How To Debone Rotisserie Chicken With Just A Plastic Bag
The internet has given us some real doozies when it comes to viral food hacks — from the experimental, like making salmon in your dishwasher (which does, as wild as it sounds, actually work), to the genuinely useful, such as the genius tortilla folding trick for homemade Crunchwraps that results in a perfect, handheld bite. Now, there's a rotisserie chicken deboning method that uses nothing more than a plastic bag — and it lets you skip the greasy hands.
@katierreames
To try it, instead of reaching for the heaviest chicken as you normally might, pick one that looks like it will fit inside a gallon zip-top bag. Bring it home and let it rest on your counter for about 15 minutes if it's still steaming hot (if it cooled on the drive home, no need to wait); you do want it to stay warm, though. Then, slip the whole chicken into the bag and push out as much air as you can before sealing it shut.
Using your hands, you're essentially going to massage the meat off the bone. Use your fingers to get into the nooks and crannies of the skeleton, and after just a minute or two, you should have a fully deboned rotisserie chicken.
There are a few difficulties to this method
As easy and quick as this method is, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind. First and foremost, if you want the chicken shredded, you might still have to get your hands dirty, depending on your approach. Unfortunately, the plastic bag barrier just doesn't allow for fine shredding, so if you're using the chicken for tacos or pulled dishes, you may still need to break it down with your bare fingers — unless you use the fork method or have shredding claws.
Another issue is that if you don't manage to remove enough air from the bag before massaging, it might pop open. That isn't dangerous, per se, but it can be messy and annoying. You might also miscalculate at the store and end up with a bird that's too big for your bag. Finally, unless you're very careful while massaging, smaller, finer bones may end up mixed in with the meat, so you'll want to sift through it afterward — because the last thing you want is someone choking at the dinner table.