Butterflying Chicken

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Meat > Chicken > Chicken Preparation Guide > Butterflying Chicken

If broiling or grilling a whole chicken, it should be butterflied for more even cooking. The following instructions are a guide to butterflying a whole chicken.

		To butterfly, place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board and cut along each side of the backbone using a poultry scissors or a sharp knife. Remove the backbone and discard.
		Turn the chicken breast side up and pull out each side where the backbone was removed. Using the heel of your hand to press down on the breast, break the breastbone to flatten the chicken.
		Use skewers to help the bird lay flat by threading one skewer through a wing, through the breast, and out the other wing. Thread a second skewer into a thigh, catching a piece of the leg, then through the bottom part of the breast, and out through the other leg and thigh. The skewers will help hold the chicken flat while it cooks.

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