- With chicken breast skin side down, run tip of boning or sharp paring knife between breastbone and meat, working from thick end of breast toward thin end.
- Angling blade slightly and following rib cage, repeat cutting motion several times to remove ribs and breastbone from breast.
[dam-video dam-id=”43879″] I almost never buy chicken in pieces. I ignore the trays of chicken breasts and thighs at the grocery store in favor of looking for whole chickens. Sure, I enjoy a good whole chicken as much as anyone, but purchasing this way is also a part of a larger plan: I debone the chickens at home, giving up some of my time to reduce the cost of groceries. It makes financial sense for me to cut up the chicken myself. A Simple Truth organic whole chicken costs $2. 99 per pound at my local store. If I purchase the same brand of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the price per pound will be more than double that. I therefore spend an afternoon preparing the breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings I purchase in individual bundles and freezing them for later use. Bonus: I can make a “free” batch of chicken stock using the leftover bones and wing tips, and it always tastes better than store-bought stock.
Remove the leg quarters (chicken thighs and drumsticks):
On your cutting board, place the chicken breast-side up. Start by removing the leg quarters (the thighs still with the drumsticks attached).
Make a slit through the skin only between the drumstick and the rest of the chicken, revealing the meat inside.
The thigh bone should then pop out of its socket as you pull the leg quarter away from the chicken. Get as much meat as you can by using a knife to slice just past the joint.
Cut between the joints, along the fat line, to separate the drumstick from the thigh. If you encounter resistance, locate the joint and move your knife until it passes through fairly easily.
Check out our guide on how to de-bone the thighs if you’d like to have boneless chicken thighs.
To make split chicken breast (optional):
If you prefer split chicken breast, flip the whole breast over so it is breast side down on the cutting board. Firmly cut the cartilage and soft bone down the middle to split the breast into two halves.
Or, see the next section on deboning chicken breast.
To debone the chicken breast (optional):
Place the entire chicken breast, breast-side up, on the cutting board if you prefer to have boneless chicken breasts. Cut between the breastbone and the meat on one side of the breastbone, then continue cutting up the breast until you reach the wishbone. Utilizing the wishbone as a guide, cut along one side of it.
Keep cutting down until you reach the lower part of the breast as well. Pull the chicken breast away from the bone while holding the chicken breast in one hand. The breast meat ought to come completely free of the bone when you do this. If the chicken tenderloin is missing, you can still make it without a problem.
(This process is shown in the video! Click to view the section of the video that shows how to separate a boneless chicken breast from the chicken.)
FAQ
How do you cut a split chicken breast in half?
On a cutting board, place a boneless, skinless chicken breast with the tender removed and hold it flat in your non-knife hand. Slice the chicken breast into two even pieces using a sharp chef’s, boning, or fillet knife. Doing this near the cutting board’s edge is beneficial.
What does split chicken breast with ribs mean?
Split chicken breasts are the tender white meat taken from the bird’s chest after the tenderloin has been removed, just like the boneless version. However, unlike boneless, skinless breasts, these retain the skin and the rib bone is still attached.
