How to Cut a Whole Chicken Like a Pro

For years, you've relied on pre-cut chicken from the store. It's convenient, but that convenience comes with a price. Stores charge extra for the service of breaking down the chicken, and the more they do, the more they charge. It adds up.

Why pay for something you can easily do yourself? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about cutting up a chicken at home.

Choosing the Right Chicken

Before you start cutting, it’s important to select the right chicken. Matt R. Moore, author of Butcher on the Block, suggests following his butcher-grandfather’s advice: always buy the best bird you can find.

A high-quality bird will always deliver better flavor than a cheaper one. Over-commercialized chickens tend to be tougher, so Moore recommends opting for local or organic varieties, ideally weighing no more than 4 pounds.

Preparing Your Workspace

To avoid cross-contamination, it’s essential to keep your workspace clean when handling chicken. Prepare your area before you take the bird out of the fridge. Moore suggests using a separate cutting board for chicken, with a damp paper towel underneath to keep it from slipping. Have your knives ready and a large plate or sheet pan nearby to collect the pieces as you cut.

Which Knives Are Best?

A flexible boning knife and a sharp chef’s knife are ideal for this task. If you don’t have a chef’s knife, Moore recommends sturdy kitchen shears, particularly the kind that can be disassembled for easy cleaning.

When selecting a boning knife, Henry Liu, CEO of Cangshan Cutlery, emphasizes the importance of the knife's weight and handle design. Both factors are crucial for comfort and control. A high-quality boning knife should feature a straight spine and a sharp point, which provides better precision when maneuvering around bones or joints.

How to Break Down a Whole Chicken

Step 1 Set up your workspace. Place a damp paper towel beneath your cutting board and keep your flexible boning knife and a chef’s knife (or kitchen shears) within easy reach.

Step 2 Prepare your chicken. Take the chicken out of its packaging. Check the cavity for the neck and giblets (if present) and set them aside for making stock. Pat the chicken dry with clean paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Step 3 Remove the wings. Position the chicken breast-side down. Gently pull the wing away from the body and make a cut through the skin where the wing connects to the body.

Slice around the armpit and under the ball joint, continuing until the wing is fully detached. Repeat the same process for the other wing. Be sure to stay close to the joint to avoid cutting into the breast meat.

Step 4 Remove the legs and thighs: Place the chicken breast-side up. Just like with the wings, make an incision through the skin between the legs and the body. Then, grip the legs from underneath and gently bend them upwards to dislocate the joints from the sockets. Use your boning knife to cut through the joint towards the back of the chicken.

Flip the chicken over and locate the oyster (the tender, flavorful bump near the spine). Use your knife to carefully cut around the oyster and continue along the spine to detach the thigh. Feel free to adjust the bird's position to make this easier.

Step 5 Separate the legs from the thighs: Flip the pieces over and find the fat line that runs between the legs and thighs. Use either a boning or chef’s knife to cut along this line, separating the legs from the thighs. Cutting closer to the leg side of the fat line will ensure a clean, easy cut.

Step 6 Remove the backbone: Locate the fat line on both sides of the breast. Stand the bird upright and, using your chef’s knife or kitchen shears, cut through the ribs, using the fat lines as your guide. Once you’ve cut through, pull the backbone free, using your knife to cut any remaining attachments.

Step 7 Separate the breasts: Flip the breast side down and make a small cut along the breastbone to make the process easier. Use this incision as a starting point, then cut through the breastbone with your chef’s knife. Hold the knife firmly in one hand and, with the other hand, use a flat palm to tap the top of the knife to break through the bone. Cut through the bone to separate the breasts.