How to Cut Chicken Wings

Cutting wings is easy and budget-friendly. Follow the steps below to cut them yourself. Make sure you have a clean, sharp chef's knife and a sturdy cutting board that won't wobble while you're cutting. Remember to always cut away from yourself for safety reasons.

chicken wingette, drumette, and wing tip on a cutting board

Dry the wings

Before cutting your wings into three parts as shown in the steps below, dry the wings off using paper towels. This will make them safer to cut and is normally a step in chicken wings recipes.

identifying the first ridge of a chicken wing

Identify the drumette

Rest the whole chicken wing on a cutting board skin-side down. Locate the ridge between the drumette and part of the wing.

slicing through the drumette and wingette ridge

Cut through

Place a sharp chef knife beside the ridge and carefully wiggle it a bit to make a clean cut.

Separate the drumette

Your knife should slice through easily, separating the drumette from the wing.

identifying the second ridge between the wingette and wing tip

Identify the wingette and tip

Locate the second ridge between the wingette and wing tip.

slicing the wing tip off of the wingette

Slice the flat

Place the knife beside the ridge of the flat wing to make your second cut.

You're done!

It should separate easily. Now all three parts of the wing are separate! Most people toss the wing tips, but I recommend you keep them - see why below. Enjoy making your favorite recipes for chicken wings!

If you have any spare wings you don't plan on using, you can separate them, place them on a baking sheet, and flash freeze them. Once frozen, transfer them to freezer-safe containers and label with the date.

Parts of Chicken Wings

A whole chicken wing is made up of three parts:

Drumette
Wingette
Wing tips

The drumette and wingette are the only meaty parts of the chicken wing. The wing tip is meatless, but don't throw them out! You can use wing tips to make homemade chicken stock.

Drumette

The drumette is the meatiest part, the thicker part of the chicken wing. Out of all of the wing parts, it has the most meat. Made out of mostly dark meat, it's also the juiciest section of the wing.

Wingette

The chicken wingette is also referred to as the "flat". It slightly has less meat and is not quite as juicy as the drumette, but flats are also made up of tender dark meat.

Wing Tips

Wing tips are the very tip of the chicken wing, and essentially have no meat. Some people throw chicken wing parts away, but I personally recommend saving them to use for stock.

If you're prepping a big batch of wings and will have a lot of these tips left over, you can cook them into stock the next day or freeze them to use later. You can freeze wing tips for about 4-6 months, so stuff them in a bag labeled with the date, and store them to use for stock.

using a sharp knife to slice the wing tip away from the wingette

Expert Tips for Cutting Wings

Always cut chicken wings skin-side down to easily find where to cut.
Use a sharp knife, and it will slice easily through any resistance.
Avoid cutting through bone. If done correctly (and it is easy, I promise!), you shouldn't run into any.
Store the wing tips for stock, or simply cook them with the other wing parts to nibble on. Some people enjoy them!

FAQ

Can you cut chicken wings with scissors?

You can cut chicken wings using kitchen scissors if you prefer. Find the ridges separate the wingette from the drumette and the wing tips as you would with a knife and cutting board, and cut through. You should have sturdy, sharp kitchen shears if using scissors to cut chicken wings instead of a knife.

Can you cut chicken wings after cooking?

Although it is easier and less messy to locate the ridges for cutting wings before cooking them, you can cut chicken wings after cooking, if you must or simply prefer.

How many chicken wings per person should I serve?

To serve chicken wings for a crowd, account for at least 1 pound of chicken per person. This is equal to approximately 4 to 5 whole chicken wings (not yet separated into parts).

Amount of People	Whole Wings Needed
4	16-20
6	24-30
8	32-40
10	40-50
12	48-60

How many wings do I need for 2 adults?

If you're feeding yourself and just one other person and wings are the main course, you'll want to serve slightly more per person than you would for a crowd. Cut about 14 to 16 whole chicken wings to serve 2 people for a main course.

Chicken Wing Recipes

Once you're equipped with a recipe for chicken wings you'd like to make, go armed with my Chicken Temperature Chart and a meat thermometer! Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer before serving.

Sauces for Chicken Wings

chicken wings on a plate with dip in a jar

For the longest time, I was buying cut raw chicken wings from the grocery store without a second thought. It seemed easier to me at the time than the idea of cutting them myself! After learning how to cut chicken wings myself though, I can honestly say I have never bought them ready-cut again. It's easy, economical, and honestly fun to do on your own! You'll just need a sharp knife and less than 10 minutes. It's that easy.