Emily Carter
Learning how to cut up a chicken is a basic culinary skill that can help you save money and control the size of your chicken pieces. Cutting up a chicken country-style involves a few simple steps and can be done with just a good knife, although some thicker bones may require poultry shears or a cleaver. The chicken can be cut into 4, 6, 8, or 10 pieces, depending on your preference.
Characteristics and Values Table for Cutting Up a Chicken Country Style
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Knife | Long, thin blade; chef's knife; Western-style boning knife; Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife); boning knife |
| Cutting board | Stable, non-slip |
| Chicken orientation | Breast-side up with wings away from you; breast-side down with cavity facing you; vertically on the cutting board with the butt end pointing up |
| Wing removal | Pull wing tip away from the wing flat; locate the joint with your fingers and slice through it to remove the tip; repeat on the other side; pull the wing towards you and make a semi-circle cut around the back of the drumette; cut through the joint to remove the wing |
| Leg removal | Pull drumstick away from the chicken and make small cuts to loosen the leg from the body; bend the leg quarter down to "pop" and expose the joint; maneuver the knife around the base of the joint and cut the leg free; repeat on the other side |
| Backbone removal | Flip the chicken breast side down; use shears or a knife to cut on both sides of the backbone to remove it |
| Wishbone removal | Make a cut along each arm of the wishbone to detach it from the breast meat; work your fingers behind the wishbone to separate it from any flesh; slide your fingers up to hook them behind the joining point of the two arms and pull it out |
| Breast separation | Cut downward through the rib cage and shoulder joints; place the breast skin side down and split the center bone with a chopping motion, then slice through the meat and skin to separate it into two pieces |
| Number of pieces | Six, eight, or ten, depending on the level of division |
| Leftovers | Wing tips, backbone, and other bones can be saved for stock; store leftover back and neck in the freezer for chicken stock |
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What You'll Learn
Positioning the chicken
Firstly, you will need a sharp knife and a cutting board. Place the chicken on the cutting board, with the breast side facing up. The wings should be positioned away from you. This is the ideal starting orientation for the chicken.
Next, you will want to focus on one wing. Bend the wing outwards from the body, and use your sharp knife to cut through the skin, freeing the wing. You can then use a boning knife to slice between the joint and the breast to fully remove the wing. Repeat this process on the other side with the remaining wing.
At this point, you should return the chicken to its original orientation, with the breast side facing up and the wings furthest away from you. Now you are ready to move on to the legs. Pull the drumstick away from the body of the chicken, and use small strokes to cut and loosen the skin from the leg.
For the final step in positioning the chicken, you will need to remove the legs. Bend the leg quarters downwards until you feel and hear the joint pop and expose itself. Maneuver the tip of your knife around the base of the joint and cut the leg free. Repeat this process on the other side.
Now that the chicken has been positioned and the wings and legs removed, you can move on to the next steps of butchering, such as removing the backbone and separating the breasts.
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Removing the wings
To remove the wings of a chicken, you will need a sharp knife, preferably a boning knife, and a cutting board. Place the chicken breast-side down on the cutting board and pull the wing tip away from the wing flat. Locate the joint with your fingers and slice through it to remove the tip. Repeat this process on the other side. Now, pull the wing towards you and make a semi-circle cut around the back of the drumette. Once the bone is exposed, pull the wing away from the chicken's body and pop the joint out of its socket. You can now separate the wing from the body by cutting through the joint. Repeat this process for the other wing.
If you want to separate the wing into two pieces, you can cut through the joint that connects the flat and the drumette. The wing tips do not contain any meat, but they are rich in collagen, which is great for stock and broth. You can store them in the freezer along with the rest of the chicken bones until you have enough to make a nutritious broth.
You can also remove the wings by first positioning the chicken breast-side up with the wings away from you. Bend the wings out from the body and use your sharp knife to cut through the skin to free the wing. Now, use a boning knife to slice between the joint and breast to remove the wing. Repeat this process on the other side.
The entire chicken can be broken down into four pieces, which include two bone-in breast quarters with wings attached and two bone-in leg quarters. Alternatively, you can continue to break it down into eight pieces, which will give you two bone-in breasts, two wings, two bone-in thighs, and two drumsticks.
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Removing the legs
To remove the legs of a chicken, first position the chicken breast-side up with the wings facing away from you. Pull one of the drumsticks away from the body, using your non-dominant hand, and use small strokes to cut the skin and loosen the leg from the body. Repeat this process on the other side.
Now, bend the leg quarters down towards the board until you hear a 'pop' and the joint is exposed. Maneuver the tip of your knife around the base of the joint and cut the leg free. You may need to cut through the joint and skin to detach the leg completely. Repeat this process on the other side.
If you want to divide the legs into thighs and drumsticks, turn each skin side down and cut through the joint (along the line of white fat) to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat this process for the other leg.
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Removing the backbone
To remove the backbone of a chicken, you will need a sharp knife or poultry shears. A chef's knife, Western-style boning knife, or a Japanese-style honesuki (poultry boning knife) will all work.
First, hold the chicken by the backbone and position it vertically on your cutting board with the butt end pointing up. Then, use your knife to cut through the skin and cartilage between the breast and the back. Cut until you reach the first or second rib. If you are using a Western-style boning knife, you may want to switch to a heavier knife or a pair of poultry shears to cut through the ribs. Continue cutting through the ribs and shoulder bones on both sides until the backbone is completely separated from the breast.
You can save the backbone for stock, along with the wing tips and other bones.
Alternatively, you can remove the backbone by cutting through the rib cage and shoulder joints after removing the legs and wings. This method involves turning the chicken on its side and lifting it up to cut downward through the rib cage and then the shoulder joints.
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Separating the breast
To separate the breast from the rest of the chicken, start by holding the chicken by its backbone and positioning it vertically on the cutting board with the butt end pointing up. Use a sharp knife, preferably a chef's knife, to cut through the skin and cartilage between the breast and the back. Cut until you get through the first or second ribs. If you are using a Western-style boning knife, you may need to switch to a heavier knife or a cleaver to cut through the bone. Alternatively, use poultry shears to cut through the ribs and shoulder bones on both sides. This will completely separate the backbone from the breast.
Now, to split the breast into two pieces, place it skin side down on the cutting board. You can use a chopping motion to split the centre bone and then slice through the meat and skin.
If you want to separate the wings from the breast, place the breast skin side up on the cutting board. Working with one half at a time, hold the wing with your non-dominant hand and wiggle it to locate the shoulder joint. Cut through the joint to separate the wing from the breast. Repeat this process on the other side.
You can also remove the wishbone, which is located at the neck opening. Using the tip of your knife, make a cut along each arm of the wishbone to detach it from the breast meat. Work your fingers behind the wishbone, separating any remaining flesh, and pull it out to fully free it from the breast.
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Frequently asked questions
It's cheaper than buying packaged chicken breasts, thighs, wings and drumsticks. You can also control whether your chicken is cut into six, eight or 10 pieces.
You'll need a chicken and a sharp knife. A chef's knife, Western-style boning knife, Japanese-style honesuki or an inexpensive boning knife will all work.
Position the chicken breast-side up with the wings away from you. Bend the wings out from the body and use your knife to cut through the skin to free the wing. Repeat on the other side.
Pull the drumstick away from the chicken and use small strokes to cut the skin, loosening the leg from the body. Bend the leg down to expose the joint and cut the leg free. Repeat on the other side.
