How to Quarter a Chicken
 

To quarter a chicken, start with a chef's knife. Cut through the second, or elbow, joint of each wing to remove most of the wing, leaving the drumette.
 

Next, lay the chicken on its side and snip along the backbone with poultry shears from the head to the tail. Turn and repeat to remove the backbone from the bird.
 

Open up the bird, skin side down, and pierce the soft white cartilage at the crux of the neck. Open the bird up and pull out the breastbone and cartilage.
 

Now slice the bird in half.
 

For quarters, make a diagonal cut to separate the breast from the leg of each half.