The Art Of Deboning Chicken: Techniques Explained

There are many reasons why people may want to remove the bones from a chicken, and several ways to do so. Some recipes, such as those for stuffed chicken, call for the meat to be boneless. Bones can also be removed after cooking to make the meat easier to eat, or before cooking to make it easier to cut up and prepare. Bones can also be saved and reused to make chicken broth or stock, which is nutritious and can be used as a base for soups. To debone a chicken, one must use a sharp, flexible boning knife to carefully cut the meat away from the bone.

Characteristics of deboning a chicken

Removing the thigh bone

To begin, turn the chicken breast side down. Make a cut at the center of the backbone, from head to tail. Continue separating the meat from the rib cage on both sides, trimming as close to the cage as possible. Stop when you reach the wing and leg joints. Use poultry shears to detach the joints from the cage.

Now, turn your attention to the thigh bone. Carefully trim and push the meat down the length of the thigh bone from inside the bird until you reach the drumstick. You are essentially removing the thigh bone from inside the chicken. Separate the thigh bone from the drumstick and remove it.

Some people prefer to remove the thigh bone along with the drumstick bone without separating them. To do this, push the meat up to expose the end of the thigh bone and start scraping the meat away, stopping at the knee. Cut around the knee to separate the tissue and continue scraping down the bone, removing as much meat as possible. When you reach the "ankle," break the bone to release the rest of the thigh and drumstick, leaving the nubbin intact to hold the shape of the skin during cooking.

Finally, run your hand along the meat to feel for any bone shards or cartilage, which you can then cut away to ensure a properly boned chicken.

Using the right tools

To debone a chicken, you will need a sharp boning knife, a cleaver, and a chef's knife. You may also need poultry shears. It is important to have a sharp, flexible blade that can work alongside the bones and remove them.

First, remove the liver, heart, neck, and gizzard from the body cavity. These can be reserved for chicken stock. Wash the inside of the cavity with cold water and pat it dry. Then, cut the wing tips off at the first joint with your shears and reserve them. Pull back the neck skin, exposing the breast meat at the neck cavity opening. You will be able to feel the wishbone through the meat at the opening.

Spin the chicken around so the neck hole is facing you. Work your knife around the wishbone to loosen it and pull it out. Be careful, as the wishbone is easy to break, and you don't want bone shards in your meat. As you start pulling the chicken away from the ribs, you will find the wing and leg bones. Keep cutting the meat away from the rib cage, slowly moving down from the back, around the side, toward the breast.

Use small cuts and take care not to cut through the skin on the other side. You will need to take extra care when separating the wing and leg joints. Work slowly and use pressure to pull the meat away from the ribs. Once you have done this, continue separating the meat from the bone, following the contours of the rib cage around to the breast.

To remove the thigh bone, from inside the bird, carefully trim and push the meat down the length of the thigh bone until it reaches the drumstick. You are essentially taking the thigh bone out from inside the bird. Separate the thigh bone from the drumstick and remove it. Finally, run your hand along the surface of the meat to feel for any bone shards or cartilage. Cut away any undesirable bits to make the end product more tasty.

Dealing with the wishbone

To begin the process of removing the bones from a chicken, you will need a sharp boning knife or a long paring knife. Some sources suggest using poultry shears. First, remove the liver, heart, neck, and gizzard from the body cavity. These can be reserved for your chicken stock. Wash the inside of the cavity with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels.

With the chicken breast side up, pull back the neck skin to expose the breast meat. You should be able to feel the wishbone through the meat. Spin the chicken around so that the neck hole is facing you. Work your knife around the wishbone to loosen it and pull it out. The wishbone is delicate and may snap as you try to remove it, so be careful of any bone shards. Ensure you remove all pieces of the bone.

Once the wishbone is out, continue cutting and find the wing and leg bone on that side. Keep cutting the meat away from the rib cage, working slowly and using pressure to pull the meat away from the ribs. Use small cuts and be careful not to cut through the skin on the other side (the breast). You can then continue to separate the meat from the bone, following the contours of the rib cage around to the breast.

Removing the bones from a chicken can be easier than it seems, especially if you use the right knife and find the proper points to separate the joints and meat.

Sewing and stuffing

Once you have deboned the chicken, you can stuff and sew it. The most popular use of a deboned chicken is to stuff it with your favourite variety of stuffing. You can use old bread, celery, onions, sausage, sage, or any other ingredients of your choice. It is recommended to liberally salt the inside and outside of the chicken, as well as using pepper and other spices to taste.

After stuffing the chicken, you can sew it up with kitchen twine. Start at the neck end and use a needle or a paper clip to draw the string through both the skin and meat on both sides. Ensure that the string won't come loose during cooking. Tie a knot at the end to hold both sides together, and then continue sewing down the seam. Alternatively, you can sew the chicken before stuffing it.

After sewing, rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil or butter. Then, roast the chicken at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes per pound.

It is worth noting that some people choose to leave the bones in the chicken legs for presentation. If you are planning to cook the chicken for a short time, such as in a stir fry, it is recommended to remove the meat from the bones before cooking. However, if you are creating a dish with "pieces of meat in sauce", it is better to leave the meat on the bones during cooking to enhance the flavour.

Removing bones pre/post-cooking

There are various reasons why you may want to remove the bones from a chicken, and the process can be easier than you think. Boning a chicken but keeping it whole is a great skill to have and will allow you to stuff the chicken or use the bones for stock.

Pre-cooking

If you want to remove the bones from a chicken before cooking, you will need a very sharp boning knife. You will also need to be careful and patient, as it is a delicate process. Start by removing the liver, heart, neck, and gizzard, and keep these for your stock. Wash the inside of the cavity and pat it dry. Then, cut off the wing tips and pull back the neck skin to expose the breast meat. You will then need to work your knife around the wishbone to loosen and remove it. Be careful, as this bone is easy to snap.

Next, continue cutting and find the wing and leg bone. Keep cutting the meat away from the rib cage, moving down from the back, around the side, and toward the breast. You will need to be careful when separating the wing and leg joints. Work slowly and use pressure to pull the meat away from the ribs. Use small cuts and take care not to cut through the skin on the other side. Removing the thigh bone is tricky. You will need to carefully trim and push the meat down the length of the thigh bone until it reaches the drumstick. Separate the thigh bone from the drumstick and remove it.

Post-cooking

If you are cooking a dish with "pieces of meat in sauce", such as a curry or stew, it is best to leave the meat on the bone during cooking. This will add flavour to the dish. You can then remove the meat from the bones after cooking, which will be easy as the meat will be tender. If you are cooking the chicken for a short time, such as for a stir fry, it is best to remove the meat from the bones before cooking. This will result in less flavour but will allow the meat to cook quickly.

Using the bones

If you have removed the bones from a chicken, you can use them to make a nutritious and delicious bone broth or stock. You can make multiple batches of stock from the same bones, and the bones can be used alongside vegetable scraps to add flavour to soup.

Frequently asked questions