RecipeTips.Com Home cooking tips & advice | Knowledge | Chicken Preparation Guide | Butterflying Chicken
Join Now | Sign In | RSS Feeds RSS Feeds
Butterflying Chicken: Easy How-To Cooking Tips & Advice: RecipeTips.com
Recipes Cooking Tips & Advice Glossary Community Videos
hints
e-Newsletter
RecipeTips.com Newsletter Sign Up

Butterflying Chicken

print Print Butterflying Chicken article  |  email Email Butterflying Chicken article  |  rate this article Rate this article  | Bookmarks
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.

More Chicken Preparation Guide >>

Butterflying Chicken article - Related Content

Collections
Chicken Recipes

Chicken Recipes

View our collection of free chicken recipes including oven baked chicken and chicken breast recipes.
Cooking Tips & Advice
Chicken Cooking Times

Chicken Cooking Times

Chicken cooking temperatures are important to monitor in order to insure meat is safely cooked to the proper temperature. When preparing chicken, use the chart below as a ...
Chicken Recipes

Chicken Recipes

Chicken - Quantity to Buy

Chicken - Quantity to Buy

It is sometimes difficult to know just how much chicken to buy to have the proper amount for a particular recipe or to serve to a specific number of people. Some of the ...
Chicken - Look and Feel

Chicken - Look and Feel

Looking at and feeling the chicken can give you information that the label will not provide. When shopping for a whole fresh chicken that you are planning on roasting ...
Chicken - Read the Label

Chicken - Read the Label

Reading the label will inform you as to the type of chicken, the parts contained in the package, the total weight, a description, how fresh it is, and nutritional ...
Recipes view more
Herb Roasted Butterflied Chicken

Herb Roasted Butterflied Chicken

Butterflying (splitting and flattening) the chicken allows it to roast in half the time of whole chicken without losing any of the delicious flavor and crispy skin that makes roast chicken everybody's favorite. The butterflying process is easy to do and takes only a few minutes and a sturdy scissors. Use whatever herbs are available: tarragon, rosemary and thyme are especially tasty.
Chicken Pecan Salad with Craisins

Chicken Pecan Salad with Craisins

An easy to prepare chicken salad recipe that features a delicious combination of pecans, celery, and craisins that taste so good when blended with the wonderful apple mustard flavor of the dressing.
Chicken Liver Pate

Chicken Liver Pate

An easy, elegant appetizer.
Chicken Curry with Rice

Chicken Curry with Rice

Anyone who likes curry seasoning will love this irresistible chicken curry loaded with a combination of sweet and savory ingredients. Serve it on a bed of rice, and top it with a variety of condiments if desired.
Chicken Strudel

Chicken Strudel

When it comes to chicken recipes, this one ranks near the top. Flaky phyllo dough rollups are stuffed with a mixture of chopped chicken, onions, spinach, and cheeses and baked until golden brown. These chicken strudels make an excellent brunch or supper entrée.
Glossary Terms
Chicken Alfredo Soup

Chicken Alfredo Soup

A soup made to be similar to the popular Italian food dish known as Chicken Alfredo or fettuccine Alfredo. This soup is made from a base of milk or cream combined with chicken ...
Chicken Cheese Enchilada Soup

Chicken Cheese Enchilada Soup

Prepared like a hearty chicken chowder, this soup is made with ingredients common in many southwestern U.S. or Mexican kitchens. Typical ingredients used to make a Chicken Cheese ...
Chicken Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

Chicken Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

A combination of ingredients that go together well make this type of soup similar but a more savory version of a traditional potato soup. Ingredients used to make this soup will ...
Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

A savory mixture of chicken, dumplings and vegetables combined into a sauce-like soup. With an appearance and taste similar to the filling of a traditional pot pie, Chicken ...
Chicken Vegetable Soup - California Style

Chicken Vegetable Soup - California Style

Typically made with a wider variety of vegetables than traditional Chicken Vegetable Soup, this type of soup has a similar flavor but more vegetable flavored. Cooked in a chicken ...
Cooking Videos
Cutting up a Chicken for Your Favorite Chicken Recipes

Cutting up a Chicken for Your Favorite Chicken Recipes

Whether you're making chicken marsala or a fried chicken recipe, RecipeTips.com's easy-to-follow video demonstration, 'Cutting up a Chicken,' will show you the money-saving way to accomplish this task for all of your favorite chicken recipes.
USDA Nutrition Facts

Chicken meatless breaded fried

Chicken meatless

Chicken pot pie frozen entree

Chicken breast oven-roasted fat-free sliced

Chicken breast fat-free mesquite flavor sliced

Summer Of Grilling Giveaway
Advertise With Us ADVERTISEMENT
Daily Feature
Apple Crumble Recipe
view past daily features
Party Planner
RecipeTips.Com Home cooking tips & advice | Knowledge | Chicken Preparation Guide | Butterflying Chicken
Join Now | Sign In | RSS Feeds RSS Feeds
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
© Copyright 2008 Tecstra Systems, All Rights Reserved, RecipeTips.Com