Whole chicken vs. filleted

krlyr

I have a family member who works in the food trade, so I can get hold of some meats at better than supermarket prices. I usually get their chicken breast fillets or thighs for around £3.40 per kg, but I've seen that they do whole chickens at around £1.95 per kg.

Only issue is that I'd have to bulk-buy..so before committing, I'm just wondering how much more economical whole chickens work out (I'm not bothered by having to butcher them up). Those who opt for whole over filleted, do you find the yield still saves money/is worth the effort?

suki1964

I get chicken from the chicken processing plant for pennies

Tbh I only buy whole chickens for keeping whole. I rarely use fillets as I prefer thigh meat. The only time I get fillets if the marks bags of fillets are there for £4 (£10 in store)

You will be saving £1.45 a kg on the fillets, plus you will have the thighs and drumstick as a bonus and the added bonus of the bones for stock

The fillets would be smaller ( you really don't want to see a hen raised for breast meat ) and you do have the time element to factor, but I'd say go for it

t14cy_t

i would defo go for whole chicken. all meat and poultry is better when cooked on the bone, and can yield more for your money too!x

milasavesmoney

Definitely whole chicken. If you know how to cut them up then that's a nice savings for you. Even the bones are useful for making soup. Win win!!

AnnieO1234

For us, it's better to get breasts as that's the main meat we use. I'll do a chicken for sandwich meat, maybe use the brown meat in a stir fry and the carcass for stock. But as far as price goes, we get approximately 3-4 breasts for £3.50 (1kg) bought in bulk (20kg min). We'll use between 2 and 4 breasts depending on meal. Alternatively I usually buy approximately 1.9kg birds for £3.34 (again in bulk). But if we're having a roast that's one meal plus stock.

Xxx

jackyann

I would rarely buy a whole chicken in order to butcher it myself. At the prices you quoted, I don't think you'd save a great deal, unless you were going to make the most of the carcas and oddments.
You could use the carcasses for stock - and home-made stock is fantastic. You could also mince the odd bits of meat, and make pies or mince-type dishes with them.
You would also have to use both breasts & thighs in the proportions that you have them! The farm where I get my chickens sells thighs much more cheaply than breasts, and I rarely cook chicken breasts, preferring the flavour of thighs in most dishes.

When I was cooking for a family though, I would normally cook a whole chicken (in lots of different ways) use the left-over meat for sandwiches & salads, then always made stock.

So I think it depends on how you intend to use & cook the chickens.

MallyGirl

I always buy whole chickens. Breasts get used for stir fries, legs get roasted or used in casseroles. If I roast the whole bird then the carcass gets used to make stock and if I just use the joints then my raw fed dogs get the raw carcass and wings (free meal)

NewShadow

Well, on average a bird is around 60% eatable meat (excluding potential for stock and skin).

60% of £3.40 is 2.04, meaning (if you get all the meat off it) you're saving around 9p buying the whole bird.

If you prefer roasted on bone, dark meat, HM stock, skin - buy the bird.

If you're going to butcher it and only use the breast and legs (scrapping the carcass, skin, wings and pickings) buy the breast packs.

http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2010/12/figuring-out-true-cost-of-meat-zero.html

http://www.housetohomestead.com/2011/03/chicken-math-how-much-meat-is-in-a-whole-chicken/

krlyr

Thanks all. That's exactly what I needed, NewShadow. I think I'll stick with buying the portions - I have found some thighs cheaper elsewhere (the issue with the current supplier is that they do some cheaper packs of breasts but not the cheaper equivelant in thighs - so I'm paying the same per kg but the thighs are of slightly better quality), which would by those calculations average out (assuming I fed half thighs, half breast) to £1.92 - so cheaper and no faff.

I already buy chicken carcasses for the dogs much cheaper, so even factoring that usage (we don't really use much stock in cooking), I think I'm better off with the portioned ones.