How to Butterfly Chicken Breasts

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Cook Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings (6 ounces each)

Calories 129kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large, see note 1)

US Customary - Metric

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

Chicken breast: Look for pink chicken (without even a hint of gray) and check the "best buy" date. Butterfly and pound chicken breasts to a uniform thickness so they cook quickly and evenly without burning. You can cut and pound chicken thighs the same way, too. Cut chicken breast all the way through to make chicken cutlets.
Yield: 6 ounces of cooked chicken is a hearty, practical serving. To achieve that, plan for 2 pounds (32 ounces) of raw meat and assume it will cook down to about 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) cooked chicken (there will be about 25% loss through cooking). That's enough for 4 servings of chicken, 6 ounces each.
Storage: According to the USDA, store raw chicken for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. Leftover cooked breast meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition