How To Cut A Whole Chicken

Pat dry chicken with paper towel. Place chicken breast-side-up and first remove the wing tips.

With chicken breast side up, pull each leg away from body, then slice through skin between breast and drumstick on both sides.

Lift up chicken and cut downward through rib cage. Then snap the back bone and cut to separate the breast from the legs.

Position the chicken breast skin-side up with the neck facing towards you. Pull back the skin to expose the breast meat. Make a small slit into the meat as close to the neck as possible. You should be able to feel the wishbone with your knife. Follow along each side of the bone with your knife until you reach the point where it joins the shoulder. Cut around the bottom to release the bottom of the wishbone.

Locate the breast bone in the middle of the breast and cut on both sides of the bone. Use your boning knife to slowly cut the breast from the ribs using short strokes from the tip of the blade.

Remove the leg quarters (chicken thighs and drumsticks): Bend each leg back until thighbone pops out of its socket. Cut through joint and skin to detach leg completely.

You should end up with 6 to 10 parts, depending on whether you divided the breast halves and legs. 2 chicken breasts, 2 chicken wings, 2 drum sticks, 2 thighs, 1 back bone and 1 breast bone.