How to Debone a Chicken

Step 1
Make a clean straight cut down along the breastbone.











Step 2
Cut down along the side of the breastbone along the ribcage.
 










Step 3
When you get down to the leg bone, pop the leg joints out. This helps to flatten out the chicken making it easier to complete the process.






















Step 4
Cut along the knuckle of the wing bone to separate it from the body of the chicken.










Step 5
Cut along the knuckle of the leg bone also.












Step 6
Just like the breastbone, cut along the centre and then along both sides of the leg bone.










Step 7
You should be able to push your finger under the bone to make space to edge your knife in to cut away the bone.

NOTE: Be careful to cut AWAY from your finger, NEVER towards it.



 
Step 8
You should be able to completely remove the leg bone away from the chicken.



Step 9
For the wing, first cut the little wing off and then, repeating the method used for the leg, cut along the centre of the wing bone, then both sides, then under to separate the wing bone from the chicken.


















Step 10
Repeat steps 2 to 9 for the other side of the chicken.


Step 11
Turning the chicken over, cut away the remaining skin from under the main body of the chicken. There is no meat here, so be careful not to cut through the skin, you need the chicken in one piece.

• Remember, for deboning a chicken, when you follow the bone, deboning is easy.

• Save the bones to make stock or soup with.

• Use the flat side of the meat tenderizer to flatten out the meat afterwards. The studded side could tear through the meat.

• Use Saran Wrap over your meat tenderizer and you won’t have to clean it afterwards.

• Butterfly cut the breast meat and thicker portions of the leg meat to make it easier to roll up the chicken for the roast.