How to Quickly Break Down a Whole Chicken

In this blog post, we’re going to walk through the process of breaking down a whole chicken so it is ready for cooking.

Before we start, a few PROTIPS:

Choose the correct knife - You will be cutting through bone so make sure that the knife you opt to use has a blade designed to do so

Sharpen your knife - As stated above, we will be cutting through bone, so make sure your knife is as sharp as possible

Please refer to the embedded video - we have a complete walk-through of this process on our TikTok account so if you want to see the process in action, check it out. Also, each step below has a timestamp listed so you can jump right to the point in the video you want to see.

You ready? Let’s break it down!

@chefkerisway Learn how to break down a whole chicken with Chef Keri - let's go! . . . #chef #cheflife #chicken #cook #cooking #cookathome #food #foodie #foodporn #foodphotography #kerisway #learntocook #lgbtq #rhubarb #rhubarbcrisp #rhubarbcrumble #tasty #trans #transchef #transwoman #getinmybelly #yummy #cooktok #cookingtiktok #cookingtok #cookingtips ♬ original sound - Keri's Way

Step 1 - Prep the Chicken

Timestamp: 00:40

Thaw the chicken - If the poultry you are using was frozen when you purchased it, be sure to let it thaw completely to soften the skin and meat. This will make the process of cutting through the meat and bone much faster, since you'll be able to pull, stretch, and precisely cut the bird with more ease.

Remove neck and giblets - if you purchased your whole chicken from a store, it will usually have the neck and giblets stuffed in the body cavity of the chicken. Pull these out and set them aside!

Drain any excess juices - Hold that empty bird upside down over the sink and drain out any excess liquid.

Step 2 - Remove the wings

Timestamp: 00:58

Position the bird so the back of the bird is up

Hold the chicken by the “elbows” and pinch the wings down

Make initial cuts at the where each wing attaches to the body (shoulder ball joint)

Let go of the wings and you should be able to clearly see the ball joint

Cut through each shoulder ball joint and remove the wings

Cut off the wing tips at the joint and discard

Step 3 - Remove the Thighs and Legs

Timestamp: 02:58

Position the bird so the front of the bird is up

Press down on either side of the breast and slice through all the skin

Flip the bird onto it’s back

Hold the bird down with the knife

Put pressure on the ball joint of the leg and pop it out

Cut around the meat at the top of the leg and remove the full leg from the chicken

Step 4 - Separate the Thighs from the Legs

Timestamp: 04:43

Locate the line of fat on the underside of thigh and leg

Cut along the line of fat, right between the joint, to separate the thigh from the leg

Step 5 - Remove the Backbone

Timestamp: 05:45

Hold the bird by the backbone

Locate the ribs and cut underneath them separating the ribs from the breast

When you come to the neck, you will need to push a little harder to cut through the bone and cartilage

Discard the backbone

Step 6 - Split the Breasts

Timestamp: 06:23

Lay the breasts skin side down

Place your knife on the center of the breast bone

Firmly smack the top of the knife blade to break through the breast bone

Tips & Tricks from Chef Keri

Check out these additional PROTIPs on quickly breaking down a whole chicken from Chef Keri.

Use a boning knife - a boning knife is sharp, flexible blade is easy to maneuver when slicing along bones and joints.

Use the weight of the bird to help create space for your cuts.

Save your neck, giblets, wing tips, and backbone to make chicken broth or cat food

Cut through the joints - if you can cut through the cartilage between the joints, there is very little resistance which will make this process very easy

Breasts on the bone - cooking breasts on the bone will help the chicken breast stay moist

Time to start cooking!!

Now that your bird is broken down, you’re ready to start cooking!! You can use our Roasted Chicken recipe to roast off your bird now that it is broken down. Enjoy!

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