Breeding chickens and constantly face their slaughter, plucking and other not very pleasant things? Do you know that the quality of chicken meat depends on how well you process the carcass? Not?! Then read everything about how to gut and how to cut a chicken correctly further in the article and see thematic photos and videos.

What comes before cutting?

Chicken cutting means the final division of the poultry carcass into portions. Depending on the size of the chunks you need, two methods can be distinguished. According to the first method, it is necessary to cut it sparingly into smaller pieces, and in the common people it is called “waste-free”. The second method is to cut the chicken into equal parts. Both methods will be discussed step by step in the diagram, photo and video later in the article.

And now let's talk about the stages that pass the chicken cutting, namely, the slaughter, plucking and gutting of the carcass. Slaughter and plucking methods will be discussed in other articles. But let's remember the main nuance that will facilitate all further work. So, the most important thing is the correct preparation of the bird for slaughter, namely a strict diet, at least half a day. Then the goiter and cloaca of the chicken will be emptied and there will be no unnecessary fiddling with them when gutting.

Evisceration

So, we have a killed and plucked chicken, which must be butchered, and for this it must first be gutted. All you need is knowledge of what and how to do, a sharp knife and straight hands. If you are not sure that you can handle it, it is better not to take it. Since in case of damage to the intestines or something else, you risk spoiling the delicious chicken meat. Next is a short video on how to gut a chicken at home.

1. First you need to cut out the anus. To do this, take a knife and cut it out in a circle. The main thing is not to pierce anything unnecessary.
2. Now we make a shallow incision from the cut anus to the keel of the bird. Again, the main thing is not to hurt the intestines. If you are afraid of touching, then the skin can only be cut near the anus towards the keel, after which it will easily break further with your hands.
3. Now we prepare dishes for waste and internal organs.
4. We carefully pay attention to the intestines and anus. At the same time, we cut out the stomach and liver. The liver also needs to be very careful not to hurt the spleen. We remove it from the already cut liver.
5. Now you need to draw out the goiter. If you prepared the chicken for slaughter correctly, then the crop will be empty and pulling it out will not be a problem. Otherwise, before gutting, we cut the skin on the neck and empty the goiter of the bird. You also need to cut the skin if the goiter does not want to be pulled out or when using the slaughter method that does not involve chopping off the head.
6. Now you can cut out the genitals (ovaries in females or testes in cockerels) and the heart.
7. The final stage of evisceration will be a thorough rinsing of the carcass with cold water.

How to disassemble a bird?

If you do not know how to properly butcher a chicken, then, as mentioned above, two methods are perfect for this. With both the first and the second method, chicken cutting will not present any difficulties when it is carried out at home. As for which option to choose for you, we cannot advise anything here. Both methods are good and quick to implement, so give preference to yourself, and below are the cutting schemes for both options.

Option one

This method will allow you to quickly and economically cut a whole chicken into pieces. At the same time, the work is easy to carry out at home with an ordinary kitchen knife. Further, a detailed description of the process with themed photos and videos.

1. First, separate the legs of the chicken. To do this, put the carcass on its back, pull back the leg and cut the skin between it and the body. As soon as you reach the joint, you need to stop, take your leg with one hand and turn the joint outward. Next, we separate it with a knife and completely cut off the leg. We do the same with the second leg.
2. Now we divide each leg into two parts: the lower leg and the thigh. We put the leg on the table with the skin and divide it along the flexor joint with sharp pressure of the knife. We do the same with the second leg.
3. Cut off the wings along the shoulder joint.
4. Next, you need to cut the carcass into the breast and back. To do this, we put the knife inside the carcass and pierce it. Now, slowly, towards ourselves, parallel to the spine, we divide the carcass in half.
5. Now we completely separate the back from the breast. Then we additionally cut the back and breast in half.

Option two

This method is useful if you need to cut a whole chicken into pieces that are approximately equal in terms of the amount of meat. It is also easy to carry out at home with improvised means, and thematic photos and videos will help you with this.

1. First you need to prepare for cutting the leg. To do this, we make incisions on the back of the chicken, below the shoulder bones. Then, on both sides along the ridge towards the tail, we make 2 more incisions. This will help us to easily remove the meat from the bone, which is called "oyster".
2. Oyster bones are located in small depressions along the back side of the ridge. Carefully separate them with a knife. When they hold on only one skin, we cut off the legs.
3. The legs are cut out, as in the first version, but in addition the "oyster" is captured.
4. We start cutting the wings. To do this, turn the carcass upside down and make an incision between the spine and one of the shoulder blades. Now the scapula is separated, and then everything is repeated with the second wing. Upon completion, the spine is completely detached.
5. At this stage, you need to separate the breast and wings from the skeleton. To do this, cut the carcass from the inside along the spine.
6. Now we cut off the wings from the breast so that we get 3 equal pieces - 2 wings and a piece of breast.

The final stage of any cutting method is a thorough rinsing of the resulting parts. Such options for disassembling the chicken are basic. But no one forbade you to come up with your own version based on the above and your own needs.

Photo gallery

Video "Cutting the carcass into 8 parts"

Rarely does a hostess think about how to cut a chicken carcass.... Many do this either on a whim, or according to a tradition established in the family. And, meanwhile, there is a general cutting technology, which can not only speed up this process with the experienced, but will also become an indispensable instruction for those who are just trying themselves in culinary skills.

The method described below will show the step-by-step cutting of the carcass into 8 relatively equal pieces... Or even 10 if you separate the wings. And, among other things, the chicken back and cartilage will remain in the form of a pleasant addition - it is hardly suitable for stewing, frying or baking, but it will be an excellent addition to the standard soup set.

The advantage of purchasing a whole carcass is obvious- whatever parts are needed, they will come out much cheaper than buying a separate chicken breast or drumstick. But if you buy chicken exclusively for cutting and subsequent freezing, then you need to keep in mind one important rule: preference should be given to chilled products. It is almost always fresh, and even if not, it is very easy to recognize it by its characteristic smell or appearance.

With frozen carcasses, alas, such a trick will not work. And most often chicken gets into the freezer, which has already lain for 2 or 3 days in the chilled section - this is how stores and suppliers extend its shelf life. But, you must admit, such a carcass, and even after repeated defrosting, cutting and freezing, will definitely not be the first freshness.

Useful tricks for the hostess "on the note"

How to butcher a chicken - step by step guide

The first thing to do is to rinse the carcass thoroughly under running water.. After which it is advisable to dry it slightly, you can use a towel. And boldly proceed to the very process of cutting the chicken:

Divide the breast into portions

The main preparations for cutting the chicken carcass are completed, the turn has come to divide the received into "portions". Let's take care of the breast:

We cut the legs into portioned pieces

Let's get four more pieces so that the chicken lasts longer. A whole chicken leg is good, but still a bit large. Therefore, we will divide it into several parts, separating the thighs from the lower legs. The cutting process is very similar to separating the wings from a chicken carcass: in order to correctly determine the place of the cut, you need to feel the joint connecting the bones. In turn: straighten the leg, find the articular joint - carefully cut the legs into two parts.

This method of cutting allows you to get 8 pieces of chicken at the expense of the breast and legs. And 2 more, if you separate the wings from the carcass. On top of that, the chicken back and breast bones remain. They can also be cooked, but it is much better to put them in a separate bag and in the freezer - later they will become a good basis for a rich chicken broth.

Every poultry farmer has to deal with the question: how to cut a chicken carcass. For many, only the speed of the unpleasant process is important. Few people think about the correctness of actions. Meanwhile, competent processing has many advantages.

Before getting on store shelves and tables, a chicken carcass goes through several stages of preparation. Consistently produced:

Why is it so important to learn how to cut a chicken properly?

The processing quality of the carcass directly affects the taste of the meat. If you touch the intestines or spleen during gutting, the organ fluid will drain and be absorbed into the pulp. Such chicken will have an unpleasant odor, bitter taste.

In addition, professional cutting skills allow you to use carcass parts as economically as possible. Knowing the nuances, it is easy to make preparations for a soup set, meat for frying, baking, salads, separate fillets for minced meat and pieces for feeding animals. For farmers, this is also an indisputable plus, since semi-finished products are sold better than whole chickens.

Correct cutting is also rational from the point of view of the distribution of space in the refrigerator-freezer. The carcass takes up a lot of space, while straight pieces can be easily laid out according to the "tetris" principle.

Finally, an organized, orderly process takes less time and nerves. Well-honed movements are made quickly, a minimum of waste eliminates long cleaning.

Preparation for cutting

Before starting work, you need to prepare tools and space. Gutting is a rather messy process, so it is preferable to cover the table surface surrounding equipment and furniture with oilcloth. It is advisable to protect your clothes with an apron, and wear cellophane or rubber gloves on your hands.

The operation will require:

• board. Better to use the flexible or hard plastic option. Wood absorbs all odors and juices, and glass may not withstand pressure. If the wooden option is chosen, it is worth wrapping the device in cellophane or determining the board taken exclusively for cutting meat;

  

• dish or pan. The removed offal or ready-made pieces will be added to the container. To facilitate washing, they can be immediately lined with cellophane;
• knives. There are special knives for gutting and cutting with a curved end. If this is not available, you can get by with wide and narrow knives made of thick steel and with a strong handle;

  

• chopping fork. It allows you to remove the heart, lungs, liver, intestines, goiter, stomach from the carcass without damage. The action takes place with a minimum of effort, unnecessary movements and dirt;

  

• kitchen scissors. Good for cutting the tendons of the wings, legs. Replaced with a knife.

Such a set is considered ideal, but you can get by with a pair of knives of different sizes. Tools must be well sharpened and washed before starting work.

When the instruments are collected, the final stage of carcass preparation is carried out:

Evisceration

The preliminary operations have been completed. You can proceed to direct gutting. It is desirable to carry out the process as soon as possible after plucking. So it will be possible to avoid rotting and fermentation of the remains of vital activity in the gastrointestinal tract. Step by step, this chicken processing is as follows:

This ends the gutting. Food giblets are being processed. Fat and arteries are cut off from the heart and lungs. The liver is freed from the spleen. The stomach is incised, turned inside out, and the contents, the inner layer of rough skin, are removed. The resulting products are washed with running water.

A lighter version of evisceration can be done with a chopping fork. After removing the anus, goiter and intestine, it is inserted into the carcass. In this case, it is important not to damage the organs. All connections will be cut off by the sharp edges of the device, the insides will remain in it, they will be easy to remove. With good dexterity, all films and "fasteners" can be cut with a thin sharp knife. Then turn the chicken over the dish and shake slightly. The offal will fall out on its own.

There is a trick for situations where the poultry is not originally intended to be cooked or sold whole. In this case, the process is accelerated by cutting off the legs and opening the abdomen immediately after the amputation of the anus. The body will open completely and it will be easier to remove the insides.

Video - Gutting a chicken or rooster in 8 minutes at home

Butchering chicken at home

The term "cutting" refers to the final processing of the carcass by cutting into pieces. This operation can be carried out in various ways depending on the purpose.

What is the best way to disassemble the bird?

The method of parsing the carcass depends on the meat plans. Whole chicken can be sent to the grill, oven or boiled. For other cooking methods, cut options are used. Different parts are suitable for different dishes, so choosing the type of parsing is a crucial step:

How to cut up chicken without waste

First of all, the carcass is washed under water and dried so that it does not slip in the hands. Then they are placed on the cutting surface with the breast up. Further actions take place step by step:

Step 1. Make incisions at the junction of the thighs and torso. Holding on to the leg, the leg is pulled back to separate the joint, slightly turned inside out and the final cut is made from the body. This stage can be completed by separating the thigh and lower leg. The joint is groped with fingers and cut with a knife.

Step 2. Cut off the wings. Pull them back and turn them out in the same way as for legs. When the humeral cartilage comes out, chop off from the carcass. The final sharp element can be cut off along the cartilage or left.

Step 3. Slit the breast lengthwise. Remove the fillet from the bone, picking it up with a blade. You will get two pieces of pulp and a back connected to the ribs.

Step 4. Cut the spine in the middle. Cut off the ribs from the back. The step is optional, it is made if necessary to obtain smaller parts.

Step 5. Remove excess fat from the resulting chicken elements. Also done at personal discretion.

The result is:

• fillets of breast, thighs, drumsticks and wings - for frying, boiling, stewing, baking;
• back, ribs, ends of the wings - for cooking broth;
• fat for frying.

Video - How to butcher chicken without waste

How to cut a chicken into 8 pieces

This cut includes 8 pieces. It is considered classic. It can be modified by chopping up to 10 breast pieces. The ideal tools are a sharp knife and culinary scissors.

Step 1. Find the hip joint on the carcass lying on the back, carefully cut through the flesh. Then stick the knife into the junction of the cartilage and cut it open. Or pull the thigh with your hands until the bone pops out of the joint.

Step 2. Turn the chicken over onto its stomach. Make an incision along the flesh of the thigh along the back. He should go around the entire perimeter of the thigh.

Step 3. Divide the lower leg and thigh along the knee joint. A line of fat on the border serves as a clue to the correct incision site.

Step 4. Cut off the wings. Feel under the breast for the joint between the carcass and the wing. Aim the knife directly at the joint. The separation will take place effortlessly.

Step 5. Remove the breast. It is better to use scissors for this operation. This will make the cut as neat as possible. Lay the carcass on its side. Cut through the border of the back and breast along the strip of fat from start to finish. Repeat on the second side.

Step 6. Remove the sternum bone. Turn the breast skin side down. Make longitudinal incisions on both sides of the cartilage. The meat will move away from him. Through the incisions obtained, grab the bone just above the junction with the cartilage with your fingers. Pull with an effort. The hard elements will leave the soft fillets.

Step 7. Cut the resulting breast in two vertically. It is most convenient to do this from the side of the skin.

The result is 8 chunks:

• 2 breasts;
• 2 hips;
• 2 legs;
• 2 wings.

The back in this embodiment is considered a waste, but it is quite possible to use it for cooking broth.

How to cut chicken into equal portions

For such a cut, you will need to fill your hand. It may not work the first time. Only persistent training will allow, in the end, to achieve even, beautiful pieces.

Step 1. Place the carcass on the back. Cut off the legs at the cartilage joints. The process will become easier if the leg is pressed against the working surface, an incision is made in the pulp and the thigh is slightly twisted. The cartilage will open up and find the joint easier.

Step 2. Cut the lower leg from the thigh at the fold.

Step 3. Divide the remaining carcass into 2 halves. You will need a couple of vertical incisions along the spine and sternum (on either side of them).

Step 4. Cut the pieces obtained at the third stage horizontally in the center into 2 pieces each.

As a result, you get 8 pieces, almost the same in size:

• 2 legs;
• 2 hips;
• 2 lower breast halves;
• 2 upper breast halves with wings.

This treatment looks especially impressive when grilling or frying in a pan. The bones and pieces of meat remaining in the waste will fit into the broth.

The separation of meat from bones comes in handy when preparing minced meat, meat rolls, semi-finished products from pulp (breast and thigh fillets). It is important not only to be able to cut meat, but to keep the pieces presentable. Taking bones out of the entire carcass without damaging the skin is considered aerobatics. Farmers supplying chicken preforms to restaurants may be faced with such an unusual order. Such skill is appreciated and is an indisputable plus of the seller.

For such processing, the knife should be as sharp as possible. It is advisable to sharpen it specifically for this purpose. The tip needs a thin one. Scissors are also useful.

Open method

Description	Photo
Cut the skin vertically along the entire back. You can start in the same way with the breast, but this increases the risk of tearing the carcass. The bones in the dorsum are very close to the skin and can easily damage the skin when pressed.
With gentle movements of the knife, begin to peel off the meat from the skeleton. The direction of movement is from the tail from bottom to top. Break the ischial bone, hip and wing joints. Expose ribs. Help yourself to move the pulp with your hands.
Release the femur to the end. To do this, cut the veins in a circle, move the meat with your fingers.
Keeping the connection of the thigh and body, peel off the pulp with a "stocking" to the extreme cartilage. After reaching the bottom point, sever the upper joint.
Turn out the resulting stocking. Repeat all steps on the second side.
Cut off the ribs with scissors. Remove the fork and keel bones, trimming away any remaining joints.
The wings remain on the carcass directly with the bones or are cut from the skin in an even strip. The process is complete.

Private method

Description	Photo
Through the lower hole in the carcass (gutting is carried out through it), incise the tail, expose the ischial skeleton.
Make an incision with abrupt movements up to the upper femoral cartilage. For convenience, turn the skin with pulp a little in the process. Sever the joint with a blade at the junction.
Trim the veins around the entire circumference of the leg bone. Break the joint of the maple in contact with the lower leg. Repeat the above on the other side of the mascara.
Trim the meat on the ribs to the neck, continuing to tuck the skin with the already dressed flesh.
If there is a neck, pull it out with a sharp movement of the hand. Cut off breast fillet from the skeleton, break off the joints of the wings. Remove the fork bone.
Clean the shin pulp around the circumference, undercutting the ligaments. Chop off the bone in front of the cartilage.
Take out the skeleton. Turn out the skin with meat.

The closed version is ideal for stuffing carcasses. The following scheme can be used to peel meat from chopped pieces. The only difference is that you don't have to worry about the integrity of the skin.

Video - Extracting Bones from Chicken

Video - How to remove bone from a chicken leg

Secrets of Successful Chefs

All chefs have their own tricks for cutting poultry. According to world-famous masters, it is useful to pay attention to the following details:

The good thing is that now it takes less time to cut, the pieces have become neater, the breast is obtained as a separate whole piece, much less physical effort when cutting.

So I decided to write an article with detailed instructions for beginners, so that they start right away right away and don't have to relearn later 😉, and not only for beginners. Probably a lot of housewives butcher the chicken as they are used to, do not think about how to make this process more convenient and faster.

What is required

• whole chicken
• sharp knife
• cutting board
• PATIENCE)))

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Photos are clickable, click on them to enlarge

How to properly cut a chicken step by step photo

1. By butchering the chicken in this way, we get 8 pieces. The first step, of course, is to wash it thoroughly, dry it slightly with a towel.

2. First we get the chicken legs. Put the carcass on the board, back down, take it by the leg and pull it in the opposite direction from the carcass, cut the skin.

3 We hold on to the leg and thigh with one hand - the other - for the carcass. We begin to separate, for this, we tear the thigh from the carcass, turning it slightly upward. The joints should separate - the femur should come out of the joint.

4. The joints are no longer connected, so now you can easily cut off the leg with the thigh, make an incision, twisting the thigh and turning the carcass on the back, breast up. We finish separating the leg, cut to the tail.

5. Cut off the second leg in the same way. Now we will separate the wings. We determine by touch where the shoulder joint is located, which connects the wing to the carcass, cut along the joint.

6. It remains to separate the breast from the back. Take a close look at the photo, it shows the direction in which you should cut.

The direction can be determined by the white fat line, they are connected by ribs and cartilage, it is easy to cut them. We cut strictly in the indicated direction in order to divide correctly.

7. We cut off the breast only on one side, we cut on the other.

8. This was the most difficult moment for me. But he is already over, we are glad if everything worked out well for us and we are not upset, if not very much. ;-). Everyone knows that in any business you need to fill your hand, the next time it will turn out for sure!

In the middle of the breast, along its entire length, there is a cartilage on the bone, you need to take it out. Slightly cut the upper part of the breast, where there are two bones, cut just between these bones until we come across a bone from the cartilage, which is dark in color.

9. To pull out a bone with cartilage, you need to pry on this bone with your thumbs, for this we begin to break the breast into two parts, making slight efforts, push the bone up and push our fingers under it.

11. We got the cartilage from chicken meat almost completely, it is kept only on the bone and a little in the middle. We take hold of the cartilaginous bone and carefully, but with an effort, pull it, after it the cartilage will be removed.

12. We removed the cartilage bone and the cartilage itself.

If you raise chickens or regularly buy whole poultry for cooking, then you have probably come across the process of butchering a chicken. How to quickly gut a chicken at home? How to properly gut and butcher the chicken after this? You can find answers to these and other questions below.

Before butchering a chicken, it must be properly gutted. If you are new to this business, then the first chicken cutting can be a little difficult for you, especially if it needs to be cut into equal portions and done quickly. But before starting this process, the bird should be properly gutted. You don't need anything other than a sharpened knife and knowledge of how to do it. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to do this at home. You will also find photos and videos in this article.

1. The first step is to cut out the anus of the chicken. Arm yourself with a knife - the anus should be cut in a circle. Try not to pierce anything unnecessary.
2. When the anus is cut, a shallow incision must be made from the cut out to the keel. Try not to hurt the intestines of the bird, otherwise you may simply spoil the meat. If you are doing this at home for the first time, then we recommend that you make an incision in the skin next to the anus towards the keel. After that, the skin will tear without any problems.
3. Evisceration is the removal of internal organs from poultry meat. The next stage of evisceration will be the extraction of all entrails. Prepare your bowl in advance. The intestine together with the anus should be pulled out very carefully. The next stage of evisceration will be cutting the liver and stomach of the bird. It is better to remove the liver together with the spleen; the last organ should be excised from the already separated liver.
4. Next, you will need to extract the goiter. In the event that the bird was properly prepared for death, that is, slaughter, then the crop should be empty, so it will not be difficult for you to pull it out. If the goiter is complete, then before gutting, an incision in the skin on the neck should be made, after which this organ should be pulled out.
5. The next stage of evisceration is cutting the genitals. If you have a rooster, then use a knife to remove the testis, if you have a chicken, then the ovaries. Also at this stage of evisceration, the heart should be cut out.
6. Thus, the chicken was left without internal organs. At the last stage of this process, the bird should be rinsed with water.

Chicken cutting procedure

The next step is to cut the chicken into pieces and parts at home. How to do it economically, quickly and correctly - you will learn further. Several methods of cutting at home have been prepared especially for our users.

No waste

1. First of all, butchering involves the separation of the legs. It is recommended to put the poultry carcass on the kitchen board so that its breast is on top. The leg itself is pulled back, and the place where it connects to the body is incised. After that, the leg should be turned out with the joint outward. So the leg can be easily separated from the rest of the body, a similar operation is carried out with the second leg. It should be noted that if the chicken was large in itself, then each leg can be divided into two parts - the thigh and the leg itself.
2. Next, you should cut off the wings. To do this, press with a knife on the place where the bones articulate, in the area of ​​the shoulder joint. If the wing is pressed against the body of the bird, then you will immediately see the joint. When the joint is incised, the winglet should be pulled back a little, after which it can be completely detached from the body.
3. As shown in the photo and video of cutting poultry at home, the knife must be shoved inside the chicken, after which it must be pierced and divided. The poultry carcass is cut parallel to the spine, first on one side, and then on the other. In this case, the blade should be carefully pointed towards you.
4. When all these steps are completed, you will need to completely separate the chest and back, as seen in the photo. Directly the back is divided into two pieces - for this you need to press sharply with a knife where the chest ends. The same goes for the breast - it is divided into two pieces. As a result, you will get two halves that will go to the bones. If the chicken was large, then the breast can be divided into more than two pieces, see the situation.

Thus, if the cutting was done correctly and economically, then you will receive ten pieces with different sizes. Cutting scheme and photos are provided in the gallery.

Into portions

With the method of cutting at home below, the parts of the carcass will be slightly larger, but they will all be approximately the same size. In this case, it will not be possible to do everything quickly, since it will take patience.

1. Make a cross-cut on the back of the chicken just below the shoulder bones, you can feel the bones with your hands. From the center of this cut, you need to guide the knife towards the tail. Also, the incision must be made along the spine, while the bones do not need to be cut.
2. The so-called oysters, as seen in the photo, are located on the underside of the carcass (on the back). The pulp must be carefully separated from the seeds with a knife, but it is not necessary to cut it off completely. This will help to quickly separate the legs. After that, the chicken should be turned over with its chest up. At the point of contact of the leg with the body, it is necessary to make an incision, then guide the knife along the joint. The leg is turned inside out, as in the previous case, but is separated along with the previously cut pulp. After that, the tendons on the thighs are cut out.
3. Let's move on to the wings. The carcass is turned over with its back to the top, an incision is made between the shoulder blade (any) and the spine, which continues along the spine. Further, on the other side, the same incision is made and the second wing is separated. The wings have not yet been completely cut off, at this stage the spine must be severed.
4. Then the breast with wings is completely separated from the carcass. The knife must be inserted inside and the skeleton must be trimmed. In order to separate the wings, you need to turn the carcass breast-side up. Now you should separate the wings directly. Part of the meat is separated from the breast, and in the place where the neck connects to the brisket, you need to cut off obliquely. Thus, you got two wings with brisket and back meat.