Sophie Bennett
Learning how to cut up a chicken for sautéing is a useful skill to have in the kitchen. Not only will it save you money, but it will also give you more control over the size and evenness of your chicken pieces. You can use either a knife or shears to cut up a chicken, with shears being a great option for beginners as they reduce the risk of accidentally cutting yourself. When using a knife, opt for one with a long, thin blade, such as an inexpensive boning knife. To start, bend the chicken's knee and position the leg parallel to the spine, then pull it up and away from the body until you hear the joint pop out of its socket. Cut through the joint and repeat on the other side. From here, you can separate the thigh and drumstick by locating the connecting joint and cutting through it.
Characteristics and Values Table for Cutting up Chicken for Saute:
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tools | Knife or Shears |
| Knife Type | Long, thin blade; boning knife |
| Chicken Parts | Wings, drumsticks, thighs, breast |
| Cutting Technique | Locate joints, pop out of socket, slice through |
| Wing Preparation | Leave wing prime attached to breast, cut mid and tip off for a "French trim" |
| Time | Faster with practice |
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What You'll Learn
Use shears or a knife
When cutting up a chicken for sauté, you can use either shears or a knife. Shears are a great option for beginners as they remove the risk of accidentally cutting your hands as you manoeuvre around the chicken. You can use a regular set of kitchen shears, but poultry shears are better as they are spring-loaded, making it easier to get through the breastbone.
If you opt for a knife, choose one with a long, thin blade. A chef's knife can work, but it might be too wide for the delicate cuts around the joints. A boning knife is a better option.
To separate the legs from the body, grasp the chicken by its knee and bend it so that the leg is parallel to the spine. Pull it up and away from the body—you should hear a cracking sound when the joint pops out of its socket. Cut through the joint and give it a firm tug to separate the leg from the body. Repeat this process on the other side.
To separate the drumstick from the thigh, turn the leg skin-side down. Locate the joint that connects the two and wiggle the drumstick back and forth to find it. Cut through the joint and separate the two pieces.
Now, you can remove the wings. Slice through the skin between the wing and the body, locate the joint, and cut through it. You can choose to leave the wing prime (the mini drumstick) attached to the breast for a "French trim" chicken breast. Alternatively, you can remove the "drumette" part of the wing first and then cut through the joint to separate the wing and wing tip from the breast.
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Remove the wings
To remove the wings of a chicken, you will need a sharp knife and a cutting board. It is also recommended to use poultry shears, as they are spring-loaded to make it easier to cut through the joints.
First, locate the wing tip, which is the smallest part of the wing, and cut it off. You can reserve this to make chicken stock. Next, identify the two main wing pieces: the drumette and wingette. To separate these, hold the wing to form a "V", which will stretch the joint and make it easier to cut through. Make a vertical cut through the joint to separate the drumette from the wingette.
If you are deboning the wings, you can use your fingers or a knife to push the meat away from the bone. Make a slit with the knife that runs the length of the flat from the elbow to the wrist joints, following the line of the larger bone. Then, use the tip of your knife to tease the skin and muscle away from the bones, leaving just the meat and skin behind.
For a "French trim" chicken breast, leave the wing prime (the mini drumstick) attached to the breast and cut off the mid-wing and wing tip.
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Cut the legs
To cut the legs of a chicken, start by grasping the chicken by its knee. Bend the knee and position the leg so that it is parallel to the spine. Pull the leg up and away from the body—you should hear a cracking sound as the joint pops out of its socket. If you're having trouble, try adjusting the angle of the leg and pulling again. Once the leg is removed, cut through any remaining connective tissue. Repeat this process on the other side.
You can cook the thigh and drumstick together, or you can separate them. To do so, turn the leg skin-side down and locate the joint connecting the two parts. Wiggle the drumstick back and forth to find the joint, then cut through it to separate the drumstick from the thigh.
If you're using shears, you can use them to cut through the joints and separate the legs from the body. Shears are a good option for beginners as they reduce the risk of cutting yourself. Poultry shears are spring-loaded, making it easier to cut through the joints and the breastbone.
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Remove the drumsticks
To remove the drumsticks from a chicken, you will need to use either a knife or shears. Shears are a great option for beginners as they remove the risk of accidentally cutting your hands as you manoeuvre around the chicken. If you opt for shears, you can use a regular set of kitchen shears, or poultry shears, which are spring-loaded to make it easier to cut through the breastbone. If you’re going with the knife option, you’ll want one with a long, thin blade. A chef’s knife will work, but it may be too wide and get in the way of the delicate cuts around the joints. In this case, a boning knife would be preferable.
Now, to remove the drumsticks, first, put the knife down and grasp the chicken by its knee. Bend the knee and position the leg so it’s parallel to the spine. Then, pull it up and away from the body. You should hear a “crack” when the joint pops out of its socket. If you’re having trouble with this step, play around with the leg’s angle and try again. Cut through the joint and give it a firm tug to pull the leg free from the body. You shouldn’t need to use your knife, but you can cut downwards along the backbone if you’re experiencing difficulties. Repeat the process on the other side.
To separate the drumstick from the thigh, turn the leg skin-side down to get a better view. Locate the joint that connects the thigh and the drumstick, using your fingers and wiggling the drumstick back and forth to find it. You can then cut through this joint to separate the drumstick.
If you wish to remove the bone from the drumstick, you will need to cut to the bone around the ankle. Then, use your knife to scrape the meat off the bone towards the top of the drumstick. At the top, make a series of cuts to sever the tendons holding the meat in place.
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Cut the breasts
To cut the breasts, place your knife on the breastbone and apply pressure to cut the breast into two halves. You can choose to remove the "drumette" part of the wing, but it is optional and depends on your preference. If you want to keep it attached to the breast, as is done in the "Airline Cut", skip this step. If you want to remove it, find the joints and separate the wing and wing tip from the breast. You can use the wing tips in your stock.
Next, cut each breast in half crosswise to create evenly-sized pieces. Repeat this step with the other breast. You can now use these pieces of chicken in your desired recipe.
It is important to use a sharp knife when cutting up a chicken. You can use shears as well, which are a great option for beginners as they reduce the risk of accidentally cutting your hands. Poultry shears are spring-loaded to make cutting through the tough breastbone easier.
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Frequently asked questions
Buying a whole chicken is far cheaper than buying pre-packaged chicken pieces such as breasts, thighs, wings and drumsticks. You can also use the leftover pieces to make homemade chicken stock.
You can use either a knife or shears. Shears are a good option for beginners as they reduce the risk of accidentally cutting your hands. If you're using a knife, it should be long and thin—a chef's knife or boning knife will work.
First, remove the innards and any excess fat. Then, slice the skin between the drumstick and body, pop the joint out of its socket, and cut to remove the leg from the body. Repeat on the other side. You can then separate the thigh and drumstick by locating the joint that connects them and cutting through it. Finally, slice down each side of the ribs, remove the spine, and cut the breastbone in half. For a French trim, leave the wing attached to the breast and cut off the mid and tip.
