Content

• Method 2 of 5: Cutting off the chicken legs
• Method 3 of 5: Separating the thigh from the leg
• Method 4 of 5: Separating the breast from the back
• Method 5 of 5: Detaching the wings
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

1 Remove the whole chicken from the packaging. Throw away the packaging.

• If you've just cooked a whole chicken, you can cut it up too. If you've just cooked a whole chicken, let it cool for at least 10 minutes. The bird continues to cook even when you take it out of the oven. The chicken will be completely cooked if you give it a 'rest'. If you are butchering whole cooked chicken, skip the next two steps.

2 Check the inside of the bird for stomach, neck and other giblets. They can be in separate packaging or without it. If you find them inside, then take them out and either leave them for other purposes or throw them away.

3 Rinse the chicken under cold water. Do not use lukewarm or hot water, as any elevated water temperature encourages the proliferation of bacteria. Blot the chicken with a paper towel.

Method 2 of 5: Cutting off the chicken legs

1. 1 Place the chicken, breast side up, on a cutting board. Placing the chicken breast-side up will give you a better view of what you are doing.
2. 2 Grasp the chicken leg with your left hand. Pull the leg away from the torso so you can see where the hip and leg bones meet.
   • You can use a chopping fork to hold the chicken in place as you pull on the leg.
3. 3 Use a sharp carving knife to cut through the skin. By cutting through the skin of the chicken's torso, you can better see where the leg is attached to the torso.
4. 4 Pull the leg as far away from the body as possible. Using a carving knife, separate the entire leg, cutting off at the joint. When you pull on the leg, you get the right angle at which it is easiest to cut the leg from the body.
5. 5 Cut the cartilage that connects the hip and leg bones. By cutting the cartilage between the bones, you can avoid the debris in the meat. Repeat these steps for the second chicken leg.

Method 3 of 5: Separating the thigh from the leg

1. 1 Place your leg skin side down on a cutting board. In general, it is easier to butcher the meat first and then tackle the skin (which may need to be cut with another knife.)
2. 2 Grasp the leg at both ends with both hands. Extend your leg in the opposite direction to your natural bend. This way you will be able to determine the place on the inner side of the knee joint where the leg and hip join - in this place it will be easiest to cut the leg.
3. 3 Find your body fat. Fat is a thin, white layer in the joint between the leg and thigh. Cut along it: the joint will separate, separating the leg from the thigh. Repeat these steps with the other leg.

Method 4 of 5: Separating the breast from the back

1. 1 Find the place where the chest and back meet. This is along the ribs where the white breast meat expands.
2. 2 Using a sawing motion, cut the back from the front through the ribs from top to bottom. Do not cut the breast up from the bottom of the body, as this will give you a less secure grip and lead to sloppy cutting or even cuts. When you cut the breast from the back, you have a whole breast and a back - two large pieces.
   • You can also cut along the brisket starting from the bottom of the bird's body. When you get to the branched bone, cut it open. Tilt the knife at an angle to the cross bone and cut the meat lengthwise to the wing. Make an incision between the breast and wing.
   • Another way is to unbend the two halves of the breast to the sides until the keel bone comes out. Remove the keel bone and cut the breast in two by cutting the transverse bone.
3. 3 Place a whole breast on a cutting board and press firmly against the breast with your palm. This movement will help separate the sternum.
4. 4 Cut the breast fillet from the bone. Run your knife along the center of the breast along the bone.
5. 5 Insert your thumb into the cut to separate the fillet from the bone. If you want boneless breast fillets, cut off the bones from all sides and remove them. It may be necessary to break the cartilage to separate the fillets from the bone.
   • If you want to leave a bone in the meat, split it with a knife and then, holding the breast with your hands on both sides, break the bone.

Method 5 of 5: Detaching the wings

1. 1 Bend the winglet away from your body. Fold it in the opposite direction from the natural fold. This will make it easier for you to find your shoulder joint.
2. 2 Using a carving knife, cut the wing along the joint. Again, try to cut along the cartilage that connects the bones to avoid leaving bone fragments in the meat.
3. 3 Cut the wing into two pieces. Extend the wing at the elbow joint. Cut along the elbow joint. Repeat the process for the second wing.
4. 4 Ready.

Tips

• Always use a sharp knife, because a dull knife will slide off most of the time.

Warnings

• Handling chicken requires care to avoid spreading salmonella. Always wash your hands, utensils, cutting tables, and boards thoroughly with hot, soapy water.

What do you need

• Whole chicken of any size and weight
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Bowl or plate for chopped chicken