How to Cut a Whole Chicken (VIDEO)

Cutting a whole chicken is easier than you might think! Check out our video tutorial to master the art of cutting and deboning a whole chicken. While whole chickens are great for roasting, learning how to break them down into different parts opens up endless possibilities for other recipes.

Not only will butchering the chicken yourself save you money compared to buying pre-packaged chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, and wings, but you’ll also have a carcass left over to make the most flavorful Chicken Bone Broth. It’s worth buying a whole chicken and doing it yourself!

How to Cut up a Whole Chicken

All you need to cut a whole chicken is a sharp knife and, of course, the chicken itself. If you have a pair of good kitchen shears, that will make the job even easier.

Whole chickens are available at almost any grocery store. I typically buy organic whole chickens at Costco. They are larger, meatier, and seem to have the best price for organic whole chickens. If you can purchase pasture-raised, then that is even better.

I buy them, slice them up, just like in the video below, then seal and store the parts in the freezer, ready for when you’re ready to make Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Fajitas.

Watch Deboning Chicken Video

Watch this video tutorial and you’ll be cutting up chicken like a pro in no time!

This may have been one of our most controversial videos 😅, but 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 occasional guest stars on YouTube), while the grocery store supplies our whole chickens for cooking.

How to Cut a Whole Chicken

• Remove the Legs – Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken breast-side up and start by removing the whole legs (drumsticks with thighs attached). Using a sharp knife, make a slit just behind the drumstick to separate it from the breast, cutting through the skin to expose the meat underneath. Gently pull the leg away from the chicken and pop the hip bone out of its socket just below the breast. Use a knife to cut past the joint, ensuring you get as much meat as possible, including the small, meaty “oyster” section next to the tail.
• To separate the drumstick from the thigh, cut along the fat line, positioning your knife between the joints. If you feel resistance, adjust the angle of your knife until it slides through more easily.
• Removing the Wings – Place the chicken breast-side up with the wings facing away from you. To remove the wings, locate the joint and cut through the skin and joint (not the bone). If feel encounter resistance, adjust the knife slightly until it cuts through smoothly. For better control, pull the wing away from the chicken as you cut.
• To remove the chicken breast, turn the chicken on its side and use kitchen shears to cut along the fat line on the side of the carcass, snipping right through the ribcage. To debone the chicken breast, make a cut through the center of the skin over the breast. Locate the breastbone and carefully cut the meat away from the bone using long, smooth strokes (avoid going back and forth in a sawing motion). Continue cutting all the way down to completely debone the chicken breast.

How Much Chicken Does One Whole Chicken Yield?

When you cut your own chicken, you can decide exactly how many pieces you get from a single bird. Depending on whether you separate the breast halves and legs from the thighs, you can yield anywhere from 6 to 10 pieces.

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 chicken wings
• 2 drum sticks
• 2 thighs
• 1 backbone and 1 breast bone (used to make homemade bone broth that can be used in SO many chicken broth recipes)

Did this tutorial on how to cut up a whole chicken give you any “AHA!” moments? If you’ve never given it a go, I hope you’re excited to break down 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! 😉

Our Favorite Chicken Recipes

Once you’ve mastered cutting a chicken, it’s time to use those skills to try some of our very favorite chicken recipes. From soups to sandwiches, fried or roasted chicken, there is something for everyone here.

• Spatchcock Chicken
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Baked Chicken Legs
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Crispy Chicken Sandwich
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Crispy Buffalo Wings