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How to Properly Quarter a Chicken

Slice a Whole Bird into Four Parts for Serving

Aug 9, 2009 Armand Famiglietti

No matter the chicken recipe, this process of how to quarter a chicken will segement the bird quickly and easily. The presentation will impress the guests.

Cooking a whole chicken is a great way to stretch a dollar as well feed an entire family. Not only can the meat be eaten, but the carcass can be saved to make a wonderful chicken soup. Whether the chicken to be served is roasted, grilled or fried, seasoned with lemon-pepper, barbecue or any other marinade, the way to quarter a chicken is always the same. Here’s how to quarter a chicken next time a whole chicken is prepared for friends and family.

Things You’ll Need

Whole chicken
Butcher’s knife
Cutting board

Quartering the Chicken

Let the chicken rest and cool for several minutes after removing it from the heat source. The internal temperature of the chicken will be at least 185 degrees F and needs to cool before handling. Also, this will allow the juices to settle.
Take the butcher’s knife and cut the chicken leg along the ball joint. This will loosen, but not completely remove the leg.
Pry the leg away from the body. Eventually the ball joint will pop out of the socket. At this point the leg is almost free.
Making another cut below where the ball join just popped out to finish the removal of the leg. Repeat this process on the other side of the chicken.
Lay the removed chicken leg with the skin side down and make a cut between the chicken thigh and the chicken leg. This will separate those two pieces. Repeat this process on the other leg.
Rotate the body of the chicken so that the neck side is closest to you. (The back of the chicken will slope down toward you.)
Slice along the back bone toward the neck and remove one of the breasts. (Leave the wing attached to the breast.) Repeat this process so that you have two chicken breasts, both with the wings still connected.
Cut down through the wing joint separating the breast and wing. Again repeat this the other breast and wing.
Place the carved chicken on a serving platter in the four parts for serving. The breast and wings and the thighs and legs will be next to each other respectively. The body of the chicken in the middle for presentation (though there will be no meat remaining.) Tips

A chicken may be quartered before or after cooking depending on the recipe.

To make chicken stock, cut the remaining carcass in half between the sternum and the rib cage, place in water and heat thoroughly. Then allow the stock to cool, remove the carcass and add ingredients to your soup.

Warnings

Never place any food on a surface that raw chicken has touched. Bacteria and other contaminants can easily be spread to other foods.

The copyright of the article How to Properly Quarter a Chicken in Recipes is owned by Armand Famiglietti. Permission to republish How to Properly Quarter a Chicken in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

A Chicken ready for Quartering!