The Best Way To Carve A Whole Chicken | Epicurious 101

Chef Frank Proto helps you add another skill to your kitchen toolkit, this time demonstrating the best way to carve a whole roast chicken, step by step. If you've found yourself unsure of how to start, leaving lots of good meat on the bone, or just mangling things in general, chef Frank is here to help.
Learn more with Chef Frank on his KZbin Channel ProtoCooks!
/ @protocookswithcheffrank
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Buy knives like the ones Frank uses for this demonstration:
Slicing Knife: amzn.to/3ohfTnU
Boning Knife: fave.co/3giFI2u
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0:00 Introduction
0:40 Chapter 1 - Pre-carving
1:35 Chapter 2 - Knives
2:16 Chapter 3 - Carving
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[@epicurious]

Buy knives like the ones Frank uses for this demonstration: Slicing Knife: amzn.to/3ohfTnU Boning Knife: fave.co/3giFI2u When you buy something through our retail links, we earn an affiliate commission.

[@MrYarabandi]

More vegan and vegetarian recipes please. Love you all.

[@Cloud.Strife]

WTF IS THIS EDITING*?&*%&%?& You need to fire the mouth breather that made these cuts and skips in a video that should have been literally designed to NOT cut or skip over these instructional cutting parts.

[@dif5759]

Wish I could buy through the link, but I am in the UK .... postage from US would be ..... a lot! :)

[@gustavolrcoelho]

Knowing Frank and his absence from the channel, he raised that chicken himself.

[@Amy-Gnzlz]

😂

[@Hugealligator254]

Personal touch

[@ProtoCookswithChefFrank]

The team at Epicurious is doing a great job with these videos. Another great shoot & fun video.

[@princeofdannok9354]

Thanks master

[@RahhmiPoofs]

you'll be happy! I cut chicken correctly!

[@neilneilguiang8409]

Thanks for this vid sir frank! Now i know where to find the 'oysters'😁

[@JC-vy1do]

I usually watch America's test kitchen. This was an enjoyable and thorough alternative. I am gonna keep checking out these videos.

[@Sandrosian]

I should be going to bed but Frank is teaching us how to carve a chicken.....so time to learn how to carve a chicken. Who knows I might run into a freshly grilled chicken as a midnight snack.

[@rahpat01]

Same, watching him carve a chicken while I should be sleeping. That chicken doesn't look very tasty though; flat-grilled looks much better than oven cooked, but you need to cut the breast a bit differently since the bird is spread open/flattened before grilling

[@adventure_hannah3841]

Lol mood

[@peadar-o]

Before you make a stock with the big piece that’s left, clear off as much meat of the carcass as possible. The shreds are nice in a sandwich or salad.

[@FusionC6]

id just put it on a plate and dig in with a fork hehe

[@peadar-o]

@@FusionC6 I’ve been known to demolish an entire chicken, including cracking the bones and getting the good stuff out and eating the cartilage, but in the days I was meal prepping for lunches at the office, I was a bit more disciplined 😉 One of my former flatmates was very wasteful, pretty much throwing out a good serving of meat (bits left on the bones).

[@seriaburns4511]

Whenever I sauté veggies, I add a little bit of flaked chicken or some other "rekado" as we say in Filipino (little shrimps, ground pork, or any leftover meat that we wanna recycle), just to add more substance in the dish

[@FusionC6]

@@peadar-o cartilage is one of my fav parts, especially that large fin shaped piece between the breasts !

[@Subtletext]

Absolutely! Much good chicken left on the breast bone and underneath.

[@ThieflyChap]

As someone who has a roast chicken regularly, this was highly useful. I now want a boning and proper carving knife.

[@tommyh.2545]

Frank is a definition of "Smiling with eyes", always cheers me.

[@SarasaraSara-px6np]

Frank is my favorite 😍 it's impossible not to watch his videos🙅‍♀️

[@andy16005343]

1:50 long knife means we don't have to saw, if we saw, we shred the meat. 4:45 proceeds to saw vigorously using about a quarter of the knife. Giggle.

[@brendydekeyser2728]

Exactly.... Wtf. Just run the full length over the meat.

[@assassinz5542]

Exactly what I was thinking I came to the comments to see if anyone else noticed lmao

[@mezua123]

@@assassinz5542 exactly why im here

[@leo_link]

I came here to say this, but knew in my heart it had already been said.

[@2adamast]

Indeed, in this case the knife was too long for him, had he kept the boning knife or used a thinner filleting knife it probably would have worked.

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

I just tried this and absolutely SLAYED it. I could have gotten the thighs off cleaner, but next time! Im chronically ill and only recently able to start learning to cook and stuff like this is so helpful. I don’t have the time to be up and active for an hour dinking around and figuring it out. 20-25 minutes and then I must sit for an hour. I need to make it count. This helps!

[@davidjblake8945]

Great, informative video - the only thing you missed was explaining WHEN you switched knives... luckily I spotted it at 4:25 in the video!

[@trinibelle49]

I didn't think I would enjoy a video about carving chicken as much as I did. Frank is a gem ❤️

[@oftenbetterthanone]

glad to see you popped the oysters and ate them. I always do the same when I carve up a chicken!

[@thomaslynch1853]

I was worried I lost the oysters somehow but at the end I found them 😁

[@ccastro02]

Who’s watching this with a Costco chicken on their cutting board?

[@moxavenger]

Jewel Foods roast chicken.

[@krystal_simmons]

Stoppppppppp lol 😂

[@Avoxalus]

Safeway

[@tJ-rt6fs]

Sam's Club 😂

[@Dyslexic.D0ry]

I’m watching it with a chicken my mom roasted over potatoes! I’m making Mac n cheese and dinner rolls😊

[@chinnidiwakar]

So this is what he is doing all these years, raising his own chicken so he can roast now PERFECTLY.

[@Mububban23]

At my last workplace, we'd always have Friday drinks and snacks. I'd usually be the one to go shopping, and then prepare everything, which included cutting up the chicken. And those oysters were always mine, all mine!!! Nice to see that the way I've always done it is also the Frank-approved method :-D

[@welissoncarlos8361]

cool, now I know how to carve a chicken and new words in english, you're such a great professional, hats off!

[@isthatdonnie]

Fun fact: you are trying to carve a chicken right now

[@rafaelmontoya1454]

You got me Big Yoshi

[@steelsteez6118]

hahaha YUP!

[@fletcher8103]

In 4 minutes…

[@fletcher8103]

I failed…

[@towIie]

Nah

[@johnhaynes3901]

great stuff Frank......as usual. just really easy and fun to watch ! thanks!

[@fuzzylon]

Frank Proto is brilliant ! I understand so much better now how a chicken should come apart.

[@Zakoota_Jin]

0:38 "dance for us birdy" That caught me off guard lol

[@Sumsayy]

thanks for this i used to rip the chicken to peices like a caveman not understanding the importance of resting meats and it makes a huge difference, thanks to you frank i can carve chicken like a pro :D

[@savannahjennae2327]

bout to tear up some costco rotisserie now, thanks frank

[@kookieCar503]

I want to carve and make it look pretty this the exact video I needed to see thank you. Wish me luck!

[@SecretHere0713]

Every person following this channel is waiting for 4 levels of episode it's been 2 weeks people! Give us something! Love from India ✨

[@2adamast]

Nicely done. The nice long slices 5:00 were followed by sawing, I think it’s not easy to cut low , close to the cutting board with a straight knife

[@AvalantGC]

Thanks I carved the chicken very well . I have now found myself quitting my job and becoming a butcher 🎉🎉🎉 dw I am happy with this outcome

[@testbenchdude]

This is great. It's exactly what I do, except I like not trussing to give the wings and legs crispier skin, and I only use a chef's knife. I also like to separate (aka: break apart) the carcass prior to making stock with it. Might not matter much but it's what I've always done. But yeah, what a great guide for the poultry novice. Ever since I learned from my mom that you can make stock from the leftover bones, it's like a magic trick. On one hand, you get to have a delicious, roast chicken dinner (and leftovers!), but wait, there's more! I usually get about 5 quarts of stock out of a 6lb roaster. One quart goes right in the fridge and the rest go in the freezer. So simple, yet so wholesome and satisfying. Thanks Chef!

[@platypusgirl14]

I love frank and am always excited to see another video with him

[@avaughs]

Great Video! Thanks for the help!! ❤Your tutorial saved the day; total clueless novice here.

[@NgYongYao]

It’s still a treat to see Chef Frank cutting up a roast chicken and eat it after cutting it. XD

[@APBCTechnique]

Thanks. I’m cooking a whole chicken now and learning your technique. Thanks again ❤

[@carlathedestructor2454]

This is really helpful. I always have trouble with the legs and thighs. Thanks!

[@tech_45]

This is just amazing info! I'm gonna try it out today 😁 🍗

[@elizahhoward3923]

I watch these videos everyday and I still eat and cook like a cave man

[@scarasluts]

Same!! 😭😭

[@elizahhoward3923]

@@scarasluts your definitely not behind my mom dude that's offensive

[@scarasluts]

@@elizahhoward3923 i am absolutely doing your mom

[@Zipfei_Kloatscher]

@@elizahhoward3923 I approve. He really does your Mom, sweetheart... 🙂👉🏻👌🏻

[@elizahhoward3923]

@@scarasluts my mom actually does your mom because your mom's gay

[@anitamendez4637]

Love it I didn't know how to cut a whole chicken after baking it now I do thank u for sharing have a blessed day 🙏❤️🤤🤤🤤

[@hemspear]

I love to use up the leftover scraps in a chicken pasta another night! 🍲

[@apriljohnson7899]

Thanks Frank..U make it look so easy!! 👊👊

[@johnlong384]

I sure do appreciate your little tricks since they'll come in handy now & then, thanks!

[@shipstern100]

best carving vid on Utube, thanks for sharing

[@jamilafever8110]

I learned nothing but either way it was nice go watch Frank do it!!

[@mannygee005]

I just watched two other videos how to take apart a chicken, one did it with his bare hands and it was amazing, very informative and he showed exactly what to do. The other video used a knife conventionally and he was second best. This one is probably not even top ten, let me go find seven other videos...

[@cathyvigneaux490]

thanks Chef! I appreciate your instructions.

[@marcuscoffey9535]

Thank you for sharing! I did this tonight

[@Rubbafingaz1]

Thank you. New Subscriber from England.

[@Kasey113]

....I am sooo very tempted to carve my next turkey like this! 😁😁

[@poppy6635]

Thank you for this guide, I’ll be serving roast chicken at an upcoming party ❤

[@ryuukakhadijah7766]

Thank you so much! ❤️ I love the little infos!

[@ceknott]

Thank you very much brilliant lesson

[@jbt6007]

Loved this. Easy and straight forward.

[@drjsmajor]

Great video. One thing to point out is that he says "nice long slices" but then proceeds to make little sawing motion slices.

[@bongo2044]

Broski goes like: imma take a long Knife so I don't need to saw -> proceeds to saw. Love that guy

[@raincyrax1285]

Says to use long carving knife to effectively slice through the meat preventing the meat to tear apart, then just starting to use only a small portion of the knife and saw it anyway

[@dif5759]

Thank you so much for this video. i have yet to try it, but up until now my chicken has ended up shredded!! Did not know there was a correct way to carve the breast. To clarify, I start at the head end? Usually i have carved from the fattest end and not managed to carve clean slices. What your video also shows me is having the correct tools is essential. Will be getting a carving and boning knife for sure. :)

[@reesemorgan2259]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@randystone4903]

Glad to name one of my favorite parts - the oyster. Since I'm the household cook the oyster is the first part eaten and never makes it to the table.

[@KoalaAwad]

Thanks you Frank

[@BrownMakarov]

This sucks. Dont tell him thank you. You suck.

[@Syed2319]

Thanks you Frank

[@georginashanti4605]

Thank you a great instructional video. Will be re-watching the knife block sharpening one next. Awesome.

[@itskindofemily]

My dinner tonight is literally roast chicken which is currently in the oven, this is so helpful

[@alimohammad2203]

we use carving knife to have long slices . also frank the same nife he is sawing🤣 4:48

[@synocrat601]

Samin Nosrat has entered the chat and would like to show Frank how to roast a chicken so it looks appetizing

[@spaceghost65]

Thank you. I'll do the "keel" cuts next bird. I sometimes try to pull that meat away from that breast bone and sneak the knife up against it and the breast meat but this technique makes more sense and looks tidier. Thank you again.

[@papafrank1301]

insane how much this helped me

[@ashleymarie7452]

Excellent. Thanks!

[@angelaguisbert1773]

I love you Frank!

[@kennethwu115]

Best carving Video

[@aross924]

Wow. It was super easy. Ty

[@FriendsFamilyKitchen]

Mmmhhhh looks so delicious and mouthwatering looking so tempting. so delicious, flavourful, and nicely explained. 🤝Big like stay connected my dear friend. 🤝

[@Phosypha]

"Tearing it apart with your hands like a savage" I have never been so offended by something I agree with

[@S.Clause]

Get a nice long slice, you don’t want to saw; proceeds to saw every slice 🤣

[@praveenX]

Awesome 👏

[@Wafflefrieslmdh]

Keep these coming this is a good series

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

For some reason this reminds me of the "Cooking with Christopher Walken" comedy sketch from about 14 years ago. "Today. Were gonna make a dish. That my crazy Aunt used to make, before she died in the bath...Chicken with popcorn shrimp!" 😁😁 its amazing how that that sketch holds up so well after so many years!!

[@bryonboyd6587]

Thanks for sharing

[@chuckkerber4735]

great video!

[@KevinRobinson-ub7wp]

how to prevent this from getting cold during the carving process or keep it warm/reheat it?

[@BlowinFree]

Cover it with foil

[@Berkana]

Chef Frank, is there some way to remove the leg and thigh while keeping the "oyster" on the leg and thigh? How would one retain as much meat as possible and keep it from being stuck to the pelvis of the chicken?

[@tectorgorch8698]

This is great content.

[@oraisteunyu]

mr frank : i got salty piece awesome me : wholesome ! ^^

[@OfficiallyFd]

Thank you

[@elainemorris4806]

Thank you!

[@lgavran2002]

Could we have a video about Stocks?

[@willtomasetti2036]

Thanks mate!

[@jshome9295]

Good job

[@Mokaphyyr]

I enjoy shareing these videos. theya re pretty awesome and very informative.

[@aaabbasi97]

A question.....Frank talked about slicing benefit of the long carving knife so he does not have to saw the chicken but when he used the knife himself, he sawed it instead of one big slice. why is that?

[@Cursingminister]

Do as I say not as I do I guess. That instantly bothered me too.

[@noledge18720]

More of a fan of the spatchcock instead of the truss. Seems to cook more even.

[@davidbarnett8617]

Plus, you like saying spatchcock.

[@antediluv]

Hey Frank, great video! I know this is a carving video , and I'm curious what your thoughts are on basting the bird...

[@iceeeyy3557]

Yes chef!

[@schang4458]

Makes me want to pick up a massive amount of rotisserie to practice, plate, and of course eat.

[@SageKyle]

Same tbh.

[@avagrego3195]

Thank you

[@srome0711]

I needed this

[@balbinapasunting2209]

Wow amazing cook chicken

[@jjson775]

great video

[@malekstudios6310]

I've never felt so hungry in a youtube video!

[@douglaspinsak1246]

Costco, here I come!

[@maxximumb]

Great camera / editing work guys. Each time he makes a cut, you cut away mid slice to a different view. The end result is we didn't get to see what he was doing. Why bother make the video when you don't show the process we wanted to see?

[@Oberky]

Yes, I was just thinking this as well. Like, if you were going to show both angles, that's great. But only showing half of each is disorienting as all heck.

[@timchamberlain5858]

I'm with you here, the edits of this video were kind of awful. Instructional videos are not the time to be artsy with the camera angles and edits. I would have rather seen the complete cut from each angle than half the cut from one angle and the other half from another angle.

[@cosmiccon165hz6]

Skill issue

[@Abraham.junior]

Thanks

[@TopOyster]

Now i can fully utilize my costco rotisserie

[@JakeWerkmeister]

The pearls are the best part of the chicken, by far! They never seem to make it to the dinner table though. 🤷