How to Easily Cut a Roasted Chicken

In the previous post I shared with you the method we use to roast a perfect chicken.  Today I want to share with you how I quickly and easily cut that roasted chicken for serving.

One tool I think every kitchen should have is a good pair of kitchen scissors.  A sturdy pair kept in the kitchen only used for kitchen tasks only.  You can also look for poultry scissors.  The specific brand I use is Wusthof, but Oxo, Henckel, Scanpan and many others make them as well.  Pick a pair that seem sturdy and feel comfortable in your hand.  An added bonus would be if they come apart for easy cleaning.  Use your kitchen scissors for cutting your chicken.  There is no easier way.

Start by placing the chicken breast side up with the legs facing you.  Using the scissors cut straight down the breast plate until both breasts are separated.

Flip chicken over and cut the backbone out by cutting first to the left of the backbone and then to the right of the backbone.  This should not be difficult.  If you find yourself applying too much force you might be trying to cut through the backbone.  Just move slightly right or left and try to cut again.  You want to find the place where the rib bones meet the backbone.

Your chicken should now be in two halves with the backbone removed. Next you want to clip the area in between the thigh and the breast and butterfly it open to expose the joint.  You should be just clipping skin at this point and it should be really easy.

Cut in the middle of the thigh and breast joint cutting into two pieces.

Repeat with the second half and voila! you have a chicken cut into four pieces in three minutes or less.  If you would like to break it down further you can cut the breast in half as well as straighten out the leg and thigh and cut in the middle of that joint separating the two pieces.  This same method can be used to butcher a raw chicken if your recipe calls for chicken pieces.