken onto its side and pull one wing away from the body.
   • Feel for the wing joint, which is located deep within the body.
   • Make a small cut through the skin around the joint, then slice through to separate the wing from the body.
   • If desired, trim off the wing tips with kitchen shears and save them for stock.

5. Remove the backbone:

   • Turn the chicken over so the breasts are down.
   • Using kitchen shears, cut along the line of fat that runs up the side of the carcass from the tail end toward the wing joint. Cut through the ribs along this line.
   • Repeat on the other side and remove the backbone for stock.

6. Cut the breasts:

   • For bone-in breasts, leave the chicken breast-side down and cut down through the breastbone to split the chicken into two halves.
   • For boneless breasts, flip the bird breast-side up. Make a shallow cut through the skin between the breasts, then slide your knife just inside the cartilage. Pull the breast meat away while cutting underneath the meat until it’s free from the bone.

Making Chicken Stock

The backbone, breastbone, wing tips, and neck can be used to make a rich chicken stock. This is one of the major benefits of cutting up a whole chicken yourself. Homemade stock is easy to make and much more flavorful than store-bought varieties.

1. Gather your ingredients: Place the backbone, breastbone, wing tips, neck, and any leftover skin or trimmings in a large pot.
2. Add aromatics: To add depth to your stock, include chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and herbs like thyme or bay leaves.
3. Cook: Cover everything with cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 90 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
4. Strain: Once done, strain the stock through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and discard the solids. Allow the stock to cool and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for longer-term storage.

Storing Chicken Parts

If you’re not using all the chicken right away, you can store the cut pieces in the freezer. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn, and place them in a freezer bag. Be sure to label the bag with the date. Chicken parts can last in the freezer for up to 6 months without losing quality. The backbone, wing tips, and other parts for stock can also be frozen in a similar way.

Sources:

• USDA guidelines for safe poultry handling recommend freezing chicken parts for up to 9 months, although best quality is maintained within 3–6 months.
• Cook’s Illustrated and Serious Eats both emphasize the advantages of homemade chicken stock, including better control over flavor and reduced food waste.

By mastering the technique of cutting up a whole chicken, you not only save money but also learn to make the most of your ingredients, from the meat to the bones. The ability to create homemade stock is just an added bonus to your growing kitchen skills.