How to Cut Chicken Wings

How to Cut Chicken Wings

Once considered the least desirable part of a chicken, chicken wings have exploded in popularity since the 1960s. Available to buy fresh or frozen, cut, or uncut, this how-to guide will show you how to cut chicken wings on your own, saving you money in the long run. Buying fresh, uncut wings in family pack sizes will give you the best price per pound and cutting them really is easy.

I personally love chicken wings, they’re an incredibly versatile cut of chicken that can be seasoned and cooked with different flavors from all over the globe. I have my own go-to recipe for amazing and spicy baked wings, but you can easily switch things up with different seasonings or sauces and glazes. If you love making wings as well, learning how to cut your own chicken wings can be a huge money saver.

Three Parts of a Chicken Wing

So before diving in to cutting the chicken wing, it’s good to know what makes up the wing parts. The whole wing is comprised of three distinct parts, each separated by a joint. You can cut each piece separate or leave parts together or cook the wing whole. Cutting each piece into separate parts is easiest for eating, though I’ve seen lots of smoked wings left whole.

The Drumette

The thickest part of the wing is the “drumette” and is where the wing attaches to the chicken. It has most of the meat and looks like a tiny drumstick, hence the name.

The Wingette

The wingette, also called the “flat” is like your forearm. It has two bones running in parallel from one joint to the other. Because of their flatter shape and less meat content, the “flat” usually cooks up a little faster and crispier.

The Wing Tip

The small tip of the wing usually isn’t eaten, as it is mostly skin, bones, and cartilage with little to no meat to find. Most people simply discard the wing tips, but you can also save and freeze them for later use. They may lack tasty meat like the rest of the wing components, but they do have a lot of flavor that can be extracted when making a homemade chicken stock or soup.

How to Cut Whole Chicken Wings

All you need to cut wings are a sharp knife and a cutting board. I’ve seen this done with a chef’s knife, boning knife, butcher knife, or even just some poultry or kitchen shears. Personally, I prefer using a chef’s knife because I feel it gives you the best control over your cuts. You do want to use a sharp knife however, and I recommend sharpening or at least honing the blade before cutting wings. If done right, the blade should glide through the cartilage with about as much resistance as if you were cutting an onion.

Before making your first cut, take one index finger and feel around the big knuckle on the opposite index finger. You should feel a small bump near the corner of the knuckle. That’s where the joints come together, and you’ll want to find the same bump on the wing tip.

Now pick up the chicken wing by the wing tip. Grip the wing tip in a fist with your thumb free. Using the tip of your thumb, locate the space between the two joints where the tip and the wingette come together. Push into that gap and leave a small mark if it helps you. While keeping your grip on the wing tip, use your knife and slice through that gap to remove the wing tip from the flat.

Flip the remaining pieces of the wing over so that the drumette is closer to your non-dominate hand (the one not holding the knife). Trim off any excess skin or fat if needed. Usually the wings are already trimmed, but sometimes you’ll find a large chunk of excess skin.

After trimming the drumette, pull the two pieces of the wing apart, almost to a 90-degree angle. Place the blade of the knife parallel and up against the drumette. From this position, the knife should be perfectly situated to cut straight through the remaining joint holding the drumette and wingette together. Slice downwards through the cartilage again. If you feel resistance, you’re hitting bone. Don’t try to chop or saw through the bone, simply lift the blade up and change the angle slightly to the left or right and try again. When you stop feeling resistance, you should be able to slice straight through.

Continue cutting and separating the wing components until you are done. Now you can either discard all the wing tips or transfer them to an airtight freezer container and save them for another day.

Storing Chicken Wings

Once cut, you can store chicken wings in the refrigerator. Use a gallon size zipper lock bag, removing as much air as possible and write down the same date from the original packaging.

After cooking the wings, you can store them in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Use the same method as above.

You can also freeze cut chicken wings almost indefinitely, but they will begin losing their flavor after 6 months or so.