No bones about it: Here are the basics you need to know for winning chicken dinners.

Before you start dreaming about chicken braised in this or chicken roasted with that, you need to get the bird under control. It may need to be broken down, spatchcocked, trussed—and then after cooking, carved. You also want to avoid undercooking the thing.
Consider this collection of articles your primer on chicken 101. Get an A and you're on your way to A+ chicken dinners.
The Safest Way to Prep and Cook Chicken

How to Break Down a Chicken

The Best Ways to Cook Different Cuts of Chicken

How to Truss a Chicken

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

How to Know When Chicken is Done

How to Carve a Chicken (or Turkey)

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