Sophie Bennett
Chicken is a versatile meat that can be cooked in a variety of ways, and cutting it into four pieces is a basic culinary skill that every home cook should be able to tackle. Cutting up a whole chicken gives you control over the result and saves you money, and it doesn't take much extra time or effort. You'll need a chicken and a sharp knife, such as a boning knife or a chef's knife, and a cutting board that you use for poultry. You can also use kitchen shears, which can help better navigate around bones and tendons.
How to cut a chicken into 4 pieces
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chicken | Air-chilled chicken |
| Knife | Sharp knife, poultry shears, cleaver, chef's knife, boning knife, Japanese-style honesuki |
| Cutting board | Poultry cutting board |
| Step 1 | Pull a leg outward from the body, cut through the skin between the leg and body |
| Step 2 | Twist the leg downward, away from the body, until the ball joint pops out of the socket |
| Step 3 | Cut through the joint to remove the leg. Repeat with the other leg |
| Step 4 | Hold the chicken by the backbone, position it vertically on the cutting board with the butt end pointing up |
| Step 5 | Lift the chicken and cut downwards through the rib cage |
| Result | Two bone-in breast quarters with wings attached, two bone-in leg quarters |
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What You'll Learn
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears
To cut a chicken into four pieces, you will need a chicken and a sharp knife. A chef's knife, Western-style boning knife, or a Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife) will all work. You can also use poultry shears or a cleaver to cut through thicker bones.
Place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, gently pull a leg away from the body, then slice between the thigh and body to reveal the hip socket. Cut through the joint to remove the leg. Repeat this process with the other leg.
Now, turn the chicken on its side. Bend each leg back until the thighbone pops out of its socket. Cut through the joint and skin to detach the leg completely. You can also use your hands to twist the leg downward and away from the body until the ball joint pops out of the socket. Make sure to get the oyster, a small nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine.
With the chicken still on its side, pull each wing away from the body. You can now separate the breast from the back by cutting downwards through the rib cage and shoulder joints. Save the back for stock.
Finally, place the breast skin side down and split the center bone using a chopping motion. Slice through the meat and skin to separate it into two pieces. You now have four pieces of chicken: two bone-in breast quarters with wings attached and two bone-in leg quarters.
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Pull each leg away from the body
Pulling each leg away from the body is a crucial step in the process of cutting a chicken into four pieces. This step ensures that you can successfully separate the legs from the body of the chicken. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it:
First, grab the chicken by one of its drumsticks and pull the leg outward and away from the body. It is important to do this gently but firmly, stretching the skin taut. This will expose the area where you need to make your first cut.
Now, take your sharp knife and carefully cut through the skin between the leg and the body. It is important to only cut through the skin at this stage and not to go too deep. This initial cut should be shallow.
Next, grab the leg in one hand and twist it downward, away from the body. You should feel the ball joint popping out of the socket with a gentle pop. This shouldn't require a lot of force, so be careful not to use too much pressure.
Finally, use your knife to completely remove the leg by cutting through the exposed joint. Make sure to get the oyster, the nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine, as it is considered a delicacy. Repeat this entire process with the other leg, and you will have successfully removed both legs from the chicken.
By following these steps, you will effectively pull each leg away from the body and be one step closer to cutting your chicken into four pieces.
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Cut through the skin and joint
To cut through the skin and joint, follow these steps:
Firstly, grab the chicken by the drumstick and pull the leg outward from the body until the skin is taut. Cut through the skin between the leg and the body, ensuring you don't cut too deep—just through the skin. Then, grab the leg and twist it downward, away from the body, until the ball joint pops out of the socket.
Now, use your chef's knife to cut through the exposed joint to completely remove the leg. Make sure to get the oyster, the nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine. Repeat this process with the second leg.
Place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board and gently pull a leg away from the body. Slice through the skin and joint between the thigh and body to remove the leg. Repeat this process with the remaining leg.
At this point, you will have separated the two legs from the body of the chicken, each consisting of a thigh and drumstick still joined together. If you wish to divide the legs further, turn each skin side down and cut through the joints, following the line of white fat, to separate the thighs from the drumsticks.
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Remove the legs
To remove the legs, first, place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. Then, gently pull a leg away from the body. Slice between the thigh and the body to reveal the hip socket. Cut through the joint to remove the leg. You can locate the joint by the line of white fat that runs along it. Make sure to get the oyster, the nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine. Repeat this process with the remaining leg.
Now, you can separate the thigh from the drumstick. Turn each leg skin side down and cut through the joints along the white fat line. Repeat this for the other leg.
If you are removing the wings, pull each wing away from the body with the chicken on its side.
It is important to use a sharp knife to cut through the joints. You can use a chef's knife, a Western-style boning knife, or a Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife). You can also use poultry shears or a cleaver for cutting through thicker bones.
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Cut downwards through the rib cage
To cut a chicken into four pieces, you will need a chicken and a sharp knife. A chef's knife, Western-style boning knife, or a Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife) will all work. You can also use poultry shears or a cleaver for cutting through thicker bones.
Now, let's get into the detailed steps for cutting through the rib cage:
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Turn the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. You can trim away any excess fat from the chicken at this point. It is important to use a dedicated cutting board for poultry.
Step 2: Cut Through the Skin
Gently pull a leg away from the body, then slice between the thigh and the body, being careful not to cut too deep. You only want to cut through the skin at this stage. This will expose the hip socket.
Step 3: Remove the Legs
Grab the leg with one hand and twist it downward, away from the body, until the ball joint pops out of the socket. Now, use your knife to cut through the joint and completely remove the leg. Make sure to get the oyster, a delicious nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine. Repeat this process with the other leg.
Step 4: Cut Downwards Through the Rib Cage
With the legs removed, it's time to cut through the rib cage. Lift the chicken and use your knife to cut downwards, separating the breast from the back. You can save the back for making stock. This step may be easier with kitchen shears, especially when navigating around bones and tendons.
Optional Step: Separate the Breast
If you want smaller pieces, you can separate the breast into two halves. Place the breast skin side down and use a chopping motion to split the center bone. Then, slice through the meat and skin to create two pieces.
And there you have it! You now know how to cut through the rib cage when breaking down a chicken into four pieces. With a few more cuts, you can even turn this quartered bird into eight pieces, including bone-in breasts, wings, thighs, and drumsticks.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a whole chicken and a sharp knife. First, place the chicken breast-side up and pull each leg away from the body. Slice through the skin between the breast and drumstick. Cut through the joint and skin to detach the leg completely. Repeat for the other leg.
A chef's knife, Western-style boning knife, or a Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife) will all work. You can also use poultry shears or a cleaver for cutting through thicker bones.
It is easier to quarter a raw chicken than a cooked one. You will also be able to retrieve more parts for other recipes when cutting a raw chicken.
Let the chicken pieces stand at room temperature, uncovered, for one hour before cooking. Then, pat the pieces dry with paper towels so the skin doesn't "steam" in the oven.
