You can do this!
Don’t be afraid to buy a whole bird. Once you learn how easy it is to cut up a whole chicken on your own you will love saving extra money and creating delicious healthy meals. On average a whole chicken will cost about $1.45 per pound while boneless breasts cost about $3.45 per pound. That’s a $2 per pound savings! When you know simple ways to use all the parts of a chicken you can create a variety of tasty meals and have homemade chicken broth as an added FREE Bonus.
Here is a simple guide to How to Cut a Whole Chicken. Want to learn how to do this in person? Join me at one of the upcoming classes.
(my husband Joey and his first attempt at “cutting” a chicken)
Having a baby at home definitely changes how we do mealtime at our house. Even though it looks a little different, we are still committed to creating consistent family mealtime to experience all the benefits. We rely a lot on make-ahead meals. Also my husband Joey has been helping with a little bit of cooking, which has led to some interesting experiences like me realizing he has never cut up a whole chicken before. As I was holding the baby and guiding him he said, “I don’t need a knife” as he ripped the meat from the bones with his hands. Yes, his technique did work but there are other ways to approach a chicken then ripping it’s joints apart like a caveman.
I think learning how to cut up a chicken is one of the most essential skills as it can also save you a lot of money while producing a variety of flavorful meals, even putting the bones to use to make homemade chicken broth. Don’t be scared: cutting up a chicken is easier than you think! It takes a little practice but once you understand how to do it and find the joints it’s the same process every time. The key is not to force it. When you find the joint, the knife will easily cut through; if it is difficult – you are hitting bone and need to move the knife slightly to find the sweet spot. Check here for simple instruction on how to cut a chicken. For more help or to learn this skill hands-on join one of our classes.
How to Cut a Chicken
- Remove the Wings:
Lay the bird on its back. Wiggle a wing to determine where the joint attaches to the breast. To separate the wing from the breast, use a sharp knife. Cut through the joint where it meets the breast. Repeat with the other wing.
- Remove the Legs:
Pull a leg away from the body cutting through the skin to see where it attaches. To remove the whole leg, feel where the join is, you may want to pop it forward for easy access. Cut through the joint between the thigh and the breast. Repeat with the other leg.
- Divide the Leg:
To get a drumstick and a thigh, place each led skin-side down. Flex and feel to see where the ball joint between the drumstick and the thigh is located. Look for the thin line of fat that is perpendicular to the body. Cut through the line of fat to separate the thigh and the drumstick, wiggling the joint as needed to determine where it is and repeat with the other leg.
- Remove the Breasts:
Using your sharp knife starting at the top of the neck cut along the side of the breastbone. Carefully trim the meat away from the bone following the natural curve of the rib cage. For more stability use kitchen shears to cut through the rib cage first making a more flat surface to work with. Repeat with the other side. (The wishbone is located near the top of the neck at the thick part of the breast. Remove this piece to prevent the choking hazard. Save bones to make chicken stock.
