We Tested 8 Poultry Shears and Found 2 That Can Tackle Turkeys (and Other Birds)

Roasting a whole turkey is one of the most difficult tasks that a home cook can take on. It’s not all that straightforward for professional chefs, for that matter. The challenge: cook the legs to 170°F so they’ll be succulent without drying out the breast, which starts to betray you after 150°F. Oh, and don’t forget the skin needs to be crackling and golden (you know, like the Rockwell painting). It’s hard to achieve, to say the least. That’s why we here at Serious Eats petition you to spatchcock your turkey every year. Cutting out the spine and laying the bird flat to roast exposes the legs to the highest heat, keeps the breast protected, and facilitates maximum skin crisping. For the other 364 days a year, the technique works just as well on roast chickens.

So how do you get the spine out? Well, you can try to take on the task with a chef’s knife—or even a sharp pair of all-purpose kitchen shears. A meat cleaver can also do the trick. On a small chicken, you’ll probably succeed. But once you get into turkey territory (or roasting hens over five pounds or so), those kitchen scissors won’t have the oomph to break through bones, and you’ll risk major dings to most knife blades. That’s where poultry shears come in.

Poultry shears are designed to make spatchcocking simple. They have spring-loaded handles and thick blades to make tough cuts easier. The only problem? Not all poultry shears are created equal. After all, they need bone-cleaving power as well as skin-snipping finesse. A majority of the options available today fail to incorporate both, or they have uncomfortable handles that make them downright hard to use.

To find a standout pair, I tested eight highly-reviewed models priced from $21 to $56. Serious Eats' editorial director Daniel Gritzer tested a group of poultry shears previously, so I reviewed his leading two (from OXO and Henckels) alongside a new group of contenders. Unsurprisingly, his picks came out on top again. Like before, these winning shears had thoughtful designs, were comfortable to use, and made spatchcocking fast and easy. 

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Poultry Shears

OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears

$28 $25 at Amazon $28 at Home Depot $28 at Oxo

The OXO model set the standard for great poultry shears. It was our top pick when we reviewed poultry shears a few years ago and maintained its title in a new round of competitors. The shears have serrated blades that broke through bones and easily sliced through slippery skin in my tests. To make it even better, they come apart for convenient washing. The pair’s grippy, looped handle provided a stable hold while cutting, and its locking mechanism was secure and easy to engage.

Another Great Pair of Poultry Shears

Henckels Stainless Steel Poultry Shears

$37 $23 at Amazon $40 at Walmart $24 at Wayfair

The Henckels shears performed nearly as well as the OXO ones in the chicken and turkey tasks. They easily cleaved through bones and had a comfortable handle that didn’t open up too wide between cuts. Although its blades couldn’t come apart to clean, it had something the OXO model didn’t: a hinge nut that could be adjusted slightly to bring the blades back up to skin-snipping snuff. 

The Tests

• Blade Sharpness Tests: I tested each pair of shears using a professional blade edge tester to measure their sharpness right out of the box. I took apart the blades where possible for testing, and if one side of the shears was serrated, I tested the straight edge. After the other tests were finished, I tested all the edges again to see if they dulled after use. The blade edge tester measured the force (in grams) necessary for the blade to sever a calibrated plastic wire. The lower the score, the sharper the shears. Because it was difficult to get an accurate reading for fixed-blade shears, I also took qualitative notes on how effective the blades were at slicing and snipping through poultry skin during the tests.
• Chicken Test: I used each model to cut out the backbone of a chicken, and then break it down into parts. I looked for shears that could make clean cuts on bones and easily snip through the skin.
• Turkey Test (Winners-Only): I used the shears that performed the best in the chicken test to remove the spine from a turkey and break it down into parts, too. I marked down models that had trouble with the thick hip bones or fatty turkey skin as well as handles that got slippery in the process.
• Cleaning and Usability Tests: I hand-washed and dried the shears after each test to evaluate how easy they were to clean and if any held onto gunk in their mechanisms or if they were vulnerable to rusting. I also paid close attention to how comfortable and secure each pair felt in my hands during use.

What We Learned

Looped Handles Were Essential for Grip

Poultry shears come with two main styles of handles: straight and looped. The straight handles varied in material: the Westmark Classic Poultry Shears and Mercer Culinary Poultry Shears handles were both made of the same stainless steel as their blades, while the Williams Sonoma Poultry Shears had rubberized plastic ones. Regardless of the makeup, these handles got slippery with poultry juices. Without anything for my hand to push up against, it slid up toward the hinge of the shears (especially when squeezing hard around bones), ruining any chance for leverage. Even the MITSUMOTO SAKARI Japanese Poultry Shears, which had the sharpest blades and could snip easily through chicken skin, had me constantly adjusting my grip on the titanium-coated handles or using two hands just to get leverage on turkey bones. 

The straight-handled shears also tended to have over-zealous spring tension, which would open the handles too wide for my (admittedly short) fingers to hold onto between cuts. Even after the fairly short tasks, like cutting apart chicken legs, the Mercer and Williams Sonoma models left my hand feeling cramped and tired from trying to keep a grasp on both handles.

Looped handles, on the other hand, alleviated these issues. Having a dedicated spot for my fingers to wrap around eliminated me from having to stretch for the outer edge of the handle if it sprung open far. It also prevented sliding, allowing me to maintain the most power while cutting. The winning OXO Good Grips Poultry Shears and Henckels Poultry Shears kept my hands comfortable throughout both tests, as did the Roots & Harvest Poultry Shears.

Serrated Blades Prevented Slipping

To be able to cut through bones, the shears had to be able to grab onto them first. Neither of the winning models was the sharpest of the lineup (although sharpness did help when slicing skin). What they each had, though, was one serrated blade that could bite into the chicken and turkey bones, holding them in place as the other blade sliced through.

Blades without any serration (like on the Mercer, MITSUMOTO SAKARI, and Williams Sonoma pairs) had trouble finding purchase and were as likely to slip backward off the bones as they were to cut through them. Some models like the Silver Armadillo Poultry Shears and Westmark shears had serration, but it was either too shallow or high up on the bevel to make a difference. The most effective blades were those that were deeply serrated right along the lower line of their bevels. Bonus points went to models like the OXO pair, which also had micro serrations along their blades’ edges for extra grip.

Simple Take-Apart Blades Were Easier to Clean (and Less Likely to Rust)

Since they came into contact with raw poultry, it was important to be able to thoroughly clean out any mechanisms in the shears that could hold onto bacteria, like the base of the blades. No surprise here—it was easier to clean shears that could separate at the hinge. Once cleaned, take-apart blades also dried faster than fixed-blade models (which had to be left agape to air-dry). Residual moisture left in the hinge or between the blades can cause further bacteria growth and rusting, even in stainless steel. 

The Westmark and Mercer shears both had an exposed spring between the handles made of tightly coiled steel. It offered plenty of places for poultry juices and water to hide while also being impossible to adequately clean and dry, basically inviting salmonella and rust. Even fixed-blade models with hidden springs (like the Silver Armadillo and Henckels pairs) could get liquid into the hinge nut and damage the spring inside over time. While some styles of fixed-blade shears, (including the Williams Sonoma model) could technically be taken apart with pliers or a small wrench, most users won’t disassemble them after every use—and shouldn’t, if only to avoid losing or damaging the spring during reassembly. If anything, their hinges should only be occasionally re-tightened to prevent moisture from getting in (which can also help restore some of the shears’ cutting prowess by bringing the blades back into alignment).

Take-apart shears were not all flawless, however. The Roots & Harvest and MITSUMOTO SAKARI models both had more complex levers at their hinges which could lock the blades closed or prevent them from coming apart accidentally. These gadgets also left opportunities for moisture to get stuck underneath. Comparatively, the OXO poultry shears came apart easily by opening the handles wide (though they never separated unintentionally during testing) and had very few places for gunk to get caught.

The Criteria: What to Look for in Poultry Shears

The perfect pair of poultry shears should have a handle that is looped for comfort and secure grip, as well as moderate spring tension that keeps both sides within easy fingers’ reach. The locking and hinge mechanisms should be simple and durable, with minimal nooks for moisture and bacteria to linger. Of course, the shears’ blades should be keen right out of the box, but it’s also important that they’re serrated so they can latch onto bones. If the blades can come apart for cleaning (and sharpening), that’s even better. Since they can’t be separated, a good compromise for fixed-blade shears is to have a hinge that can be lightly retightened to restore their skin-snipping abilities after a couple of uses. 

Our Top-Rated Poultry Shears

The Best Poultry Shears

OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears

$28 $25 at Amazon $28 at Home Depot $28 at Oxo

What we liked: It felt like every aspect of the OXO poultry shears was designed for efficiency. The lock felt secure and out of the way from unintentional knocks, which immediately set it apart from competing models with lever-style locks. Besides being sharp, the blades had serrations deep enough to bite into bones and hold them steady while slicing through the skin on top. The hinge and spring mechanisms were decidedly non-fiddly and easy to clean. The looped handle was perfectly shaped for leverage, down to the added bolster that prevented my thumb from slipping forward (even when it was greasy from the turkey). The moderate tension on the handles prevented them from opening too wide, which meant I didn’t have to adjust my grip between one cut and the next. This pair made spatchcocking faster and easier than I’ve ever experienced with a chef’s knife or other shears.

What we didn’t like: Toward the end of the turkey test, the OXO shears had lost some of their sharpness and slipped a few times on the thicker areas of skin and fat around the legs. That said, they still cut better than most other models and could be sharpened relatively quickly since the blades come apart.

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Blade length: 3.75 inches
• Total length: 9.5 inches
• Fixed or take-apart blades: Take-apart
• Locking blades: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Handwashing recommended

Another Great Pair of Poultry Shears

Henckels Stainless Steel Poultry Shears

$37 $23 at Amazon $40 at Walmart $24 at Wayfair

What we liked: The Henckels shears easily cut through bones with their heavy-duty, serrated blades. Even on tough cuts, my hand stayed comfortable thanks to their looped Santoprene handles. When the blades did start to falter on some skin, I was able to tighten the hinge nut slightly, which brought it back to its out-of-the-box snipping abilities. The Henckels shears are also slightly more affordable than the overall winner (by a few dollars, at least). 

What we didn’t like: This pair felt a little less sharp than the OXO and MITSUMOTO SAKARI ones. It was more likely to mush the skin between the blades in areas where there was a lot of fat. Tightening the nut with a pair of pliers did help, but doing this repeatedly or tightening too far could damage the hidden spring inside. Occasionally sharpening the blades is a better option, although the process is less convenient since they can’t be easily separated.

The lock lever of the Henckels shears hangs over the upper edge of the handles. This makes it handy to quickly latch the blades before setting them down but also means the lock could be accidentally pushed if your thumb is too high on the handle. It wasn’t a major concern for me while using them, but could be a drawback for people with longer fingers.

One last note here: There are a few Amazon reviews for this product that describe the shears snapping during use. While I didn’t see any sign of this (even while cutting through thick turkey bones), it could speak to their inability to last long-term.

Key Specs

• Weight: 6.7 ounces
• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Blade length: 3.5 inches
• Total length: 9.5 inches
• Fixed or take-apart blades: Fixed
• Locking blades: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher safe, but handwashing recommended

The Competition

• MITSUMOTO SAKARI Japanese Poultry Shears: These shears were the sharpest of the lineup and had no trouble slicing through thick turkey skin and fat. They had some unique features, too: one of the take-apart blades featured a fish scaler, while the other side could be used independently as a knife. Unfortunately, the smooth blades and handles both lacked grip, making it hard to get enough leverage to cut through bones. Its locking mechanism also felt flimsy and would disengage with only slight pressure on the handle.
• Roots & Harvest Poultry Shears: This model was middle-of-the-road in terms of performance. It got through the bones in both tests, but frequently just squished chicken skin in between the blades rather than slicing through it.
• Westmark Classic Poultry Shears: The Westmark shears were about twice the cost of our winning models and were uncomfortable to use due to their slippery metal handles. The exposed coiled metal spring also opened the handle too wide after each cut, and it was impossible to thoroughly clean or dry.
• Williams Sonoma Poultry Shears: These were the dullest shears. The blades pulled and mashed skin instead of snipping it, and lacked serration to bite into bones. Its handles opened too wide between cuts, causing me to readjust my grip every time.
• Mercer Culinary Poultry Shears: The Mercer pair was nearly identical to the Westmark model, except its spring was not attached and kept popping off if the handles opened too wide. Its unserrated blades were also less sharp, so they often slipped off of bones rather than breaking through.
• Silver Armadillo Poultry Shears: This model is affordable and has moderate spring tension, but its handles were slippery even when dry and were uncomfortable to hold. Its blades felt dull (in my testing notes, I compared them to using safety scissors) and required patience to try and snip any skin at all.

FAQs

What’s the best way to clean poultry shears?

Like all sharp-edged tools, we recommend hand-washing poultry shears with warm, soapy water and a non-scratch sponge. Once the shears are clean, dry them with a soft cloth to prevent rust, staining, or dulling. If the shears can come apart, wash and dry the two halves separately to ensure no crud or moisture remains in the hinge or locking mechanisms.

Can you sharpen poultry shears?

Yes! Think of a pair of poultry shears as two connected, single-bevel knives. They can be sharpened professionally or at home on a whetstone. Take-apart scissors offer better access to their whole blades, so they are usually easier to maintain than fixed-blade models. That said, if you're not confident at sharpening, you can likely pay someone to do it for you.

Can poultry shears cut through bones?

The whole purpose of poultry shears is to cut through and between bones, and a good pair will make spatchcocking easier than using a chef’s knife or cleaver. Since they are designed for small- to medium-sized birds, though, poultry shears do have their limits. For beef, pork, or turkeys above 12 to 14 pounds, consider a butcher’s saw instead.

What’s the difference between poultry shears and kitchen shears?

Kitchen shears are multi-use tools; they’re designed for straightforward tasks like snipping herbs, cutting pizza slices, and opening packages. Poultry shears, on the other hand, are specialized for cutting through bones and meat. They usually have heavy-duty, serrated blades for bearing down on thick bones as well as spring-loaded handles to reduce hand strain. That said, we at Serious Eats have used kitchen shears to break down a chicken, so in some ways they are interchangeable.

Can you use poultry shears for more than breaking down poultry?

Other than their eponymous use, poultry shears can be used to cut through hardy vegetables and fruits, cooked meat, whole fish, thick plastic packaging, flower stems, and crustacean shells. They can also conquer most things you would use kitchen shears for, although repeated use can hasten the blades' dulling over time. The curvature of the blades may also make them less adept at clean slices on things like chives or herbs, whereas a straight pair of kitchen shears might be better suited for these tasks.

What's important when looking for a pair of poultry shears?

In our tests, we found that while sharpness was important (you don't want a pair of shears slipping and sliding over skin and bone), shears with serrated blades had a better grip overall and could latch onto bones better. The other important thing was comfortable handles since cutting up a chicken can be a taxing business. Finally, we liked shears that came apart for easy cleaning.

Why We're the Experts

• Ashlee Redger studied Culinary Nutrition and Research and Development at Johnson & Wales University.
• Ashlee managed the test kitchen for a spice company, was an intern at America's Test Kitchen, and led culinary innovation at an up-and-coming breakfast restaurant in Colorado. She currently freelances for Serious Eats (having written many reviews, including boning knives, portable induction cooktops, steamer baskets, and more) and Westword magazine.
• For this review, Ashlee tested eight poultry shears, evaluating their sharpness, how well they spatchcocked turkey and more.
• We previously tested poultry shears in 2017, but we decided it was time for a retest as there were more models available. Our favorite pair of poultry shears (from OXO) still came out on top this go around, which means they've stood up to about seven years of evaluation.