Techniques: Breaking Down A Chicken

Taking a whole chicken and cutting it into pieces can seem intimidating or time consuming, but there are some simple tips that make it easily doable for even novice cooks.

The most simple method is spatchcocking, which keeps the chicken whole, but allows it to be cooked more easily in an oven or on a grill. It’s my go to way of breaking down a chicken and needs little more than a pair of kitchen shears (strong scissors) to get the job done. The other methods involve parting out the chicken into various separate pieces, for which the most important tools you will need are a sharp knife and a cutting board.

Serious Eats made this nice video tutorial on these different ways to break down a whole chicken.