Emily Carter
Cutting up a chicken into four pieces is the simplest way to butcher a bird. It is a basic culinary skill that every home cook should be able to tackle. 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 bone.
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What You'll Learn
Cut the breast into two pieces
To cut a chicken breast into two pieces, you will need 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.
First, place the chicken breast side up on a cutting board. If you want to remove the wishbone, make a cut along each arm of the wishbone to detach it from the breast meat. Work your fingers behind the wishbone, separating it from any remaining flesh. Pull it out and set it aside for stock.
Next, run a sharp knife down the centre of the breast, splitting it in two. Make sure to cut through the bone using a chopping motion. You may prefer to use shears for this step.
Now you have two pieces of chicken breast, which can be cooked or further divided into smaller pieces.
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Separate the legs
To separate the legs, place the chicken breast side up. Pull each leg away from the body and slice through the skin between the breast and drumstick. You can trim away any excess fat before this step. Remove the giblets if there are any inside the chicken.
Turn the chicken onto 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. Repeat this process for the other leg.
If you want to separate the drumsticks from the thighs, place the legs skin side down on the board and locate the joint by the line of white fat. Cut through the joint, separating the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat with the other leg.
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Remove the wings
To remove the wings, first, flip the chicken to one side. Then, locate the joint where the wing is attached to the carcass (not the bone). Pull the wing away from the body and cut through the joint to remove it. Repeat this process for the other wing. If you wish to remove the wing tips, cut them off now and set them aside with the backbone for stock.
When removing the wings, it is important to cut through the joint rather than the bone. This will ensure that you only remove the wing and do not accidentally cut into the breast or other parts of the chicken. A sharp knife is essential for making precise cuts and easily separating the joints.
For a fancier presentation, you can leave the wings attached to the breast quarters. This will give you four pieces: two bone-in breast quarters with wings and two bone-in leg quarters. However, if you prefer to separate the wings, you can do so by following the steps outlined above.
If you are aiming for a basic four-piece breakdown, removing the wings is the final step. However, if you wish to continue cutting the chicken into smaller pieces, there are several other cuts you can make. For example, you can separate the leg quarters into thighs and drumsticks or cut the breast into smaller pieces.
By following these steps, you can confidently remove the wings from a chicken and continue with your preferred method of cooking or further butchering. Remember to use a sharp knife and be mindful of the joints and bones to ensure precise and efficient cutting.
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Cut through the rib cage and shoulder joints
To cut through the rib cage and shoulder joints of a chicken, you can follow these steps:
First, place the chicken on its side. Pull each wing away from the body and cut through the joints to remove them. You can also remove the wing tips by cutting them off and saving them with the backbone for stock.
Next, with the chicken still on its side, use a sharp knife to cut downward through the rib cage and then through the shoulder joints to separate the breast from the back. You can use kitchen shears for this step if you prefer. Make sure your knife is sharp for cleaner cuts and easier handling.
Now, place the breast skin side down. Split the center bone using a chopping motion, then slice through the meat and skin to separate it into two pieces. You can also use shears for this step if you prefer.
Finally, turn each breast skin side up and cut in half diagonally through the bone to create four pieces. You now have four pieces of chicken with the rib cage and shoulder joints separated.
Alternatively, you can cut through the joints that connect the wings to the breast and then trim off the end wings for stock. Cut a diagonal cut downward from the center of the breast, about two inches in from the top, toward the shoulder of the bird on each side. Pull these pieces away from the rest of the breast and then cut through the joints where the collarbone attaches to the breastbone. Finally, cut out the two halves of the breast by slicing along one side of the blade-shaped breastbone.
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Divide the legs into thighs and drumsticks
To divide the legs into thighs and drumsticks, you'll need to make two cuts: one to separate the thigh from the drumstick, and another to remove the bone. First, place the chicken leg on a cutting board with the meaty part of the thigh facing down and the drumstick end towards your cutting hand. Locate the joint between the thigh and drumstick; it should be visible as a thin, white line. Position your knife carefully at a 45-degree angle to this joint and cut through it with a steady, firm motion. You may need to wiggle the knife slightly to find the right spot and completely sever the joint.
Now you have two separate pieces: a drumstick and a thigh. To remove the bone from the thigh, start by making an incision along the length of the boney side of the thigh, being careful not to cut too deeply and pierce the flesh. You want to cut just deep enough to expose the bone. Once you have made this initial incision, you can carefully cut along the length of the bone, keeping your knife as close to the bone as possible. Cut along the bone on all sides to completely loosen the meat. With a little wiggling and gentle pulling, the bone should come free, leaving you with a boneless thigh piece.
For the drumstick, you can leave it as a single piece with the bone in, or you can continue to cut it into smaller pieces. If you wish to remove the bone from the drumstick as well, the process is similar to that of the thigh. Make an initial incision along the length of the drumstick, exposing the bone. Then, carefully cut along the bone, working your knife around it to loosen the meat. Finally, pull out the bone, and you'll have a boneless drumstick portion.
Remember, when handling raw chicken, it's important to practice good food safety habits. Keep your workspace clean and sanitized, and wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the chicken to prevent the spread of bacteria. Now that you've successfully divided the legs into thighs and drumsticks, you can move on to the next step of cutting your chicken into four pieces, which typically involves separating the breasts and wings.
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