How to Butterfly Chicken Breasts
An easy, elegant way to turn one oversized chicken breast into two even, quick-cooking pieces — perfect for stuffing, breading, or a faster weeknight dinner.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 135kcal
Equipment
- Cutting board
- paper towels
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Place one chicken breast half on a cutting board with the flat/smooth side down. Put the palm of your non-cutting hand on the top of the chicken breast, with the thick part of the breast toward the ends of your fingers and the thin end pointing toward your wrist.
- Continuing to hold the breast meat with the palm of your hand, use a very sharp knife to slowly cut horizontally through the breast in a straight line, starting at the long, thicker end. Cut the entire length of the breast, from one side to the other, leaving the side of the breast opposite where you started (the thinner side) intact.
- Open the breast up and lay it flat. Now have a butterflied chicken breast. If you want to cut it in half to make thin chicken cutlets, cut the butterflied breast in half down the middle.
Video
Notes
A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one here as it's more likely to slip. If you only sharpen one knife in your kitchen, make it the one you use for this.
If the hinge tears, nothing's ruined. You've just made two cutlets instead of one butterflied piece. Either way, it's ready to cook.
Repeat with as many breasts as you need. The technique doesn't change whether you're doing one or a dozen.
If the hinge tears, nothing's ruined. You've just made two cutlets instead of one butterflied piece. Either way, it's ready to cook.
Repeat with as many breasts as you need. The technique doesn't change whether you're doing one or a dozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcal | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 437mg | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg