Chicken wings are a beloved appetizer and snack food especially when cooked up crispy and sauced or seasoned. But there’s an age-old debate around whether chicken wings are white or dark meat. So which is it?
It might come as a surprise, but chicken wings are actually white meat. Let’s look at why that is and what it means for how you cook and eat chicken wings.
Chicken Wing Anatomy and Muscle Structure
To understand why wings are white meat, you first need to know a bit about chicken anatomy and muscle structure.
When chickens flap their wings, they can fly short distances. Nevertheless, they stand, walk, hunt, and peck on the ground most of the time.
This means that the breast and wing muscles don’t get nearly as much of a workout as the leg and thigh muscles. The legs bear the brunt of a chicken’s movement and physical activity.
The breast and wing muscles have less myoglobin, which makes them lighter than the dark leg and thigh muscles. Myoglobin is the protein that gives meat its darker color and stronger flavor. Muscles that get more frequent use have higher levels.
Even though chicken wings are attached to the body near the legs and thighs, they have muscles that are similar to those in the breast. And that makes them white meat.
Wings vs Legs and Thighs
You can see a clear difference when comparing chicken wings to legs and thighs:
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Wings are smaller with less connective tissue and fat. The meat is lighter in color. Wings have more mild flavor with less fat.
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Legs and thighs have more muscles with greater blood flow and myoglobin. The meat is darker and fattier with stronger chicken flavor.
So wings are white while legs/thighs are dark. But why does this matter?
How to Cook White vs Dark Chicken Meat
Knowing that wings are white meat can help you cook them to juicy, tender perfection.
Dark chicken meat with more fat and connective tissue needs:
- Lower oven temp (325°F) and slower braising or stewing
- Moist cooking methods like simmering in sauce
- Longer cook times to get tender
White meat is leaner and dries out faster. Wings should be cooked using higher heat with shorter cook times:
- High oven temp (400°F+) to crisp the skin and cook meat quickly
- Grilling or frying on stovetop
- Sauce, toss, or coat wings at very end to avoid sogginess
So chicken wings can be roasted or air fried to get that signature crunch. Deep frying or pan frying in oil also develops a crispy skin.
Just be sure not to overcook them or the meat will dry out. Check for doneness early and often when frying or baking wings.
Chicken Wing Flavor and Juiciness Tips
Chicken wings may be white meat, but they can still benefit from some tips for extra juiciness and flavor:
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Brine the wings in a saltwater solution before cooking to boost moisture and season the meat.
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Coat in baking powder before roasting or air frying to help the skin get ultra crispy.
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Sauce the wings after cooking using sticky, bold sauces to compensate for the mild flavor.
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Cook wings with drumettes attached to keep meat juicy compared to only flats.
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Fry then bake wings to achieve both crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
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Toss in sauce right before serving to maximize crunch over sogginess.
So while wings may technically be white meat, with the right cooking methods and flavors, you can achieve the same juiciness and flavor as dark chicken meat.
Why It Matters for Nutrition
The white vs dark meat distinction also makes a difference when it comes to nutrition. Here’s how chicken wings compare to dark meat:
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More protein: Wings have slightly more protein than thighs or legs.
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Less fat: Wings contain about half the fat and calories of dark meat.
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Less saturated fat: Wings have approximately 1/3 the saturated fat of thighs and legs.
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Fewer calories: Wings contain around 100 calories per 3 oz cooked compared to 150 for thighs.
So chicken wings are the leaner choice and generally healthier for less fat and calories. The only caveat is the potential for frying or breading to add extra fat and carbs.
Overall, knowing that wings are white meat can help you pick the healthiest cooking methods to balance nutrition and flavor.
The Takeaway on Chicken Wings: White Meat
While the legs do more physical work, chicken wings are still considered white meat rather than dark. Their lower myoglobin content and fat levels make them similar to chicken breasts.
Cooking wings using higher heat for shorter periods maximizes juiciness and crunch. Tossing them in sauce adds big flavor.
Wings are also the lower calorie, lower fat choice compared to fattier thighs and legs. So wing lovers can celebrate knowing they’re getting all the advantages of white meat!
Now that the great chicken wing debate is settled, it’s time fire up the oven or deep fryer and enjoy these tasty appetizers in all their white meat glory.
White Meat Vs. Dark Meat
Like all the animals we eat for their meat, the meat consists of the animals muscles. Different muscles are used in different ways, but essentially, their job is to convert fuel into energy. And the type of fuel varies according to what types of movements are required.
Muscles used for quick bursts of energy, like the flapping of wings, are made up of white fibers, which convert carbohydrates into energy. Muscles used for prolonged exercise, like standing, are made up mainly of red muscle fibers, which convert fat into energy.
Converting fat into energy requires a special protein called myoglobin, which is red in color because of its high iron and oxygen content. Thus, the muscles that a chicken or turkey uses for prolonged work like standing are rich in myoglobin, giving those muscles a darker color. Its also this protein that gives dark meat its richer flavor as compared with white.
And because fat is the main fuel of these red muscle fibers, those muscles have more naturally occurring fat in them than muscles made up mostly of white fibers like the breasts and wings, which are naturally leaner.
The Parts of the Bird
First of all, chicken and turkey consist of four parts: the breast, the thigh, the drumstick, and the wing. Each bird has two of each. The breast is white meat, while the thigh and drumstick (collectively known as the leg) are dark. And what about the wing? You might be surprised to know that the wing is considered white meat as well.
But what do these distinctions mean?
Why are chicken wings so expensive?
FAQ
What color should a chicken wing be?
Technically, chicken wings are white meat. Muscles that move quickly and make small, sudden movements are mostly made up of white fibers.
Are flat wings white meat?
The middle part of the wing is called the wingette, or flat. I like calling it flat because that’s exactly what the shape is. There are two thin bones that run parallel to each other down the length of the flat, and it has tender dark meat and is completely covered with skin.
What color is cooked chicken wings?
It’s not the color of the meat that tells you how done it is; it’s the temperature. Chicken meat cooks to a creamy white color, not the darker colors of beef, pork, or lamb. This white color provides a much starker contrast to the occasional pink tones that can naturally occur in any meat.