L.A. Times Test Kitchen tips: Cutting up a chicken

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Whenever I buy chicken to cook or grill I always go for the whole bird and cut it up myself. Whole birds can be much cheaper than pre-cut pieces -- often a fraction of the price -- and they’re so easy to break down when you know what you’re doing.

If you’re intimidated by the thought of cutting up a chicken, don’t be. It will probably feel a little foreign at first, but once you start practicing, you’ll soon get the hang of it. Follow this simple step-by-step guide.

A couple of quick tips: Make sure you have a sturdy, sharp French knife and scissors, and give yourself plenty of clean space and time (relax, speed will build the more you do it). Don’t hesitate to move the pieces around so you can learn to ‘sense’ where the bones begin and end at the joints, learning where the soft cartilage is to make your cuts when separating pieces.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

ALSO:

129 recipes for your favorite restaurant dishes

Browse hundreds of recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

What’s hot: 139 of the latest recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

-- Noelle Carter
Twitter/noellecarter