How to Cut a Whole Chicken Into Pieces Whether you want six, eight, or 10 pieces, this technique will become second nature. Whole chickens are good for roasting, but you can also cut them into pieces for braises and stews or to make fried chicken. Of course, you can buy precut chicken at the store, but knowing how to cut a chicken is a basic culinary skill that every home cook should be able to tackle. And when we cut up a whole chicken ourselves, we can control whether it is cut into six, eight, or 10 pieces. Follow our step-by-step guide to cutting a whole chicken into pieces and learn this essential technique, which works for cooked chicken as well. How Chicken Tenderloin and Chicken Breast Are Different—and When to Use Each What You Need: Cutting board: Make sure it doesn't slip. Use a separate cutting board for meat to avoid cross-contamination. Sharp chef's knife Kitchen shears (optional) Test Kitchen Tip: Don't throw away the leftover back and neck: Store them in the freezer each time you cut up a chicken until you have enough for a basic chicken stock. Simmer them for an hour with water to cover, and you'll have a base for a great soup. 01 of 08 Start to Remove the Leg With the chicken breast side up, pull each leg away from the body, then slice through the skin between the breast and drumstick. Before you do this step, feel free to trim away any excess fat you see on the bird. You should also remove any giblets inside the chicken that come with purchasing a whole chicken. The package will say whether or not they've included the giblets. 02 of 08 Finish Removing the Leg Turn the chicken on its side. Bend each leg back until the thighbone pops out of its socket. Cut through the joint and skin to detach the leg completely. Repeat for the other leg 03 of 08 Remove Wings With the chicken on its side, pull each wing away from the body. Cut through the joint and remove the wing. Repeat for the other wing. If you want to remove the wing tips, now is the time: simply cut them off each wing and save them with the backbone for stock. Our Ultimate Guide to Chicken Wings: Here's How to Buy, Cook, and Serve This Go-To Party Appetizer 04 of 08 Separate the Breast From the Back Lift up the chicken and cut downward through the rib cage and then shoulder joints to separate the breast from the back (save the back for stock). You may prefer using kitchen shears for this step. 05 of 08 Divide the Breast In Two Place the breast skin side down. Split the center bone using a chopping motion, then slice through the meat and skin to separate it into two pieces. (Some cooks prefer to use shears to cut the breast into two pieces.) 06 of 08 Cut the Breast Halves Into Quarters To cut the breast halves into quarters (this is optional), turn each skin side up and cut in half diagonally through the bone. Repeat with the other breast half. 07 of 08 Divide the Legs Into Thighs and Drumsticks If you want to divide the legs, turn each skin side down and cut through the joints (along the white fat line) to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Repeat for the other leg. 08 of 08 The End Result You should end up with six to 10 parts, depending on whether you divided the breast halves and legs. 13 Creative Ways to Elevate Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken Explore more: Food & Cooking Cooking How-Tos & Techniques