When most people imagine pressure cooked chicken, many are probably reminded of their grandmother’s cooking and perhaps even strange stories of exploding pressure cookers. However, you should know that pressure cookers today are a lot different than they were during your grandmother’s heydays.
While pressure cookers still have the ability to help you produce super-fast and moist results, the problems that were associated with early generation pressure cookers have been resolved. As such, pressure cookers today are no more dangerous than your blender or stovetop.
With a pressure cooker, you can cook even the toughest cuts of meat within minutes and you can even turn out the tenderest and juiciest whole chicken that has been infused with all the nice herbs and spices, within 30 to 45 minutes. Buying a whole chicken is usually a lot more economical than buying individual parts.
And if you do not want to roast or cook the chicken whole, you can cut it up in individual parts before cooking. If you prefer to cook your chicken in pieces, here is how to cut up a whole chicken into pieces for pressure cooking:
Before you cut up your whole chicken:
Ensure that your chicken has been washed and cleaned thoroughly before proceeding to cut it up. This does not only help you to cut down on harmful bacteria, particularly if your bird is store-bought, but it will also help you to get rid of any blood that may be lodged in between the cavities.
You will also need to find a sharp knife that you can use to cut up your pieces. Using a dull knife will not only make the process tedious but it will also cause you to have uneven pieces of meat.
How to cut up a whole chicken for pressure cooking
- Place your washed and clean bird on the cutting surface breast side up. Try wiggling the wing about to figure out where the joint is linked to the breast. Separate the wing from the breast by cutting through the ball joint by using a sharp knife. Repeat this for the second wing.
- Wiggle and pull the chicken leg to see where it attaches to the rest of the body. Cut through the thigh and breast to remove the whole leg. You might have to pull on the leg for a little bit to find where the socket meets the thighs in the back. Use your knife to cut through this joint.
- Separate the chicken thighs from the drumsticks by turning the leg over so that it sits skin side down. Cut through the fat line that rests between the drumstick and thigh. Repeat this process with the opposite leg to skip it if you want to leave the chicken whole.
- Start cutting the body by beginning at the pointe area of the breast and slice down towards the thickest area of the breast so that you separate it from the backbone. Turn your breast skin side down and split it in two along the breastbone. If desired, you can cut the breast into smaller chunks or as you desire.
