How to Break Down A Whole Chicken

Every time I buy chicken, I am amazed at the number of steps taken to remove ourselves from the actual product. The parts and pieces are skinless, boneless, wrapped in layers upon layers of packaging and look nothing like the animal they came from. We do this under the guise of convenience, efficiency and healthfulness. We willingly pay more for less and we should stop.

Of course I am an advocate of buying the whole bird. It is greater than the sum of its parts; breasts, tenderloins, thighs, wings, drumsticks, carcass for stock, skin and fat for schmaltz....

Yes, I know there are a few of you out there who cannot stand the idea of having to touch and cut and feel a whole chicken. If "Ick" just went through your brain, this post is not for you. However, if the only thing standing in your way of buying a whole chicken is a little know-how, then maybe this post can help. 

First, you are going to need a few items:

1. A clean workspace that is free of clutter and debris. Seriously. Give yourself room to work comfortably. You might actually enjoy it more.
2. A sturdy, stable cutting board. Make sure it is larger than the chicken. Sounds silly I know, but I am always amazed at what people try to use.
3. A sharp, good quality knife. The importance of having a great, sharp knife can’t be overstressed, especially for beginners. Although I personally prefer a boning knife for this task, a great chef knife is also up to the task.
4. A sheet tray. You need a place to organize the pieces as you breakdown the chicken.
5. The chicken, of course. As with all things food, buy the best quality you can afford.

What do I have in front of me?
If you have only previously purchased pre-portioned parts, you may need to acquaint yourself with the anatomy of a chicken.

 

Before you Begin:
1. First things first, remove the giblets from the interior cavity of the chicken. In most cases, they are in a tidy little packet that is easy to take out.
2. Now give the chicken a good rinse, inside and out, and pat dry.
3. Trim the fat around the cavity. I like to save this to render for chicken fat. Also, can you say chicken cracklin'!

First Step - Remove the Wing Tips
These little guys just get in the way. The first thing I like to do is remove just the tip portion of wings. I leave the first meaty joint, the one closest to the body cavity, attached. This allows me to produce what is called an airline breast later in the process.
1. Grab a hold of the wing and stretch it taut, move it around, etc. This will allow you to see where the join attaches. The goal is to slide you knife through where the joint is mobile. Your knife should meet very little resistance when you are in the correct spot. However, if you cut through a little bone your first few times, no harm no fowl (ha!)

Second Step - Remove the Leg Quarter from Each Side
1. Make a very shallow cut, slicing through only the skin just between the leg and the breast. This will expose the connection between the two. Repeat the same process on the other side of your chicken.

2. Once you’ve cut the skin, pick up your chicken leg, wiggle and identify where the thigh bones go into the backbone of your chicken. Place your thumb on the interior joint with your other fingers supporting the outside of the leg. Pop the joint out of the socket by pressing your four fingers in towards your thumb while rotating your wrist away from the interior of the chicken.

3. While keeping a hold of thigh, turn your chicken on its side and use your knife to remove the leg quarter by slicing through the joint, being sure to get the "oyster" of the chicken. Ya know, that little nugget of meat that sits in a divot alongside the backbone.

4. Repeat the process on the other side.

Third Step - Remove the Breasts from the Cavity
1. To remove the breasts, hold the skin taut and make a shallow cut straight down and just off center of the keel bone. The cut should travel from end to end. 

2. Continue to make long, smooth cuts to slowly release the breast. You will follow the ribcage and use just the tip of the knife. On the neck side, you will encounter the wishbone. You can either remove it by putting an index finger behind it and pulling straight out or cut around it. As you progress, check your work between cuts by running your finger along the exposed meat. It is better to make shallow cuts that run end to end as opposed to short, choppy cuts. The resulting breast will be smoother and more intact. Just keep the knife tip hugging the bones as closely as possible until the breast is fully released. You will have to cut through the big joint near the wishbone in order to get the breast completely released.

Fourth Step - Separate Thigh and Drumstick
1. There is a very obvious line of fat where the thigh and drumstick meet. This also happens to be where the joint connects and it is easy to slip your knife between the two. If you are unsure, use your fingers to probe around a bit until you find the seam then simply cut.

Fifth Step - Inventory, Trim and Tidy
At this point you should be left with a naked carcass along with two wing tips, two thighs, two drumsticks and two airline breasts. Inspect each piece and trim off any skin as desired.

Now, the first time you do this process it will probably feel a bit messy and time consuming. However, with a little practice, you can breakdown a whole chicken in about 5 minutes. This means I usually buy several whole chickens when they go on sale, break them down and then freeze the parts and pieces.