Easy Ways to Stockpile Chicken

The main benefit to buying whole chickens and cutting them up yourself isn’t just the savings. There are a number of pantry items you can make when you buy a whole chicken.

If you start buying whole chicken you can stop buying chicken broth, and bouillon cubes. You can make your own oil, have shelf-stable canned chicken, or make your own lard, and fried onions.

I’m going to share some of my favorite techniques for stockpiling chicken and make products that will last for months.

How to cut a whole chicken

I like to start with some bowls and freezer bags for splitting up the pieces of chicken. I also get my cutting board and knife ready to go. Start the chicken with the breast side up and use the fat lines as a guide to cut. When you pull the leg away from the body, you’ll be able to easily slice through the breast and the drumstick.

After you make the initial cut, turn the chicken to the side and use your thumb to feel and press into the thigh bone to press and get the bone out of the socket. After that it’s easy to cut through the joint and skin to detach the leg.

To divide the drumstick and the thigh, cut along the fat line to separate the thigh from the drumstick. For the wings, lift the chicken and use the weight of the body to easily cut off the wings.

Now cut downwards from the rib cage through the shoulder joints to separate the breast from the chicken back, which is what you’ll need to make stock.

If you’re unsure where to cut, use the fat lines as a guide. Pull to completely separate the fat from the breast. I like to remove the skin from the breast, but I don’t throw it away. The skin can be put to use as well.

Place the breast facing down and use a knife to create a split in the center bone. Turn it over and use your hands to press on the incision and crack the bone so you can slice it in two.

Depending on how many chickens you’ve cut, you’ve created your own bulk bags of wings, thighs, and drumsticks.

Don’t forget to bag the gizzards too for making gravy.

Making stock

Use lots of vegetables, fresh or frozen, to make your stock. Throw in carrots, onions, celery, green onions, garlic, and peppercorn. Add whichever fresh herbs you enjoy.

I love that my stock always tastes a little different depending on what I have growing in my garden, or what I have stored in my freezer.

Submerge your ingredients in water and bring them to a gentle simmer for at least 4 hours. When it’s done you could can the stock or freeze it in freezer bags or ice cube trays.

Batch roast

Now let’s batch roast some chicken so we can debone the chicken between the light and dark meat and freeze it into portioned freezer bags, which makes it easy for a weekday meal when you need the chicken already cooked. My job, life, and family keep me busy, so I love having some of my meat canned, dehydrated, and frozen for practical and preservation purposes.

One reason I love roasting chicken is because this is where I get my lard and bouillon from. When you lift your cooked chickens out of the pan you’ll be left with this liquid gold which is your chicken drippings. Strain your drippings into a wide-mouth jar or cup. Then stick it in the fridge so the fat rises to the top and the gelatine sinks to the bottom.

This is incredible for seasoning and flavor. The fat portion is my secret ingredient for the best pie crust ever. It’s also a great cast iron seasoning to make your biscuits, vegetables, or meats in. It takes your cooking to a whole new level.

The second item you’ll get is oil. Chicken oil has a moderate smoke point, and if you’re already purchasing vegetable, canola or other oils, you’ll get a decent amount to use for everyday items in your kitchen.

How to stockpile chicken

Now you’ve got yourself a year's supply of chicken. When you buy whole chicken you can use it for so much more than just the meat. You can use the carcass, skin, and all the extra bits to create and stock soup, lard, oil, and more.

Leave me a comment to let me know what you made with your whole chicken.

Next, check out these 14 Grocery Store Hacks That Will Save You Money.