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    Home » Knife Skills

    How to Carve a Chicken (or Turkey)

    Published: Jun 1, 2021 · Modified: Jun 1, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Prepping a Roast Chicken or picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store is a delicious and economical way to enjoy a hearty protein. But, what do you do with it? How do you carve a chicken?!

    Learning how to carve a chicken (or even a turkey) is a great skill to learn. Not only does it get great looking food on your plate, but it enables you to take advantage of the better priced, whole chicken.

    whole chicken carved into eight pieces on serving platter with fresh herbs. this …

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    Jump to:
    • Carving Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Favorite Chicken Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • How to Carve a Whole Chicken

    Whether you make a Crockpot Whole Chicken, roast one in the oven, or buy one from the grocery store rotisserie, serving a whole chicken is a great way to enjoy succulent chicken meat for a lower price. Not only that, but cooking chicken with bones tastes than cooking individual boneless, skinless breast.

    The cooking step is pretty easy. It’s the “how to carve a whole chicken” that can be the challenge. How do you transform that perfectly brown and crispy chicken into serviceable pieces — without hacking it all to bits?

    Carving Instructions

    roast chicken on a cutting board inside a rimmed sheet pan with carving knife and fork.

    Pro Tip: I recommend that you carve a whole chicken on a cutting board placed inside a rimmed baking sheet. This is a great way to catch all the drips and keep your countertops clean. You’ll also need a boning knife and a carving fork.

    Step 1: Remove the Legs

    cutting the leg and thigh away from the whole roast chicken.

    The first step is to remove the legs. You’ll place your carving fork into the breast and wiggle your knife in between the joint of the thigh where it connects to the bird. Separate the whole leg and then you can cut the thigh and drumstick apart.

    Step 2: Cut the Thigh and Leg Apart

    cutting the thigh and leg apart with knife and fork next to the whole chicken on the cutting board.

    With the boning knife, find the joint between the thigh and the leg. Cut through this section so that you have two pieces.

    Step 3: Do this for the other side.

    leg and thigh removed from the other side with other pieces and remaining partial chicken.

    Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the leg quarter on the opposite side. You should now have two leg portions and two thighs.

    Step 4: Slice Off the Breast Meat

    inserting knife into center of chicken breast to separate the two halves and remove from bone.

    Once you have the legs removed, you can slice off the breast meat. Slice down the center, rubbing the knife against the center bone. Cut straight down the center and then slice the breast along the bottom to remove it from the center dividing bone.

    removing the other breast half from the carcass with knife and fork.

    Repeat this on the other side.

    You may miss the mark a bit and have some chicken meat remaining. That’s okay, you can remove this and use it in soup or casseroles. Repeat the process on the other side, so that both breast portions are removed from the carcass.

    Step 5: Slice off the Wings

    Lastly, slice away the wings, again wiggling your knife into the joint to separate the wing from the carcass.

    all eight pieces on the cutting board next to fork and knife.

    You should have eight pieces ready to serve. There may be remaining bits of meat on the carcass. Don’t leave this behind. If folks are waiting to be served, go ahead and enjoy the roast chicken. Then later, come back and with your fingers remove any small bits of meat left on the carcass.

    There are two little nuggets of meat on the back of the chicken that you don’t want to miss. These are called the oysters. They don’t look particularly pretty, but they are super tasty!

    The French call them “what the fool leaves behind.” Don’t be a fool! Remember to remove those.

    FAQs

    What kind of knife do you use to carve a chicken?

    I like to use a boning knife, but a sharp chef’s knife is good as well. A carving fork can also be helpful.

    What can I make with the chicken carcass?

    Be sure to make chicken stock with the bones and any drippings you’ve got accumulated in your baking pan. It’s a fantastic building block for soups, gravy, and rice pilaf.

    How long is a roast chicken good for?

    Cooked chicken is good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for longer storage.

    Favorite Chicken Recipes

    • bite of mini meatloaf on a fork on a plate with mac and cheese and green salad.
      Easy Mini Meatloaves
    • close up of freezer burrito cut in half in paper-lined basket.
      Easy Freezer Burrito Recipe with Chicken, Beans, & Cheese
    • close up of chicken and green beans on white platter.
      Easy Chicken and Green Beans Dinner
    • turkey breast on cutting board with knife and carving fork.
      Making Turkey Freezer Meals with Leftover Turkey
    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    carved chicken pieces on a platter with fresh herbs.

    How to Carve a Whole Chicken

    Learn a quick and easy method to carve a whole chicken so that you can enjoy a rotisserie or roast chicken without hacking it to bits.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 205kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $5

    Equipment

    • carving fork
    • boning knife
    • cutting board
    • heavy duty sheet pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole roast chicken
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Place the chicken on a cutting board set inside a rimmed sheet pan. This will catch the drips. Place your carving fork into the breast and wiggle your knife in between the joint of the thigh where it connects to the breast. Separate the whole leg and then you can cut the thigh and drumstick apart.
    • With the boning knife, find the joint between the thigh and the leg. Cut through this section so that you have two pieces.
    • Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the leg quarter on the opposite side. You should now have two leg portions and two thighs.
    • Once you have the legs removed, you can slice off the breast meat. Slice down the center, rubbing the knife against the center bone. Cut straight down the center and then slice the breast along the bottom to remove it from the center dividing bone.
    • Repeat this on the other side. You may miss the mark a bit and have some chicken meat remaining on the bone. That’s okay, you can remove this and use it in soup or casseroles. Repeat the process on the other side, so that both breast portions are removed from the carcass.
    • Lastly, slice away the wings, again wiggling your knife into the joint to separate the wing from the carcass.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    You should have eight pieces ready to serve. There may be remaining bits of meat on the carcass. Don’t leave this behind. If folks are waiting to be served, go ahead and enjoy the roast chicken. Then later, come back and with your fingers remove any small bits of meat left on the carcass.
    There are two little nuggets of meat on the back of the chicken that you don’t want to miss. These are called the oysters. They don’t look particularly pretty, but they are super tasty!
    The French call them “what the fool leaves behind.” Don’t be a fool! Remember to remove those.
    Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
    Nutritional values are approximate and based on ⅛ the chicken.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 205kcal | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 180mg | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on September 7, 2017. It has been updated for content and clarity.

    « What to Make with Rotisserie Chicken: 40+ Recipes with Cooked Chicken
    Best Pulled Pork Recipe »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nate

      September 12, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      You are right about Costco chickens! Large and cooked well for $4.99!!! You can not beat the price and they are very tasty!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 15, 2017 at 8:23 am

        We love them, too!

        Reply
    2. Alice E

      September 10, 2017 at 9:38 am

      A very informative post. I would suggest that you could probably cut the breasts into two servings each as they are much meatier than the other pieces. My mom always did when frying them. Also, there can be quite a bit of little pieces of meat on the backs, it you pick it off, especially on the larger rotisserie chickens from Costco. Love those Costco chickens. As an alder couple who prefer dark meat, I usually save the breasts to chop or slice and use in noodles, soup or rice dishes.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 15, 2017 at 8:22 am

        Yes! Great point about cutting the breast in half!

        Reply
    3. Kirstin

      September 10, 2017 at 7:58 am

      This was helpful, Jessica. I always get someone else to carve the chicken because I don’t know how to do it.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 15, 2017 at 8:22 am

        It definitely takes some practice, but it’s not hard. You can totally do it!

        Reply

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