Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season a Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with one of these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Food and Recipes
  3. Cooking Tips and Techniques
  4. How To Carve a Chicken

How To Carve a Chicken

By Norman King
Skip gallery slides
FB
How To Carve a Chicken: Step 1
Credit: Iain Bagwell
Before you could go to the store and purchase a pack of pre-cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, nearly every home cook knew how to carve a roasted chicken. We have nothing against pre-cut chicken breasts; in fact, we love using them in easy weeknight dinners. However, learning how to carve a chicken is still a very useful. Roasting your own whole chicken delivers crispy skin, customizable flavor, and juicy meat. You don't need to be an expert chef to make your own tender roasted chicken.  The art of chicken carving is useful when dealing with store-bought rotisserie chicken, too. Many of our favorite chicken dishes call for the carved meat of deli-roasted rotisserie chickens. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can learn how to carve a chicken like a professional chef. All you'll need a large, wooden cutting board, a very sharp chef's knife, a large, sturdy fork, and a bowl for placing the roasted chicken pieces. This easy step-by-step guide will walk you through the rest.
Start Slideshow

1 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 1

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 1
Credit: Iain Bagwell

The first step in how to carve a chicken is placing the roasted or rotisserie chicken on a large cutting board or meat carving board, breast side up.

1 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 2

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 2
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Start by removing the legs on both sides. Pull the leg and thigh away from one side of the chicken, and cut through the connective joint, removing the entire leg and thigh. Repeat on the other side.

2 of 6

3 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 3

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 3
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

To separate the thigh from the drumstick, hold the drumstick and cut away from the thigh, cutting through the connective joint to separate.

3 of 6

Advertisement

4 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 4

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 4
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

To remove the breast meat, make a deep vertical cut along one side of the breastbone, using the inside of the breastbone as a guide.

4 of 6

5 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 5

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 5
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Continue cutting to remove the breast meat from the rib cage. If the chicken is warm and juicy, this should be easy sailing. In fact, you can often just use your hand to work the breast meat away from the rib cage after your initial cut.

5 of 6

6 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step 6

How To Carve a Chicken: Step 6
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Remove the wings from the chicken by pulling each wing away from the chicken body, cutting through the connective joint.

6 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Norman King

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 6 Step 1
    2 of 6 Step 2
    3 of 6 Step 3
    4 of 6 Step 4
    5 of 6 Step 5
    6 of 6 Step 6

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    How To Carve a Chicken
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.