Chicken
Poultry is priced per bird rather than per pound in most shops, and the only real decision is how you want it broken down. A whole bird roasts best; an eight-piece cut is the most useful for weeknight cooking. Ask for the back, neck, and giblets — that's your stock.
Not sure where to start?
We'll fill in the standard chicken order — the 5 cuts most customers take, cut and wrapped the usual way. Nothing is locked in; change or remove anything after.
Or tell me how you eat
Answer a few quick questions — how many of you there are, how you cook — and I'll fill in the whole sheet with a reason beside every cut.
Off the outline
Fat, bones & odds
Tap any part of the animal to see the meat that comes out of it
How much meat will I actually take home?
Typical chicken: 3.5–7 lb hanging. Don't know it? A live weight of 5–9 lb hangs at about 3.8–6.8 lb.
Enter a hanging weight to see your estimate.
Breast
White meat. Boneless for speed, bone-in skin-on for flavor.
Don't forget to ask for these
The parts most customers never mention — and most shops throw away if you don't.