How to butterfly a chicken

Our step-by-step instructions will teach you how to butterfly a chicken.

What is butterfly cutting?

This method of cutting poultry flattens the carcass, allowing it to cook more evenly and quickly. You remove the backbone and open the bird like a book.

Why butterfly a chicken?

It cooks quickly.
Butterflyed chicken bakes and fries faster because the inside and outside cook at the same time.

More flavor
Because the chicken is roasted on both the inside and outside, each piece is coated with a flavorful crust.

Easier to grill
Chicken is much easier to grill when it's flattened: the meat cooks evenly and the bird is easy to turn.

Perfect chicken under a brick
If you have a large cast-iron skillet, fry flattened chicken under a brick. You'll never have such a crispy crust!

Chicken cutting tools

The tools needed for cutting up a chicken are versatile. There aren't many of them, and you probably already have them in your kitchen.

Large cutting board
First, the board should be large enough to accommodate the flattened chicken. Second, make sure it's non-slip. This is important. If it isn't, place a damp towel underneath it.

Paper towels
To prevent the chicken from becoming slippery, thoroughly dry it with paper towels. For food safety reasons, raw chicken shouldn't be washed. Simply pat it dry, and that's all.

Kitchen poultry shears
With a pair of sturdy kitchen shears, you can easily remove the backbone from your bird. We recommend choosing scissors that extend easily and are easy to clean.

A sharp, durable knife
It's best to use a utility knife rather than your favorite chef's knife, as you may hit the bone and damage the blade.

Cooking time for cut chicken

When cooking chicken, the most accurate indicator of doneness is its internal temperature. Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, and when it reads 165°F (74°C), the chicken is done.

If you are grilling butterfly chicken over indirect medium-high heat, expect that a 1.5 kg carcass will take about 50 minutes (significantly less than when frying a whole chicken).

If you are frying a 1.5 kg cut chicken in a frying pan, and then bake in the oven at 200°C until done, it will take about 35 minutes to bake.

How to butterfly a chicken

By following this simple step-by-step guide, you'll master the butterfly technique with ease. Your chicken will cook faster and more evenly.


Step 1: Pat the chicken dry

Butterflyed chicken is ideal for grilling or baking. First, pat the chicken dry thoroughly.


Step 2: Remove the spine

To flatten the bird, remove the backbone. Turn the bird over so it's backside up. Use kitchen shears and cut along the backbone on both sides.

Advice: The cut out pieces can be frozen for broth.


Step 3: Make a cut

Open the chicken like a book. Make a cut in the white cartilage (located on the breast near the neck). Spread the wings to flatten the bird even more.


Step 4: Remove the sternum

Make a cut on each side of the sternum and remove it.

Note: When you bake or roast a butterfly chicken, its surface is exposed to the heat the most, so it cooks about 25 minutes faster than a whole chicken.


Step 5: Fold the wings in

Tuck the wings forward and under the chicken for a neat appearance. Now the chicken is ready for frying and roasting, and your dinner will be on the table before you know it!

We recommend

Butterflyed Chicken Recipes

Greek-Style Grilled Flatbread Chicken

Poultry holds a place of honor in traditional Greek cuisine, with chicken often favored. Grilled chicken will acquire a Mediterranean flavor if seasoned with the classic Greek combination of oregano, garlic, and lemon juice. To ensure the dish retains all the beneficial properties of Mediterranean cuisine, opt for olive oil, as it is also essential in Greek cuisine.

Spicy Grilled Butterfly Chicken

This recipe transforms a restaurant classic into the perfect picnic dish, with the spicy, salty, and sweet notes typical of Asian cuisine. Butterflying and grilling under a press ensures the chicken skin is super crispy and the meat is tender and juicy. This method also significantly reduces cooking time.

Chicken carcasses smoked on apple wood chips

Smoking chicken doesn't require a special device. A charcoal or gas grill, with some pre-soaked applewood chips, works perfectly. To ensure even smoking and browning on all sides, the chickens are best butterflyed, removing the backbone. This method involves soaking the chickens overnight in a brine with spices, apple juice, and lemon juice, then grilling them for a long time over smoky wood chips. Therefore, plan your cooking ahead of time, including three hours for smoking.

Butterfly chicken with mustard vinaigrette

"After you've removed the backbone and laid the chicken out, press down on it a little to flatten it out (butterfly cutting). This will ensure even cooking," explains Alex.

Country-Style Butterfly Chicken in the Oven

Butterflyed chicken bakes much faster than whole chicken, you don't have to turn it during baking, and you can be sure that every piece will be covered in a delicious, crispy crust. Simply cut the backbone off the chicken, open it up, and flatten it—it's a minimal amount of work, but the results are amazing!

Author of the recipe - Freya Berg, chef and Food Network writer

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