Emily Carter
Learning how to chop a chicken into eight pieces is a valuable skill that can save you money and yield more meat. It is also a basic culinary skill that every home cook should be able to tackle. You will need a well-sharpened 10-inch carving knife, a strong pair of kitchen scissors, and preferably a wooden cutting surface. First, prepare the chicken by thoroughly rinsing and drying it. Then, remove the legs, back, and wings before splitting the breast. Finally, separate the thigh from the drumstick.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Pieces | 8 |
| Knife | Boning knife, carving knife, sharp knife, kitchen shears |
| Chicken | Whole, raw |
| Cutting Surface | Preferably wooden |
| Direction | Cut with the grain |
| Storage | Airtight container, zip-top bag, plastic wrap |
| Storage Duration | Refrigerator (2 days), Freezer (9 months) |
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What You'll Learn
Removing the legs
To remove the legs of the chicken, lay the chicken breast-side up on your work surface. Grasp a drumstick and gently pull it away from the body to stretch the skin between the leg and the body. Using a sharp carving knife, make a slit in the skin without cutting the meat. Firmly grab the top of the leg and bend it all the way back, down, and away from the body to release the thigh (or hip) bone from its socket. Keep bending the leg until the tip of the bone breaks away from the body and is sticking straight up. At this point, the only thing connecting the leg to the body is the flesh on the bottom side.
Now, with the leg in hand, run your knife between the breasts to cut the skin and separate them. Continue to pull the leg while cutting and follow through to the joint. Once the leg is removed, you will have separated the drumstick from the body. Repeat this process on the other side to remove the other drumstick.
At this point, the thigh should still be attached to the body. To remove it, pull the thigh and separate it from the socket. You can leave the thigh and drumstick attached, or you can separate them by cutting through the joint along the white fat line. Repeat this process for the other leg.
By removing the legs and separating the thighs and drumsticks, you will have four pieces of chicken: two thighs and two drumsticks.
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Removing the wings
To remove the wings of a chicken, you will need a sharp boning knife or a carving knife. A sharp knife is essential for cutting through the joints and bones of the chicken. You can also use kitchen shears or scissors for some steps.
Begin by pulling out the wing and removing the first two joint sections by cutting through the socket. Repeat this process on the other side to remove the other wing. This will give you two wings, which can be set aside while you continue to break down the chicken.
When removing the wings, it is important to be careful and precise to ensure that you only cut through the desired joints and bones. This will help ensure that the wing pieces are intact and ready for cooking or further preparation.
If you are new to cutting up a whole chicken, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself with the chicken's anatomy and locate the "points of interference" or hard bones before beginning the cutting process. This will make it easier to navigate the joints and bones when removing the wings and other parts of the chicken.
By mastering the skill of breaking down a whole chicken, you can save money, control the quality of your poultry, and develop a valuable culinary skill that will make you a more effective and accomplished cook.
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Separating the thighs from the drumsticks
First, lay the chicken breast-side up on your work surface. Grasp one of the drumsticks and gently pull it away from the body. This action will stretch the skin connecting the leg to the body. Using a sharp carving knife, make a small slit in the skin, being careful not to cut into the meat. This step helps loosen the leg from the body.
Next, firmly grab the top of the leg and bend it all the way back, then down and away from the body. You will feel the thigh (or hip) bone release from its socket with a slight pop. Continue bending the leg until you hear or feel another pop, indicating that the tip of the bone has broken away from the body and is now sticking straight up. At this point, the leg is almost entirely detached, with only the flesh on the bottom side remaining connected.
Finally, using your knife, carefully cut through the remaining flesh to separate the thigh from the drumstick completely. Repeat this process on the other side to free the second leg. Now, you have successfully separated both thighs from the drumsticks, creating four distinct pieces.
This step of dividing the legs is crucial in achieving the desired eight-piece cut. It provides a clear separation of the dark meat portions, allowing for even cooking and ensuring that each piece cooks at a similar rate.
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Splitting the breast
To split the breast, place the chicken breast-side up on your work surface. With the tip of the breast facing away from you, place the blade of your knife on the cartilage at the centre of the bottom edge of the breast. This will be a whitish, translucent piece of cartilage that lies directly over the breast bone. Using a chopping motion, knock your hand against the top (dull side) of the blade so that it penetrates the cartilage without splintering the breast bone. Be sure to use a firm, but not hard, blow.
Next, bend both sides of the breast down and away from each other to open the cartilage and expose the thin, curved breast bone. You can then cut through the rib cage and shoulder joints to separate the breast from the back. You may prefer to use kitchen shears for this step. Place the breast skin-side down and split the centre bone using a chopping motion, then slice through the meat and skin to separate the breast into two pieces.
Some cooks prefer to use shears to cut the breast into two pieces. You can then cut each breast half into quarters by turning each skin side up and cutting in half diagonally through the bone.
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Removing the back
To remove the back of the chicken, you will need a sharp knife or a pair of sharp kitchen scissors. The latter is preferable for this step. Cut along each side of the backbone, removing any thin, flimsy, fleshy areas along with the back. You can save the back in a heavy-duty plastic bag and store it in the freezer to make stock later on. This will leave you with one whole chicken breast.
It is important to locate the "points of interference" or hard bone when cutting up a raw chicken. This will make you more proficient at carving cooked poultry. You will need a well-sharpened 10-inch carving knife, a strong pair of kitchen scissors, and preferably a wooden (not plastic) cutting surface.
When chickens are pre-cut, the bony chicken backs are often split up and attached to other parts. Since the backs aren’t great for eating but make wonderful stock, it is better to remove them and store them in the freezer until you have enough to use for stock.
Some people prefer to use kitchen shears to cut through the rib cage and shoulder joints to separate the breast from the back.
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