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Learn how to butterfly chicken, a simple technique for splitting chicken breasts so they cook quickly or hold a filling. Or, cut them all the way through to make cutlets.
Tutorial notes
- Uniformity: Butterfly and pound chicken breasts so they cook quickly and evenly without burning. You can cut and pound chicken thighs the same way, too.
- Cutlets: Cut all the way through to make chicken cutlets.
- Buying: Look for pink chicken (without even a hint of gray) and check the “best buy” date.
- Storing: According to the USDA, store raw chicken for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Remove chicken from the grocery store package and re-wrap in foil, freezer paper, or plastic wrap, then place in freezer-safe bags. Label, date, and freeze for up to 9 months (technically they will last indefinitely, but the quality will suffer). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Step-by-step instructions
- Cover a cutting board completely with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Add chicken breasts. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice in half horizontally taking care to not slice all the way through. Repeat with the second breast.
- Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on the plastic wrap-covered cutting board. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch. Remove top layer of plastic wrap.
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How to Butterfly Chicken Breasts
Learn how to butterfly chicken breasts, a simple technique for splitting chicken so it cooks quickly or holds a filling. Or, cut chicken breasts all the way through to make cutlets.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
Instructions
- Cover a cutting board completely with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Add chicken breasts. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice in half horizontally taking care to not slice all the way through. Repeat with the second breast.
- Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on the plastic wrap-covered cutting board. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch. Remove top layer of plastic wrap.
Notes
- Uniformity: Butterfly and pound chicken breasts so they cook quickly and evenly without burning. You can cut and pound chicken thighs the same way, too.
- Cutlets: Cut all the way through to make chicken cutlets.
- Buying: Look for pink chicken (without even a hint of gray) and check the “best buy” date.
- Storing: According to the USDA, store raw chicken for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Remove chicken from the grocery store package and re-wrap in foil, freezer paper, or plastic wrap, then place in freezer-safe bags. Label, date, and freeze for up to 9 months (technically they will last indefinitely, but the quality will suffer). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ouncesCalories: 129kcalProtein: 24gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 420mgVitamin A: 34IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
