Buying whole chickens and breaking them down is cheaper and gives you bones for stock. It takes about five minutes once you know where the joints are.
Key idea
The eight-piece cut: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, two breast halves (often cut in half again). Find the joints with your fingers and cut through them, not through bone: bend the leg out until the hip joint pops, cut around it; separate drumstick from thigh at the knee joint (follow the fat line); cut the wings off at the shoulder; cut the breast away from the ribs along the breastbone. Save the back and frame for stock.
- Work on a board set aside for raw poultry, on a tray if you can.
- Use a sharp boning or chef's knife; the tip finds joints.
- Airline breast: a boneless breast with the first wing bone left on.
- Spatchcock: cut out the backbone with shears and press the bird flat so it roasts evenly and fast.
Safety
- Don't rinse raw poultry in the sink; USDA advises against it because water splashes germs around the kitchen. Cooking to 165°F kills them.
- Wash hands, board, knife and the sink area after; then clean and sanitize.
Why it works
Dark meat (legs and thighs) has more connective tissue and fat than breast, so it tolerates higher temperatures and longer cooking. Many cooks cook thighs past 165°F, to 175°F or more, for tenderness; the breast dries out above about 165°F.
Worked example: Yield
A 4 lb chicken gives 2.8 lb of pieces after you remove the back and trim. What is the yield percent?
- $2.8 \div 4 = 0.70$.
Answer: 70%.
Common mistake
Sawing through bone at the hip. Bend the joint until it pops and cut through the gap.
Practice at home
- Break down a whole chicken into eight pieces. Time yourself. Do it once a week for a month; note your time each week.
- Make stock from the backs and wing tips you saved.
In Meal Prep
- Chicken breasts vs. thighs: how they cook differently
- Chicken stock: use the frame