Today I want to show you how to fillet a whole chicken breast. Filleting chicken breast makes for more even cooking and keeps you from having to cut the chicken into portions once it is cooked so that you do not have to worry about losing the juiciness of the chicken.
On Tuesdays, one of my favorite grocery stores has whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale. I like to plan chicken meals around this day so that I can get the fresh chicken for a bargain. Since I shared the two sun-dried tomato pesto chicken recipes last week, I wanted to show you how easy it is to fillet whole chicken breasts. Here’s how you cut the fillets:
Lay the chicken breast onto the cutting surface. The side where the skin was formerly should be facing down.
Cut the breast in half, down the center.
Make sure that the thicker end of the meat faces the knife hand. Flatten the meat with the other hand. Begin cutting horizontally through the midsection of the chicken breast half. Take caution while cutting, to avoid the hand that is holding the chicken meat down, to prevent injuring your fingers.
Steady the knife to cut the fillets evenly and to the same thickness. Check your cutting progress at the halfway point to make sure that you are not cutting too high or too low.
Once you trim the fat, you have 4 chicken fillets ready to use in your recipe.
I hope this helps you make your chicken go a little farther in your kitchen and perhaps knowing how to fillet a whole chicken breast saves you a dollar or two at the store.
DesignsbyJeanneR says
Very useful post, thanks for taking the time to explain & take pictures of the process.
BTW, went to visit mom yesterday, & I was showing her some of my favorite blogs…Well, she fell in love with yours, & that was pretty much the end of our visiting as she kept reading The Mountain Kitchen! You have another fan!
Debbie Spivey says
Awe!! That’s awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing my blog with her. I hope she finds some good eats!! 😀
"Cheffie Cooks" says
Hey Debbie now I do not ever have to worry about you and a job, you can just go on a be a meat cutter at that favorite grocery store! Hey, do not laugh my Butcher/Meat market folks I see every Wednesday are very wealthy! Your TK & Fl. Bud Cheryl !!!Only 16 days left until Christmas!!!
Debbie Spivey says
I only giggled a little… 😉
"Cheffie Cooks" says
No I am giggling, you can go on AND be (can one put a sentence together in between appetizers?!?).