Butterfly Chicken: Boneless And Beautiful

Butterflying a chicken, also known as spatchcocking, is a technique that involves removing the backbone and breastbone to allow the chicken to lay flat for cooking. This method has several advantages, including even cooking, crispy skin, and ease of serving. By butterflying the chicken, both the breast and thigh meat cook at the same rate, eliminating the problem of dry breast meat or undercooked legs. The process of butterflying a chicken can be done at home with kitchen shears or a sharp knife and involves cutting along the backbone, removing the breastbone, and flattening the chicken. The bones removed during this process can be used to make chicken stock or broth, and the butterflied chicken can be grilled, roasted, or stuffed and rolled.

Remove the neck, giblets, and excess fat from the body cavity

To begin butterflying a chicken, you will need to remove the neck, giblets, and excess fat from the body cavity. Place the chicken on your work surface and use your hands to remove any excess fat. You can trim away any excess fat from around the cavity opening. If you want to remove the tail or butt, do so at this stage. Set aside the neck and giblets, as these can be used later for making stock.

After removing the neck, giblets, and excess fat, you can move on to the next step of butterflying the chicken. Some sources suggest flipping the chicken breast-side down so that the back is facing up. Position the chicken so that the drumsticks are pointing towards you. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut along the backbone. You can choose to cut down only one side of the backbone, leaving it intact, or you may remove the backbone completely. Cutting through the small rib bones, separate the bones from the meat.

If you are using a knife, make a small cut in the white cartilage that covers the top of the breastbone. You can then bend both halves of the carcass backward at the cut to expose the breastbone. Run your thumbs down both sides of the breastbone to separate it from the meat. Loosen the breastbone on both sides and pull it up and out. It may break into two pieces as you remove it, but this is not an issue.

Alternatively, if you are using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Then, lay the chicken flat and use the shears or a knife to make a notch in the white cartilage of the breastbone. Cut a slit on either side of the cartilage and pop out the breastbone. Finally, turn over the chicken and tuck the wings under to keep it neat.

Cut along the backbone

To butterfly a chicken, you will need a sharp cleaver or heavy chef's knife, or a sturdy pair of kitchen shears. Some sources recommend using a paring knife for certain steps.

First, wash the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel. Remove any excess fat and skin dangling at the cavity opening. You can also cut off the neck, tail, and wing joints, and set them aside for stock.

Now, place the chicken upside down on its breasts. Cut longitudinally along the backbone, cutting through the small rib bones. You can cut down just one side of the backbone, but for a fully butterflied chicken, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it entirely. If you are using a knife, use the tip to cut evenly all around to separate the bones from the meat. If you are using kitchen shears, you may find it easier to cut all the way up one side of the backbone and then all the way up the other.

Once the backbone has been removed, you can add it to the wing joints and set them aside for stock.

Remove the breastbone

To remove the breastbone, you will need to expose it first. With the chicken breast-side up, use the palm of your hand and press firmly down on the breast meat, right over the breastbone. You should hear a little bit of crunching. The goal here is to flatten the chicken so that the breast and the thighs are at the same level.

Now, use a knife to make a small cut in the white cartilage that conceals the top of the breastbone. Bend both halves of the carcass backward at the cut to expose the breastbone. It should pop right up through the cut.

Run your thumbs down both sides of the breastbone to separate it from the meat. With the breastbone loosened on both sides, pull the bone up and out. The breastbone may break into two pieces when you pull it out, especially if you haven't separated it well enough from the breast meat using your fingers. If this happens, simply pull out the two pieces.

Your chicken is now butterflied and ready to be cooked.

Flatten the chicken

Flattening the chicken, or butterflying, is a great technique for grilling or oven-roasting as it will cook faster and more evenly. The process is also known as spatchcocking.

To flatten the chicken, you must first remove the backbone. Place the chicken upside down on its breasts, and cut longitudinally along the backbone. You can use poultry or kitchen shears, or a sharp knife, to cut along either side of the spine and remove it. You can either cut down one side of the backbone, leaving it intact, or remove it completely.

Now, with the breast of the chicken facing up, fold the legs so they are facing inward and the majority of the meat is facing up. Use your hands to open up the chicken a little bit, then use the palm of your hand to press down firmly over the breastbone. You should aim to flatten the chicken so the breast meat and the thighs are at roughly the same level. You will likely hear some crunching.

Now you have a perfectly spatchcocked or butterflied chicken!

Tuck the wings under

Tucking the wings under is a technique used to protect the wing tips of a chicken while cooking. The tips of chicken wings tend to cook quickly and burn during the cooking process. By tucking them under the body of the chicken, you can help to slow down their cooking and keep the tips protected. This method of tucking the wings underneath the chicken's body will also keep them in place. However, there is still a chance that hot air will enter the cavity and dry out certain parts of the chicken.

To evenly tuck the wings, there are a few methods you can use. One simple method is to tuck them underneath the body of the chicken. This can be done by cutting a small slit in the skin on the back and then tucking the tips of the wings through the slit to hold them in place. This will keep them secure and prevent them from popping back up.

Another method is to use string or twine to tie the wings against the body. This technique, known as trussing, involves not only tying the wings but also tying the legs together and helping to close the opening of the chicken. Trussing helps to ensure even cooking and can also be used in conjunction with the simple tuck method for added security.

It is important to note that if the wing tips have been cut off, the wings may not stay tucked under the chicken. Additionally, some people find that the wings are too difficult to fully bend back or that they pop back up after a few minutes. In this case, it may be necessary to tuck them more firmly or adjust the bending technique.

Frequently asked questions