If you enjoy cooking chicken you’ve likely heard the term “chicken oysters” before. But for many home cooks chicken oysters remain a bit of a mystery. What are chicken oysters exactly, and why are they called that? Read on for a complete guide to identifying, removing, and cooking with this underappreciated part of the chicken.
What Are Chicken Oysters?
Chicken oysters are two small, oval-shaped pieces of dark meat located on the back of a chicken, near the thigh joints close to the backbone. There is one oyster on each side of the spine.
Chicken oysters are comparable in size and shape to oysters, which is how they got their name. Don’t worry though, they have nothing in common flavor-wise with actual oysters from the sea!
Why Are Chicken Oysters So Special?
Although small in size, chicken oysters pack a ton of flavor. Here’s why they are considered a prime cut of chicken:
-
All dark meat: Chicken oysters are dark meat, which means they are more flavorful and juicy than white breast meat. The dark meat contains more fat, which keeps it moist during cooking.
-
Lots of bone contact: Being located right next to the bone, chicken oysters absorb tons of flavor as the chicken cooks. Bones release gelatin, fat, and other tasty compounds.
-
Self-basting: As a whole chicken cooks, its juices collect in the middle and cover the oysters in a tasty liquid. So they basically baste themselves from the inside!.
-
No connective tissue: Unlike chicken wings or thighs, oysters contain no tough ligaments or cartilage. This makes them super tender.
-
Concentrated flavor: Even though they are small, chicken oysters pack a big punch of chicken flavor in each bite. They offer a flavor bomb!
How to Remove Chicken Oysters
Removing chicken oysters takes a little effort, but it’s worth it to access these tasty morsels. Here are some tips:
-
Wait until the chicken is fully cooked and cooled slightly. The oysters are harder to remove from a raw chicken.
-
Flip the chicken over so the back is facing up. Find the oval-shaped pieces of meat on either side of the backbone.
-
Take the oysters off the bone with your fingers. Or, use a paring knife to carefully cut them off the bone.
-
Take your time and don’t shred or cut the oysters themselves. You want to remove them intact.
Cooking Ideas for Chicken Oysters
Because they are so flavorful, chicken oysters shine when cooked simply and not obscured by too many other ingredients. Here are some serving suggestions:
-
Chicken oysters should be fried in a little butter or olive oil for two to three minutes on each side. Season with just salt and pepper.
-
Toss breaded chicken oysters into an air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes until crispy.
-
Grill over direct high heat, brushed with oil, for 1-2 minutes per side.
-
Roast on a sheet pan at 425°F for 10-15 minutes until browned and caramelized.
-
Sauté in a pan sauce made with shallots, white wine, lemon, and parsley.
-
Add to salads, tacos, flatbreads, grains bowls, and more. Their richness stands up well to other flavors.
So next time you roast a chicken, take a few extra minutes to seek out the oysters before discarding the carcass. Your hard work will be rewarded with the chicken’s best bite! These little nuggets of dark meat offer a unique texture and concentrated flavor that chicken lovers crave.
How to save the oyster while cutting up chicken.
24th Feb 2010 Blake Royer
The chicken oyster. It sounds strange. But also intriguing enough to suggest deliciousness. Ive heard other people talk about this elusive piece of meat hidden somewhere on the chicken. Only smart cooks know about it, like Thomas Keller, who mentions it in his recipe for ” My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken ” in the Bouchon cookbook. When the chicken is done roasting, the skin golden and fragrant, he locates the oyster on each side of the chicken and greedily gobbles it up as a cooks treat.
The other week we were cutting up chickens at culinary school, starting with the legs, then the breasts. We learned how to sharply cut the wings, separate the leg from the thigh, and separate the breast from the bone. During the demonstration, Chef mentioned “the oyster” in his charming French accent and told us he would show us where to find it. After rinsing, drying, and trimming the chicken, he set out to do just that.
Ive cut up lots of chickens before, but I usually just lop off the legs and thats that. When I send the chicken carcass to the stockpot, the oysters have been going to waste. Now I cut more carefully and leave the oyster attached to the leg.
Simple, and a matter of turning your knife a few degrees to extract something special from the chicken. Heres how to do it.
You start with a whole chicken. The oyster is hidden in a backbone pocket. In this picture, the oyster is facing the cutting board.
First, cut into to stretched skin between the leg and the breast. The leg should fall away towards the table. Cut making incisions between the breast and leg, moving towards the back near the wing (which is actually the front of the chicken where the neck is).
When most of the skin around the leg’s connection to the body has been cut away, grab the whole leg and bend it down. The leg joint should pop out of its socket, making it easy to see where you need to make your cut.
Now pick the chicken up by the leg. Were looking at the backbone now, and if you look closely youll see a bumpy area, which is the oyster meat. From the right side, cut horizontally, close to the backbone. Straight down from where my thumb is in the picture is the oyster. You essentially cut horizontally until you reach the oyster, then turn the knife down and cut down, perpendicular to the backbone. You only need to make the single cut straight down. Once you do, you can lay the chicken back down and pull on the leg gently: the oyster will pull away with the rest of the leg.
Here is the leg, detached from the body. The oyster is the dark knob of meat all the way on the right.
Chicken Oysters
FAQ
What does oyster chicken taste like?
What Do Chicken Oysters Taste Like? They taste similar to any dark meat chicken, although they are prized for being extra juicy, succulent, and concentrated in rich chicken flavor. Chicken oysters also don’t contain any bones or pesky tough bits of connective tissue.