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Cutting a whole chicken is easier than you think! Watch the video tutorial for how to cut a whole chicken and learn how to debone a chicken! You will save money and have a carcass left over for the most incredible chicken bone broth! It is absolutely worthwhile to buy a chicken and cut it yourself.
All you need to cut a whole chicken in a sharp knife, and a chicken of course (and don’t worry, you don’t have to go hunting. Every grocery store (except maybe the gas station) sells whole chickens. I would not recommend shopping for chickens at a gas station. lol.
I love to buy the double packs at Costco – they are bigger (more meat!) and the best price I have found for organic whole chickens. I buy them, slice them up, just like in the video below, then seal and store the parts in the freezer until I need them.
Watch How to Cut a Whole Chicken:
How easy is that?! Did you know the fat lines in a chicken serve as a roadmap for where you should cut? You’ll be slicing up your chicken like a pro in no time! If you’re curious, this is the knife set that we use and love (Amazon affiliate link).
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How to Cut a Whole Chicken:
Here is a quick visual reference on how to debone a chicken.
DON’T WORRY! Our chicken was not harmed in the making of this video. She’s still running around happily and laying eggs. Our chickens are for eggs and Costco supplies our whole chickens for cooking. 😉
1 whole chicken yields 10 chicken pieces:
2 chicken breasts
2 chicken wings
2 drum sticks
2 thighs
1 back bone and 1 breast bone (used for homemade bone broth)
Print-Friendly Tutorial for How to Debone a Chicken:
How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 sharp knife
Instructions
- Pat dry chicken with paper towel. Place chicken breast-side-up and first remove the whole legs (drumsticks with thighs attached). Make a slit just behind the drumstick separating the drumstick and the breast, just cutting through the skin to expose the meat underneath. Pull leg away from the chicken and pop hip bone out of it's socket just below the breast. Cut with a knife just past the joint, getting as much meat as possible including small meaty "oyster" section next to the tail.
- To separate drum from thigh, cut along the fat line and you should cut right between the joints - if you feel resistance, shift your knife around until it slides through fairly easily.
- Place breast side up with wings away from you. To remove the wings: feel for the joint then cut through the skin and through the joint (not the bone) - shift knife around slightly if you get resistance until it goes through easily. Pull wing up away from chicken for greater control while cutting.
- To remove the chicken breast: Turn chicken on it's side and cut along fat line on the side of chicken carcass with kitchen shears, snipping right through the ribcage. To debone chicken breast, cut through center of the skin over the chicken breast - locate the breastbone and cut the chicken away from the bone with long strokes (not a sawing motion) and cut all the way down which should completely debone the chicken breast.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Did this tutorial give you any “AHA!” moments? If you’ve never given it a go, I hope you’re excited to cut your first chicken after watching this.
If you have any tutorial requests, let us know and we’ll do our best to get your burning cooking questions answered! 😉
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Just saw the video for cutting up a whole chicken and I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for such great ideas and recipes!
You’re welcome, Heather!