Learn the essential culinary skill of breaking down a whole chicken into individual cuts like breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings. This guide also shows how to use the leftover carcass to make a rich, homemade chicken stock.
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Place the whole chicken breast-side up on a large cutting board.
To remove the leg quarters, slice the skin between the thigh and the body. Bend the leg back to pop the thigh bone out of its socket, then cut through the joint to detach the entire leg quarter. Repeat on the other side.
Separate the drumstick from the thigh by locating the joint between them and cutting straight through it. Repeat for the other leg.
To remove the wings, pull one wing away from the body to expose the joint. Cut through the joint to detach it. Repeat on the other side.
Place the chicken on its back. Cut down along one side of the breastbone. Using the tip of your knife, carefully cut along the rib cage to separate the breast meat from the carcass.
Repeat on the other side to remove the second breast.
Separate the tenderloin from the underside of each chicken breast.
The remaining carcass and bones can be used to make homemade chicken stock. The video shows using a slow cooker for this.
After making the stock, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into containers for storage in the fridge or freezer.
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