Many people do not know how to cut up a whole chicken. It is a very easy thing to do once you learn how (and cheaper). As a bonus you get to keep the backs and wing tips for making chicken stock. Here's a simple way to cut up a chicken into 8 pieces or an optional 10. Lay the chicken on the cutting board breast side up. You can either remove the wings or legs first it is up to you. This time I removed the legs first. Cut the legs at the joint like this: