Here’s how to butterfly chicken legs in easy steps that’s guaranteed to deliver juicy tender, well cooked drumsticks. One of our favorite parts of chicken is the drumstick because like chicken thighs it’s dark meat and doesn’t dry out easily.
Whether you are making this on the grill, in the air fryer, on the stovetop or in the oven, butterflied chicken drumsticks are super easy to cook, packed full of flavor and cooks evenly and you can honestly not go wrong with it. Let me show you how to use this technique in your cooking.
Table of Contents
What is butterfly chicken?
Butterfly chicken refers to a cooking technique where a whole chicken, is split down the middle and opened up like a butterfly, hence the name.
For whole chicken, this technique involves removing the backbone and flattening the chicken to create a uniform thickness, which allows for faster and more even cooking. Whole chicken cooked this way is also called spatchcock chicken.
This technique isn’t reserved for only whole chicken, it is also used for chicken breasts, thighs and chicken legs.
Butterfly chicken is often marinated, seasoned, or grilled to enhance its flavor and tenderness. It's a popular method for preparing chicken for grilling or barbecuing. In fact it works well for pan frying and air frying.
Why this technique works
- Butterflied chicken drumsticks cook faster than whole chicken legs.
- This technique also ensures the chicken cooks evenly and makes for a great presentation of your chicken on the dinner table or appetizer plate.
- Butterflying the chicken drumsticks opens up the surface which allows for better marinating, seasoning, and quicker cooking times, resulting in tender and flavorful meat which is why it’s often used in grilling or baking recipes for chicken drumsticks.
- Butterflied chicken drumsticks have more surface area for flavors to penetrate. Take advantage of this when seasoning or marinating the meat.
What you’ll need
- Chicken drumsticks
- Sharp knife or kitchen shears
- Cutting board
- Paper towels
How to butterfly chicken legs
- Clean chicken drumsticks by cutting away excess skin then rinsing (FDA recommends not to wash chicken) please don’t wash if you are not comfortable with it. My personal preference is to rinse and then sanitize my surfaces.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. The chicken can be slippery when you are cutting. Cleaning with paper towels will ensure the drumsticks stay dry and stable while you cut.
- Place chicken on a clean cutting board. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the chicken lengthwise from the thicker part of the drumsticks to the thinner end. Be careful not to cut deep enough to cut through the chicken.
- Once the cut has been made gently pull the meat apart to flatten it. You should end up with a flattened, even piece of meat with the bone exposed.
- Repeat the process with any remaining chicken drumsticks.
Now you have butterflied chicken drumsticks ready to be marinated, seasoned, or cooked according to your preferred recipe. As always, exercise caution while handling knives and maintain proper hygiene throughout the process.
How to cook butterflied chicken drumsticks
As mentioned earlier, butterfly chicken drumsticks are some of the easiest to cook and are very forgiving. I mean you can’t go wrong.
You can cook butterfly chicken legs with any cooking method you like from grilling to air frying, baking, pan frying or deep frying, you won’t be disappointed.
Which ever method you use, ensure that you cook the butterflied chicken to the FDA recommended internal temperature of 165°F (74°C)
Let’s talk about seasoning after butterflying the drumsticks, a simply seasoning of salt and pepper is fine especially if you will be using a glaze such as bbq sauce, honey lemon or teriyaki. You can also use your favorite store bought or homemade chicken seasoning such as jerk seasoning, Cajun seasoning etc.
Pro Tips
Use Sharp utensils: Make sure your knife or kitchen shears are sharp. This will make the cutting process easier and safer.
Watch for tendons: When making the initial cut along the bone, be mindful of any tendons or connective tissue. You may need to make small additional cuts to separate them properly.
Flatten evenly: As you pull and flatten the meat, try to distribute the pressure evenly. Be patient and do this gently. This will result in a more uniform thickness, allowing for even cooking.
Practice food safety: Clean your cutting board and tools before and after handling raw chicken. Avoid cross-contamination by using separate utensils and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods.
Adjust cooking time: Butterflying can reduce the cooking time of chicken drumsticks. Keep an eye on them while cooking and adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure they are fully cooked but not overdone.
FAQs
Butterflying chicken drumsticks can help them cook more evenly and quickly, as well as make them easier to handle and marinate.
By flattening the drumstick, it increases the surface area, allowing heat to penetrate more evenly during cooking.
This ensures that both the thicker and thinner parts of the meat are cooked thoroughly and at the same time, reducing the risk of undercooked or overcooked sections.
Additionally, butterflying can help the drumsticks absorb marinades and seasonings more effectively, making the meat more tender and flavorful.
Besides chicken drumsticks, you can also butterfly chicken breasts, and thighs.
Butterflying these cuts involves splitting them partially or completely along the bone, creating a thinner, more even piece of meat.
More how to guides for chicken
- How to cut chicken breast
- How to boil chicken thighs
- How to make Garam masala seasoning at home
- How to make ground chicken
- Check out all our chicken recipes.
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How to butterfly chicken legs (drumsticks)
Ingredients
- 6 drumsticks
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- Pat cleaned chicken fry then place on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the chicken lengthwise from the thicker part of the drumsticks to the thinner end. Be careful not to cut deep enough to cut through the chicken.
- Once the cut has been made gently pull the meat apart to flatten it. You should end up with a flattened, even piece of meat with the bone exposed.
- Repeat the process with any remaining chicken drumsticks.
Season and cook
- Mix the salt, garlic powder and black pepper together.
- Season on both sides with the mix.
- Transfer seasoned butterflied drumsticks into the air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 mins or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C)
- Brush chicken with bbq sauce in the last 2 mins of cooking.
So what do you think?