Test Kitchen video tips: How to cut up a chicken

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Whenever I buy chicken to cook, I always go for the whole bird and cut it up myself. Whole birds can be much cheaper than those already cut into pieces 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 the step-by-step video guide above.

A couple of quick tips: Make sure you have a sturdy, sharp chef’s 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 email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

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-- Noelle Carter
Twitter/noellecarter

Video credit: Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times