Simple
Directions For Cutting Up A Whole Chicken
Buying a chicken whole costs less than buying separate chicken parts, so although cutting up a chicken for the very first time may seem to be a daunting task, it is worth your while to learn how to do it. It really is not that complicated; just make sure you use a really sharp knife.
First, take out the chicken giblets (liver, heart and gizzard) and neck (you’ll find them in a plastic bag, inside the body of the chicken). You can keep these to make soup or other dishes, or you can throw them out. Always wash your hands with soap before you handle raw meat or poultry.
Wash the inside and outside of the chicken under cold running water, then put the chicken on a cutting board, breast side facing upwards. Now you are ready to cut the chicken. Start by cutting away the chicken wings; grab the tip of the wing, pull it away from the body and remove using the sharp knife and cutting close to the body.
Once you’ve removed the wings, it’s time to remove the chicken legs. Press down to snap the joint connecting the thigh to the body, then use the knife to cut the skin attaching the body of the chicken to the thigh. Take a firm hold of the leg and press down to snap the hip joint (you will hear it pop).
To severe the thigh and leg from the chicken, begin cutting from the tail end towards the chicken neck. You’ll need to apply more force at the hip joint where the tendons are located. At this point, you should be able to pull the leg free from the chicken. Cut any remaining skin between the chicken leg and the body. Next, use your knife to separate the drumstick (chicken leg) from the thigh.
Lay the chicken on its side on the cutting board then cut it in half, cutting from the tail towards the neck and going through the ribs on both sides of the chicken. At this point, either you may keep the full chicken breast, or you can separate it into two pieces. Do this by cutting down the middle of the full chicken breast.
Some people like to eat the tail of the chicken. If this applies to you, this is the time to cut it away from the chicken back. After cutting up the chicken, immediately wash everything that has been in contact with it (knife, cutting board, kitchen countertops and your hands) using hot water and soap. Do not neglect this step. It is a deterrent against getting sick from salmonella, which is often carried by chicken.
Chicken pieces can be cook into crock pots and you can cooked in many ways besides frying and baking. Slow cooker chicken recipes abound, or you can use chicken pieces to make chicken stock.
Buying a chicken whole costs less than buying separate chicken parts, so although cutting up a chicken for the very first time may seem to be a daunting task, it is worth your while to learn how to do it. It really is not that complicated; just make sure you use a really sharp knife.
First, take out the chicken giblets (liver, heart and gizzard) and neck (you’ll find them in a plastic bag, inside the body of the chicken). You can keep these to make soup or other dishes, or you can throw them out. Always wash your hands with soap before you handle raw meat or poultry.
Wash the inside and outside of the chicken under cold running water, then put the chicken on a cutting board, breast side facing upwards. Now you are ready to cut the chicken. Start by cutting away the chicken wings; grab the tip of the wing, pull it away from the body and remove using the sharp knife and cutting close to the body.
Once you’ve removed the wings, it’s time to remove the chicken legs. Press down to snap the joint connecting the thigh to the body, then use the knife to cut the skin attaching the body of the chicken to the thigh. Take a firm hold of the leg and press down to snap the hip joint (you will hear it pop).
To severe the thigh and leg from the chicken, begin cutting from the tail end towards the chicken neck. You’ll need to apply more force at the hip joint where the tendons are located. At this point, you should be able to pull the leg free from the chicken. Cut any remaining skin between the chicken leg and the body. Next, use your knife to separate the drumstick (chicken leg) from the thigh.
Lay the chicken on its side on the cutting board then cut it in half, cutting from the tail towards the neck and going through the ribs on both sides of the chicken. At this point, either you may keep the full chicken breast, or you can separate it into two pieces. Do this by cutting down the middle of the full chicken breast.
Some people like to eat the tail of the chicken. If this applies to you, this is the time to cut it away from the chicken back. After cutting up the chicken, immediately wash everything that has been in contact with it (knife, cutting board, kitchen countertops and your hands) using hot water and soap. Do not neglect this step. It is a deterrent against getting sick from salmonella, which is often carried by chicken.
Chicken pieces can be cook into crock pots and you can cooked in many ways besides frying and baking. Slow cooker chicken recipes abound, or you can use chicken pieces to make chicken stock.
