Wash hands and sanitize the cutting board and knife
Place the chicken on a clean cutting board
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels
Remove any packaging and discard it
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears
Cut off the legs by pulling the leg away from the body and slicing through the joint
Separate the drumsticks from the thighs at the joint
Remove the wings by cutting through the shoulder joint
Cut along one side of the breastbone to remove a breast half
Repeat on the other side to remove the second breast half
Remove the skin if desired
Trim excess fat and cartilage
Cut the chicken into desired pieces
Wash hands, knife, and cutting board after handling raw chicken