HOW TO DE-BONE A CHICKEN

Partial and full de-boning; can be used with any bird.
     

Step 1

Place the chicken, breast side up, on a clean cutting surface. Stretch out each wing flat against the board by pulling the tip. With a boning knife, cut off the wing tip and next joint, leaving the largest wing bone still attached.


     

Step 2

At the neck, cut out the wishbone by pulling the skin up and out of the way and sliding the knife along the underside of the wishbone. Continue cutting around and under the wishbone until it is free and can be pulled out with your fingers.

     

Step 3

Turn the bird over, and with breast side down, cut along the backbone from the neck to the tail.

     

Step 4

With short sharp strokes of your knife, keeping the knife close to the bones, cut the flesh and skin, carefully using your fingers to pull the flesh away from the carcass.
Cut through the ball-and-socket joints connecting the wing and thigh bones to the carcass, so that they are separated from the carcass but still attached to the skin. When step is complete on both sides, meat will be attached only along the ridge of the breastbone. Gently (the skin tears easily) pull to separate the breastbone and carcass from the flesh.

     

Step 5

Cut the flesh from the curved (saber) bone near the wing and remove the bone.

     

Step 6

The partially-boned bird with leg and wing bones left in, is now ready for stuffing.


TO COMPLETELY DEBONE THE CHICKEN:

     

Step 7

While holding the wing bone from inside the bird, cut through the tendons and scrape the meat from the bone with the knife. Pull out the bone, using the knife to free it.

     

Step 8

Using a cleaver or thick-bladed cook's knife, cut off end of leg bone. Note: The use of a cook's knife for chopping through chicken bone is acceptable for this application but not recommended for cutting through other bone.

     

Step 9

Repeat step #7 to remove the leg bone. Reposition wing and leg meat so skin side is out.

     

Step 10

The whole chicken is now completely boned, with the skin intact and ready to be stuffed, rolled, and roasted.

Source: Professional Cutlery Direct