Poultry shears can cut through fat and flesh precisely and smoothly, and you can use them to remove bones and cartilage. An excellent long-lasting pair of poultry shears will be sturdy, lock quickly, have a sharp blade, and embrace a non-slip grip. But you may ask, why can you not just use kitchen scissors?
Even though scissors are helpful kitchen accessories, you cannot cut through bones with them. Since bones are super thick, using the incorrect tools can damage your appliances and wear your hands. So instead, you can use a pair of poultry shears specially designed to cut the bones.
We think the OXO’s Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears are the best option out there, but many other options might suit your needs better. Let’s take a look at the best poultry shears.
Quick Glance
Here is our list of best poultry shears that can handle even the largest birds:
- Best Overall: OXO’s Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears
- Runner-up: Henckels Heavy Duty Poultry Shears
- Best Budget: TANSUNG’s Come-Apart Poultry Shears
- Best Premium: Shun’s Stainless Steel Premium Kitchen Shears
- Best Stainless Steel: Wellstar’s Heavy Duty Poultry Shears
- Best Multi-Purpose: Gidli’s Kitchen Shears and Seafood Scissors
- Best Come-Apart: Gerior’s Heavy Duty Come Apart Kitchen Shears
- Best Value For Money: Mercer Culinary’s Hot ForgedPoultry Shears
- Best Splurge: Zwilling’s Twin Select Take-Apart Poultry Shears
- Best Shear with Cover: Spring Chef’s Kitchen Shear with Blade Cover
1. Best Overall: OXO’s Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears
Most of the poultry shears our team looked at performed well at some but not all tasks. However, only one set of poultry shears met all expectations – the OXO’s Good Grips spring-loaded poultry shears.
You can take them apart for cleaning, and the spring-loaded blades don’t open too far for comfort. The bottom of the handle holds the locking mechanism in place, so it doesn’t really get in the way while cutting any type of poultry.
The nonstick protection on the handles is also a great feature. They are pretty easy to use and don’t slip when slicing raw chicken. And the blades are impressive; they are micro-serrated and grip bone well, preventing them from sliding in either direction in between slices. Also, the knife is sharp enough to cut through chicken skin with one hand and even cut through chicken backbones.
Along with chicken skin and bones, these shears are great at cutting through turkey. They can take out the turkey’s breastbone in two pieces and easily crack the backbone as well. However, you may need to use both hands to gain the required force to cut through the thickest portion of the breastbone.
These scissors are perfect in tension and bounce open easily after each slice. They are lightweight and easy to maneuver, making them a pleasure to use. Overall, they are an excellent choice for anyone who needs to dissect chickens or a Thanksgiving turkey.
Pros
- Simple to use
- Extremely sharp blade
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- Spring-loaded scissor blades provide perfect tension
Cons
- The sheath is not included
- Need both hands to unlock
2. Runner Up: Henckels Heavy Duty Poultry Shears
Next up are Henckels Poultry shears. The micro-serrated steel blade is easy to grip and cuts through chicken and turkey bones. They are easy to use with one hand, except for the most challenging parts of the turkey breastbone. The padded handles assure comfort. Your hands won’t slip at all while dealing with raw chicken.
The shears are less successful than the OXO shears for greasy chicken skin, but they are unlikely to have issues with their spring-loaded blades. Unfortunately, they open too wide for small hands, and the lock that keeps it closed while in storage is sometimes difficult to open. Although to prevent it from sliding, there is a flat-head screw that secures it.
Pros
- The micro-serrated blades provide a good grip on the bones
- Easy to cut poultry bones
- Comfortable grip
Cons
- Challenging to remove raw chicken skin
- The blades open too wide
- The lock loosens over time
3. Best Budget: TANSUNG’s Come-Apart Poultry Shears
TANSUNG’s high-quality CNC technology produces shears that are not only elegant but also the budget pick for the best poultry shears. Even though these Tansung poultry shears are cheaper than other models, they don’t stand out for any other reason.
This heavy-duty shear is available in two colors. The blades are 5Cr15MoV stainless, widely used to make high-quality chef knives. However, we discovered you need to use both of your hands when cutting the chicken’s breast and backbone. So it is a bummer that they can’t handle rigid turkey bones well.
The plastic handle is coated in a nonstick material to keep your hands from sliding, and it has raised ridges at the handle loop. You can press them into your hands when using a lot of effort, which can be uncomfortable.
These poultry shears also have a three-lock system. There are three modes: a lock mode to protect the blades, a spring-loaded one that relieves extra strain on your hands, and a detached one where the blades are separated so you can clean or sharpen them.
Pros
- Non-slip, comfortable grip
- Affordable
- Comes-apart for easy cleaning
Cons
- Uncomfortable handle
- Comfort may be a problem for left-handed users, especially
- Both hands are required to cut thicker bones
4. Best Premium: Shun’s Stainless Steel Premium Kitchen Shears
The Shun Premium Knife is the ideal companion for any chef, whether you’re deboning chickens, cutting turkey bones, or putting twine on a roast. These Japanese-made kitchen shears measure 8.72 inches long and are high-carbon molybdenum vanadium stainless steel.
They are strong, durable, and extremely sharp. The Shun Premium Kitchen Shears can handle any cutting task. Its straight blades can pierce tough skin, cut through spatchcock skin, slice up ducks, and cut through lobster tail shells.
You can also use the shears for other tasks in the home or garden, such as cutting cardboard or using the notch to cut thin poultry bones and flower stems. The stainless steel handles are unique because they are slip-free and have a rubberized elastomer grip that is likely to provide comfort to your hand. They fit perfectly and have the nicest grip for cutting. You can adjust the blade tension with the interlocking screw.
You can take the shears apart for easy cleaning, and we recommend hand washing. Additionally, Shun kitchen shears come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros
- Outstanding cutting performance
- Ideal for deboning chickens, cutting turkey bones, etc
- Strong, durable, and sharp
- Slip-free, comfortable, rubberized elastomer grip
- Adjustable interlock screw
Cons
- Expensive
- Small hands may find the handles too large
- Heavy
- Cannot wash in dishwasher
5. Best Stainless Steel: Wellstar’s Heavy Duty Poultry Shears
The Wellstar PoultryShears is an excellent tool for your kitchen, especially if you are looking for food preparation functionality. The stainless-steel blades are incredibly sharp and durable, making them rust-resistant. In addition, they can easily cut through chicken, turkey, spatchcock, or seafood.
You can use the cutting notch to break chicken bones and wings. You can also use the serrated edge for trimming chicken, meat, and vegetables. However, we found it hard to cut through thick bones and turkey meat using these shears.
On the other hand, the spring-loaded design makes opening and closing the shears easy. In addition, the safety lock at the handles ensures that the shears are securely locked in your kitchen drawer. Moreover, the stainless-steel metal construction is not prone to bacteria. Just wash the utensil in warm soapy water or place it in the dishwasher.
The Wellstar poultry shears stand out because both right-handed and left-handed chefs can easily use them. Lastly, the company offers a 100 percent money-back guarantee for its poultry shears in case something goes wrong.
Pros
- Durable design
- Solid and durable handles make it easy to hold onto
- The spring-loaded design allows easy opening and closing
- Safety lock
- Easy to clean
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Not sharp enough to handle thicker ribs or turkey necks
- Wet hands can make it challenging to grip smooth handles
- Thin metal lock with sharp edges
6. Best Multi-Purpose: Gidli’s Kitchen Shears and Seafood Scissors
Gidli’s kitchen shears are a multi-purpose kitchen utensil ideal for seafood lovers! You can use these shears to cut vegetables, meat, and seafood or even open soda bottles with it.
These heavy-duty poultry shears are comfortable to hold and don’t cause any injuries. In addition, they possess a comfortable grip on the handle, making working in the kitchen a fun experience.
These top-quality broiler cutters make cooking easy and more enjoyable. In addition, you can wash Gidli’s shears in the dishwasher, which helps prevent cross-contamination. The product is made from high-quality stainless and will last for many years in the kitchen.
These make great shrimp scissors, too. You can use them to devein and peel your shrimp, and the back has ridges that you can use for cracking crab legs.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Bottle opener included
- Comfortable grip handle for easy use
- Can be used as seafood scissors in addition to cutting meats
Cons
- Handles could be stronger
7. Best Come-Apart: Gerior’s Heavy Duty Come Apart Kitchen Shears
This pair of kitchen shears is an excellent choice for seasoned chefs and home cooks. One of the notable things is you can use them as knives as well as scissors or peel vegetables and even open bottles, nut and bone crackers, a jar opener, and a screwdriver tip!
A simple twist easily separates these come-apart shears. You don’t need to worry about cross-contamination, and this handy kitchen tool uses high-quality stainless steel and can replace many kitchen gadgets.
The handles’ velvety plastic surface gives it a firm grip. As a result, it is ideal for both right and left-handed cooks. These shears offer a comfortable grip over the handle; however, they may be too big for people with small hands and can be challenging to use.
Pros
- Bottle opener
- Easy cleaning with come-apart feature
- Can be used to peel vegetables
- Heavy-duty, durable design
- Added features; bottle opener, bone cracker
Cons
- It might be challenging to use
- If they aren’t dried properly, blades can rust
- Not recommended for those with tiny hands
8. Best Value: Mercer Culinary’s Hot ForgedPoultry Shears
The Mercer Culinary Hot Forged Poultry Shears are among three sets that work well with turkey meat and bones. Its immaculate cutting precision truly offers quality for money.
The long, curving blade is intimidating, but it is incredibly effective in holding chicken bones while cutting them. Moreover, it is unlikely that these shears will slip through the delicate skin of the chicken. The locking mechanism is placed at the bottom, ensuring it isn’t in the way when you cut.
The stainless-steel handle and the absence of the loop made the handle a bit slippery. Also, the spring-loaded tension of this set makes the blades a bit wide for comfort. Although, the unit is 1.5-ounces heavier than the top pair from OXO. It’s not much, but it can add to fatigue for your hands over time.
Pros
- Sharp blades
- Has a good grip over bones during cutting
- Good at cutting turkey meat and bones
Cons
- Heavy
- The spring-loaded handle opens widely to discomfort
- Slippery handle
9. Best Splurge: Zwilling’s Twin Select Take-Apart Poultry Shears
Zwilling’s Twin Select Take-Apart Poultry Shears combine sleek design and high functionality. They are one of the most impressive pairs of shears because the spring function takes a lot of strain off your wrists and hands, making it simple and easier to open and close the shears.
Made of stainless steel, the unit is robust and reliable. You can use the micro-serrated blades to cut through thick skin or flesh without slipping. Furthermore, the shears will not slip or fall from wet hands – a quality we appreciate while cutting the chicken meat.
Pros
- High-quality stainless steel
- Spring lock mechanism
- Little strain on hands
- Anti slippery
Cons
- Might rust over time
10. Best Cover: Spring Chef’s Kitchen Shear with Blade Cover
The Spring Chef’s kitchen shear is an excellent addition to your kitchen if you want a contemporary and elegant aesthetic. The unit is stainless steel blades that are sharp enough to slice slippery meat and hard bones. The blades are rust-proof, and they won’t trouble you while cutting and can pierce through tough meats like turkey with smoothness.
Besides all this, we are impressed by the firm handles. They offer a sense of security and an easy grip that leads to rapid cutting control and are ideal for both left and right-handed chefs.
Pros
- Affordable price
- strong material
- Great quality
- Simple and easy to use
Cons
- Combined Blades
Buying Guide
Poultry shears are unique kitchen scissors, and whether you need them depends on the specific situations you face in the kitchen. For example, if you don’t handle whole chickens, you do not need a specialized pair of chicken shears. However, if you want to enhance your cooking skills, getting the best poultry shears is a good place to start.
Design
Poultry shears differ from scissors or kitchen shears in their design. Some kitchen shears come with different characteristics that help cut the poultry bones. However, kitchen scissors are primarily used in the kitchen and come with features such as an opening notch to open bottles or to break crabs.
Handles
Poultry shears have fewer bells and whistles; however, they excel in cutting through rigid poultry bones. They usually have one loop on the handle, but some models have flat handles. They are easy to use on either the left or right hand.
Blades
Blades of poultry shears are usually bent and micro-serrated to make them easier to grasp on bone, preventing the shears from sliding backward with each slice.
Like cutting tools for kitchen use, this is great to have split blades. While you can use them to cut raw chicken, you can also cut roasting chicken and lobster tails into pieces or even gut fish. It’s essential to clean them thoroughly after every use to prevent cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses.
The come-apart shears are a great way to get into every crevice without accidentally cutting your hands.
Locking Mechanism
These shears are spring-loaded, so you don’t need to exert more force with every cut. In addition, they bounce open with every cut to prevent your hands from getting tired. Hence, a lock protects the unit from becoming harmful while stored in your drawer. Therefore, a quality set comes with a secure lock that won’t hinder your work or lose its grip while cutting.
Pick an item with an ergonomic design and padded, comfortable handle. Even the best pair of shears require two hands now and then. Applying that much pressure to the handle could cause discomfort, especially when the handle isn’t covered or has a raised edge.
Any poultry shear with the features mentioned above is considered a quality shear, and it will likely be a great addition to your kitchen.
Conclusion
Poultry shears are among the most important things to have in your kitchen. The best poultry shears help cut hard, thick bones and more rigid cartilage and limbs in birds, like ducks, chickens, or turkeys. All the mentioned products provide excellent quality, sharpness, comfort, and ease of use.
