How To Carve a Whole Roast Chicken

Carving a chicken is quite simple, here's our guide with easy step-by-step instructions!

A sharp carving knife & a meat fork is all that's required.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, cover with foil & leave to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes pre carving.

Remember you can always pick any nuggets of meat left on the bone with your fingers, there's two bite sized pieces hidden on the base of the carcass towards the middle, named the 'oyster'. These are the most succulent pieces of chicken, well worth taking out as a little treat.

Step 1

Place the chicken on a clean flat cutting surface. Holding the chicken steady with a carving fork, cut through the skin between the leg and breast using the carving knife.

Step 2

Applying even pressure cut through the hip joint, removing the entire leg from the main body then repeat with the opposite leg.

Step 3

Next, remove the breast meat, make a long cut horizontally near the base of the chicken until the knife touches the inner bone.

Step 4

Then, hold the chicken near the breastbone with the carving fork. Make a cut along one side of the breast then cut through to the horizontal cut you made at the base of the body. Repeat with the opposite breast.

Step 5

Place a leg skin-side down and cut through the joint between the drumstick and thigh then repeat with the opposite leg.

Step 6

Place the breasts skin side up & carve the breast into slices cutting across the breast.

Step 7

Finally pull the wing away from the body and use the knife to separate the wing from the main carcass then repeat with the opposite wing.

Step 8

You now have a fully carved chicken ready to serve plus a carcass, which makes great chicken broth for another day.