Cutting Chicken, French Style: 8 Easy Pieces

Cutting a chicken into eight pieces is a basic culinary skill that every home cook should know. It's a valuable skill that will make you a more effective and accomplished cook, and it will make you less reliant on butchers. It's also more budget-friendly, as buying a whole chicken is cheaper per pound than buying pre-cut chicken. You will need a sharp boning knife, kitchen shears, and a wooden cutting board. First, you'll want to remove the wings, then the legs, then the backbone, and finally, the breast. You can then further divide the breast and legs to get eight pieces in total.

Removing the wings

To remove the wings, first, flip the chicken to one side and locate the joint where the wing is attached to the carcass. Do not confuse the joint with the bone. Pull the wing away from the carcass and cut through the joint to remove the wing. Repeat this process on the other side to remove the other wing. You can also remove the wing tips and save them for stock.

When removing the wings, it is important to use a sharp knife. A boning knife is a good option as it is flexible and easy to handle around all parts of the chicken and bone. You can also use kitchen shears or poultry shears to cut through the thicker bone.

It is important to know how to locate the "points of interference" or hard bone when cutting up a raw chicken. This will help you become more proficient at carving cooked poultry.

After removing the wings, you can move on to removing the backbone. To do this, flip the chicken body over and use kitchen shears to cut through where the back and the breast meet. There is a clear fat line that you can follow. Remove the backbone and save it for stock.

Now that the wings and backbone have been removed, you can continue with the process of cutting the chicken into eight pieces.

Removing the backbone

To remove the backbone of a chicken, you will need a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen scissors or shears. Place the chicken vertically on your cutting board with the butt end pointing up, and hold it by the backbone.

Using your knife or scissors, cut through where the back and the breast meet. There is a clear fat line that you can follow. You can save the backbone for stock.

If you want to separate the breast, turn the chicken breast skin side down and find a white thin line in the centre. This is the cartilage, and exactly where you need to cut to separate the breast.

If you want to cut the breast into two pieces, place the breast skin side down on your work surface. You will see a whitish, translucent piece of cartilage lying directly over the breast bone. Place the blade of your knife on the cartilage and with a firm (but not hard) blow, knock your hand against the top (dull side) of the blade. This will penetrate the cartilage without splintering the breast bone. Bend both sides of the breast away from each other to open the cartilage and expose the thin, curved breast bone.

Separating the breast

To separate the breast, place the chicken breast side up on your work surface. With a sharp knife, run your knife down the centre of the breasts and slice down, splitting it into two pieces. You can also use kitchen shears for this step.

Now, remove the wings. Flip the chicken to one side and locate the joint where the wing is attached to the carcass. Pull the wing away and cut through the joint to remove it. Repeat this process on the other side.

Next, remove the backbone. Flip the chicken over and, using kitchen shears, cut through where the back and the breast meet. You will see a clear fat line. Remove the backbone and save it for stock.

Finally, separate the breast by flipping the breast skin side down and finding a white thin line in the centre. This is the cartilage, and exactly where you need to cut to separate the breast.

Cutting the breast into smaller pieces

To cut the chicken breast into smaller pieces, you can follow these steps:

First, place the chicken breast skin side down on your board. This will create a flat surface for cutting. You should be able to see a whitish, translucent piece of cartilage that lies directly over the breast bone. This is your point of interference.

Next, place the blade of your knife on the cartilage and, using a firm but not hard blow, knock your hand against the top (dull side) of the blade. This will help penetrate the cartilage without splintering the breast bone. You should then bend both sides of the breast away from each other to open up the cartilage and expose the thin, curved breast bone.

Now, cut through either side of the sternum, pressing down firmly on the blade with your free hand until it cracks through the bone. This will separate the breast into two pieces.

If you want to cut the breast into smaller pieces, turn each skin side up and cut in half diagonally through the bone. Repeat this with the other breast half. This will give you four pieces of chicken breast in total.

Some cooks prefer to use shears to cut the breast into pieces, so feel free to use this method if you're more comfortable with it.

Removing the legs

To begin removing the legs, lay the chicken breast-side up on your work surface. Grab the chicken by a drumstick and gently pull it away from the body until the skin is taut. Using a sharp knife, cut through the skin between the leg and the body, but be careful not to cut too deep into the meat.

Now, grab the leg and twist it downward, away from the body. Keep twisting until you feel the ball joint pop out of its socket. This should not require excessive force. Once the joint is exposed, use your knife to completely remove the leg by cutting through the joint. Make sure to get the oyster—the nugget of meat closest to the chicken's spine. Repeat this process for the second leg.

At this point, you should have two legs attached to thighs. If you want to separate the thighs from the drumsticks, place the legs skin-side down on your board. You can identify the joint by the line of white fat that runs along it. Cut through this joint to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat this step for the other leg.

Frequently asked questions