A guide to different cuts of chicken
Perfect your poultry with our guide to preparing, cooking and enjoying one of the most popular meats – chicken. Find out how to roast or barbecue a chicken, the difference between popular cuts of chicken, and top tips guaranteed to make your next chicken dinner a winner.
Common chicken cuts
Whole chicken
A whole chicken can be roasted, poached and braised, or broken down into pieces for individual use. Plus, the carcass can be simmered to make homemade stock or broth. Butterflying or spatchcocking removes the backbone to allow the chicken to be laid flat and flattened.
Breast and tenderloin
Chicken breast is a lean cut that benefits from fast cooking, such as pan-frying or barbecuing, as it can easily dry out. The chicken tenderloin is a cut from near the breast and is commonly crumbed or used in stir-fries.
Thigh fillet and cutlets
Great for slow-cooking in curries and casseroles, thigh fillets are very versatile and suitable for most cooking methods. Thigh cutlets are the same part, just with the bone and skin still intact. They’re great for roasting and barbecuing.
Chicken wings
Wings are a great budget-friendly option. They are best divided into their three segments; remove the wing tips (and use them to make a stock along with any other chicken offcuts), then cut the rest of the wing into two portions. Chicken wings are best marinated, then roasted or barbecued.
Drumstick
Easy to hold and great for snacking, drumsticks are delicious when marinated and roasted. They're also a budget-friendly option for casseroles and stews.
Chicken mince
Chicken mince is incredibly versatile and can be used in recipes for burgers, rissoles, meatballs, lasagnes and even salads. Mince chicken is often a leaner alternative to beef, lamb or pork mince meat.
Chicken recipes
How to cut up a chicken
- Step 1: With the chicken facing breast-side up, Cut through the wing joints, leaving wing drumettes attached to the breast. Cut wing portions in half and reserve the wing tips to use in stocks and soups.
- Step 2: Pull each leg away from the body, then cut through the skin and bone between the breast and thigh to remove the maryland.
- Step 3: Cut along either side of the chicken breast bone to remove each breast portion, keeping wing drumette attached.
- Step 4: You can use the remaining chicken carcass to make stock.
The best chicken cuts to cook on the barbecue
BBQ chicken thigh
Easy cut to grill that will become crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Give this barbecued chicken thigh recipe a try.
BBQ chicken breast
A lean cut that’s quick to cook. This succulent barbecue chicken recipe is paired with grilled pineapple.
Chicken burger patties
A leaner alternative to beef patties. For a quick meal, you can make your own patties like in this Banh mi chicken burger recipe.
BBQ butterflied chicken
A delicious way to give a whole chicken smoky, charcoal flavours. You can try butterflying your own chicken with our recipe for BBQ butterflied chicken.
BBQ chicken skewers
Cutting chicken into smaller pieces and threading onto skewers allows the chicken to cook quicker. You can also buy pre-marinated chicken skewers, or try this easy chicken skewer recipe for a 15-minute meal.
