How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken
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Whole chickens are good for roasting, but you can also cut them into pieces for braises and stews -- and they cost about a dollar less than precut chickens.
Tip: Don't throw away the leftover back and neck: Store them in the freezer each time you cut up a chicken until you have enough for stock. Simmer for an hour with water to cover and you'll have a base for a great soup.
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Step 1
With chicken breast side up, pull each leg away from body, then slice through skin between breast and drumstick.
Tip: A sharp chef's knife makes cutting easier, and a separate cutting board for meat helps avoid cross-contamination. These steps also work for cooked chicken.
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Step 2
Turn chicken on its side. Bend each leg back until thighbone pops out of its socket. Cut through joint and skin to detach leg completely.
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Step 3
With chicken on its side, pull each wing away from body. Cut through joint and remove wing.
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Step 4
Lift up chicken and cut downward through rib cage and then shoulder joints to separate breast from back (save back for stock).
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Step 5
Place breast skin side down. Split center bone using a chopping motion, then slice through meat and skin to separate into 2 pieces.
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Step 6
To cut breast halves into quarters, turn each skin side up and cut in half diagonally through bone.
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Step 7
To divide the legs, turn each skin side down and cut through joints (along white fat line) to separate thigh from drumstick.
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Step 8
You should end up with 6 to 10 parts, depending on whether you divided the breast halves and legs.