Chicken Oysters Are The Unexpected Cut Of Poultry Packed With Flavor

From thighs to wings and breasts, there are many cuts of chicken to enjoy. Although those classic and common cuts are tried and true feasts, there's a mouthwatering piece you may be overlooking. Enter chicken oysters — the shockingly underrated must-try cut of chicken packed with savory flavor.

Located on the back side of the bird on either side of its spine just above the thighs, oysters aren't glaring cuts of chicken, which makes them easy to miss when carving a whole roasted chicken. But if you look closely, where X marks the spot, you'll see two small bulges. Because they're so hidden, it's easiest to remove them from the carcass after you've carved out your main cuts. Simply flip the bird over and scoop out the oysters, which, hence the name, are in the shape of two medium-sized shellfish oysters. You might be hesitant to enjoy these hidden gems, especially because they're so uncommon. But just because you don't know about them, doesn't mean they're not one of the best cuts of chicken. Packed with a deep, umami-infused dark meat taste and a buttery, tender, fall-apart-in-your-mouth texture, one bite of chicken oysters will rival the meaty machismo of a full leg.

It's not common to see chicken oysters in the meat section of grocery stores, likely due to the challenges of separating these small, delicate pieces during large-scale processing and their low demand as a stand-alone product. Your best shot at enjoying chicken oysters is when you're cooking a whole chicken, and because there are only two of these small but mighty cuts, they're not exactly sharable provisions. Often reserved for the kitchen captain who carved the chicken, who might just sneak one down the hatch when no one's looking, there are a few other ways to eat chicken oysters beyond a quick sneaky snack.

They're a prized cut at Japanese yakitori joints, so consider skewering them and grilling them over charcoal. They make for unique pizza toppings, quiche fillers, stir-fry additions, and kebab fixings. You might also try chicken oyster fettuccine Alfredo. If you're working with multiple whole chickens, you can harvest more than just two oysters. If you manage to get your hands on a spread of them, remove them from the raw birds and deep fry them to make popcorn chicken or pan-sear them in butter and enjoy them over rice topped with your favorite sauce. When all else fails, prepare chicken oysters the same way you would prepare your favorite dark meat cut of poultry.