Everyone adores chicken wings. Seriously, who doesn’t? It’s the perfect combination of chicken skin, bones, and meat. They can be fried, grilled, baked, cooked whole, or cut into small chicken wingettes. They are simple to prepare and cook.
However, cutting the chicken wings can be challenging. One must know where and how to cut to achieve the perfect chicken wing cut.
This article discusses the various methods for cutting chicken wings, from separating them from the chicken to chopping off the wingtips. This article is for all of you who enjoy chicken wings. Read on and have fun!
Parts of a chicken wing
Before we begin cutting the chicken wings, we must first understand the parts of the chicken. Yes, chicken wings have distinct parts. There are three in total: the drumette, the wingette or flat, and the wingtip. We’ll get to know each part before we start cutting it up.
- Wingtip: The part at the tip of the chicken wings, also called the flapper. This part is mostly excluded from recipes, but it can be used to make chicken stock.
- Wingette: The wingette is the chicken’s middle section, also known as flats. This part of the wing is thinner and has less meat, but its crispy skin makes it excellent to fry alongside the drumettes.
- Drumette: The portion of the chicken attached to the rest of its body is called the drumette. This is the meatiest part of the chicken wings. It resembles a miniature drumstick. Most chicken wing recipes use this portion of the wings.
Cutting chicken wings from the whole chicken
Some of you prefer to buy the whole chicken rather than just the wings. Here’s how to cut the chicken wings off the whole dressed chicken.
- With your thumb, feel the wing joint. You will feel a small ridge, and this is where you will cut.
- Lift the wing and allow the chicken to fall. The chicken’s weight helps separate the lifted wing from the body.
- Cut the remaining skin and meat still attached to the body with the knife.
Cutting chicken wings into portions
Now that you know how to cut whole chicken wings from the chicken’s body, we’ll show you how to cut the wings into portions.
Doing this at home rather than buying pre-cut ones allows you to control the size of each slice. For example, suppose you are serving chicken wings to children. In that case, you may want to cut them smaller than the standard cut available at the supermarket.
Here are the steps for cutting chicken wings into portions.
- First, cut the tips. Flip the wings over so that the tip points upwards. You’ll notice a V-shape between the tip and the middle.
- Place the knife in the center of the V, straight down. Apply a little pressure to the blade to cut through the ligaments. You’ve successfully removed the wingtip.
- Once the tip is removed, flip the remaining wings over until the V-shaped pattern is visible again. This time, cut straight down through the joint along the edge of the drumette.
You now have the three cuts from the whole chicken wings. After you’ve cut all three, look for any extra flaps of skin from the cut. You can either trim them or leave them as is.
Cutting chicken wings for hot wings
Hot wings are one of the most famous chicken recipes. Rather than paying to order from a restaurant, why not make your own chicken hot wings? We will show you how to cut the wings into hot wings.
It is very simple to cut wings for hot wings. To make hot wings, you only need to make two cuts in the chicken wing. There are two methods for transforming your wings into hot wings.
- Divide the chicken wings into three pieces. Stretch the wings and feel the ridges that connect the three parts to get the desired portion. That is where you will cut your knife. For this one, you’ll only need the flats and drumettes. Set the flapper aside for later use in another recipe.
- Another method for making hot chicken wings is to cut the wings into two portions only, as Hooters does. Instead of removing the flapper, keep it attached to the wingette.
Cutting chicken wings for lollipops
Chicken lollipops are another popular chicken wings recipe that everyone enjoys. This recipe requires some effort, but it is not as difficult as you think once you know how to do it correctly. Here’s how it’s done:
Drumette’s chicken lollipop
- Remove the drumette and wingette.
- Once you’ve got the drumette, separate the skin from the meat.
- After removing the skin, cut around the meat at the bottom of the drumette with a knife.
- Insert the meat into the meatier section of the drumette. Take care not to fracture the bone.
- When all the meat is at one tip, try to shape it into a circle to make a lollipop.
The wingette’s chicken lollipop
- Peel off all of the skin.
- Unlike the drumette, the wingette has two bones that must be removed. Only one will be used for the lollipop handle.
- To remove the bone, cut the meat at the tip and push the meat all the way to the opposite side. Remove it once the bone is visible.
- Now that you have the bone, push the remaining meat into the tip and shape it into a circle, as you did with the drumette.
It’s not that difficult, you see. It only takes a few minutes and will save you money.
What to use in cutting chicken wings
Producing the ideal chicken wing cut also requires the best tools. The primary cutting instrument is the knife. It can be a chef’s knife, a boning knife, or a pairing knife as long as it is clean and sharp.
A razor-sharp knife is essential when slicing chicken to ensure smooth edges. The boning knife is the optimal tool for cutting chicken. Some people use scissors for cutting, but the knife is the best for the job.
Conclusion
No matter how they are prepared, chicken wings are an excellent dish to serve. Although chicken wings can be purchased pre-cut at the supermarket, it is still essential to know how to prepare them at home.
Purchasing whole chicken wings are less expensive than buying pre-cut wings. Learn the various parts, know where to cut, and be equipped with a sharp knife. Once you have mastered the cutting skill, you will realize how simple and useful it is.
