What Part of the Chicken is the Wing? A Deep Dive into Chicken Wing Anatomy

One of the best parts of a chicken is its wings. Because of how tasty they are and how much fun they are, they are a popular snack or appetizer. But what are chicken wings really made of? Let’s take a closer look at the anatomy of chicken wings to find out where they come from on the chicken.

The Three Sections of a Chicken Wing

A chicken wing is made up of three distinct sections

• The drumette
• The wingette (also called the flat)
• The wing tip

The Drumette

The drumette is the meatiest section of the chicken wing, closest to the breast. It looks like a miniature drumstick and contains part of the upper wing bone.

Even though chicken wings don’t have arms, the drumette would be the upper arm if they did. It’s thick near the breast and gets thinner where it meets the wingette.

The drumette has the most tender meat of the three wing sections. It contains mostly white meat with some connective tissue.

The Wingette

The wingette, sometimes called the flat or flap, is the long middle section of the wing. It contains two parallel bones and less meat than the drumette.

If the chicken wing was an arm, the wingette would be the forearm area. It has a flat, wide shape compared to the round drumette.

The wingette tends to crisp up very nicely when cooked. The meat can be pulled off the bone in a single strip if you twist the bones the right way.

The Wing Tip

The wing tip is the thin, pointy part of the wing that sticks out. There isn’t much meat in it because most of it is up near the drumette.

The tip of the wing is like the wrist on an arm. It mainly consists of skin, cartilage, and bone.

Many restaurants and home cooks discard the wing tips since there’s minimal meat. But the high skin-to-meat ratio makes the tips ultra-crispy when cooked.

Chicken Wing Anatomy and the Structure of a Chicken’s Body

To understand exactly what part of the chicken the wing comes from, it helps to visualize the anatomy of a whole chicken.

A whole chicken wing comes from the breast quarter area of the bird. The breast quarters include the breast meat, wing, and back portion.

Specifically, the wing bones connect to the chicken’s body right around the shoulder joint area. The drumette bone extends from the bird’s shoulder outwards, forming the upper wing.

• Chicken wings come from the breast quarter of the chicken
• The drumette bone connects to the shoulder joint
• Wings consist of the drumette, wingette, and tip sections

Knowing that wings connect to the breast and shoulder region gives you a better sense of what cut of meat they come from. Next time you eat a wing, you can visualize exactly where it was located on the whole chicken!

The Unique Structure and Function of Chicken Wings

Since chickens don’t actually fly, their wings serve a different purpose than bird wings built for flight. Their wings are structured specifically for the life of a domestic chicken.

The drumette contains white meat with fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers allow for short bursts of activity like flapping the wings or jumping up to a perch.

In contrast, dark meat in the legs and thighs contains slow-twitch fibers for extended walking and standing. So chicken wings are built for range of motion rather than sustained flying.

The two slender bones of the wingette add flexibility but aren’t robust enough for true flight. And the minimal meat in the tip isn’t necessary for a chicken’s lifestyle.

Chicken wings perfectly suit the life of a barnyard chicken, whether flapping up to a roost or briefly fluttering away from danger. Their unique structure matches their behavior and purposes as a land-based bird.

Preparing and Cooking Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are prepared in many ways, from smoking or grilling to frying or baking. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your wings:

• Separate the wings into drumettes, wingettes, and tips for more even cooking. The drumettes take longer than the smaller pieces.

• Roast or grill the wings uncovered first to render excess fat and get the skin crispy. Then toss them with sauce during the last few minutes.

• Fry wings in batches to maintain oil temperature. Keep oil between 325-375°F for crispy wings without greasiness.

• Bake wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet so air circulates completely around each piece.

• Season wings generously with spices or dry rubs. The skin gets extra crispy and the seasonings permeate the meat.

• Toss sauced wings in starch like cornstarch or potato starch so the sauce adheres nicely to the meat.

• Finish sauced wings under the broiler for 1-2 mins to caramelize the sauce.

With the right prep and cooking methods, chicken wings become irresistibly crispy, saucy, and packed with flavor. Now that you know exactly what cut of the chicken they come from, you can better appreciate why wings taste so good!