Instructions on How to Butcher a Chicken

Cutting a raw chicken allows you to personalize the cuts, leaving or taking off skin and bone.

Chickens have been domesticated and eaten for thousands of years -- Babylonians even knew the value of the tender white meat. Full of nutrients, low in fat, and high in protein, chicken meat is also very versatile, as it can be cooked in any manner. However, purchasing pre-skinned and boneless cuts can be expensive. Buying a whole chicken and butchering it yourself is the best option and provides a wide variety of cuts. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Whole fresh chicken, gutted
Paper towels
Cutting board
Sharp kitchen knife

Instructions

- 1
  
  Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken in the kitchen sink, under running water. This removes any bacteria on the surface. Dry the chicken using paper towels.
- 2
  
  Place the chicken on the cutting board, breast side down. Pull off the excess fat around the back end, if there is any.
- 3
  
  Cut off the tip of the wing at the first joint. Discard this piece or keep it for stock.
- 4
  
  Hold the tail bone in one hand and cut alongside the backbone, beginning at the bottom of the chicken and moving to the top. Repeat this motion on the other side of the spine to completely remove it. Discard it or keep it for stock.
- 5
  
  Flip the chicken over so it is breast side up, butterflied on the cutting board.
- 6
  
  Remove the wings by inserting the knife into the joint that connects them to the main body. Set them aside.
- 7
  
  Cut through the skin between the legs and the main body of the chicken to remove them. Set them aside.
- 8
  
  Cut through the breastbone to separate the two breasts. The breasts can then be removed from the bone or left on it. To remove, run the knife between where the meat is connected to the ribs. Discard the bones or keep them for making stock.
- 9
  
  Put each piece of chicken into a resealable plastic bag if you're not going to use them right away. Press out the air and keep them in the fridge for two to three days.

Tips & Warnings

Leaving the meat on the bone produces a slightly more flavorful taste when cooked.
Thoroughly clean and sanitize anything that has come in to contact with the chicken, as it can harbor bacteria.