Who doesn’t love to relish hot, crispy, and saucy wings? Game nights feel incomplete without a bucket full of chicken wings sitting by your side. While there’s nothing wrong with cooking them whole, separating the wingette from the drumette gives you more to chomp on. And who doesn’t love an extra serving?

But here’s the problem: the chicken wings you bought from the freezer of your next-door supermarket never turn out to be half as delicious as the advertisement promised it to be. Or even if you follow the instructions step-by-step, the chances of it tasting as crispy and juicy as you want are low. 

So, you ask, how do I prepare the perfect, restaurant-style chicken wings right here in my kitchen? That’s what we’re going to be talking about! Ready to make the perfect chicken wing? All you need is some butchery skills and our delicious recipe!

Parts Of The Chicken Wings

When you buy fresh wings from a local grocery store, you’ll find them in one bulky piece. Of course, you can cut these into three parts: the wingtip, wingette, also known as a flapper or flat, and drumette, also known simply as the drum. Compared to human anatomy, the wing tip would be a human’s hand, the wingette or flat would be a human’s forearm and the drumette or drum would be a human’s upper arm, right below the shoulder.

• Wing Tips

Typically, very few recipes call for wingtips, but they are great for making chicken stock. If you are going to use it for chicken stock, just put them in a freezer back and place them in the freezer for later use.

But if you’re someone who enjoys crispy, saucy wings, don’t cut off the wingtip. This gives you an extra bit of skin to munch on!

It is the smallest part of the wing and named for its pointy top. Some people also call them flappers and consider them to be a delicacy.

• Wingette (Flat)

Also called flat or flap, the wingette is the middle section of the wing and, without doubt, the tastiest one! 

This part comes with two parallel bones with the flavorsome meat in the middle. Everyone gets pretty messy when it comes to savoring these delicious wingettes. If you want a little less of a mess when you are eating them, stick your finger in the joint where the two bones meat and separate them.  The smaller bone will easily come out and this will make them easier to eat.

• Drumette (Drum)

The drumette is the meatiest and juiciest piece of the chicken wing. The piece looks like a miniature chicken leg or drumstick. This can be some wing lovers’ favorite part because it’s the meatiest and the easiest to eat. 

How to Cut Chicken Wings Like A Pro

First, bend and flex the chicken wings to loosen the joints. Once you feel each of the joints moving independently, it’ll give you an idea of where you should be placing the cuts to separate the wingettes and drumettes. 

Next, you should stretch out the chicken wing and look for the bump or ball, which will be the joint between the different parts of the wing.  If the joints aren’t free moving, it will make finding the right spot to cut much harder.  Another tip is to cut some of the skin away where the joint is so you can see exactly where you are cutting.

• The First Cut

First, stretch out the chicken on the cutting board. Next, flip the wing over, so the inside portion of the wing faces up. This way, you can easily see the joints on the wing. Now, make a cut at the joint in between the wingtip and the wingette.

• The Second Cut

The second cut separates the drumette and the wingette. Place the knife tip in the joint of drumette and the wingette.  This will be a ball joint, similar to an elbow joint. If you experience any kind of resistance, just keep wiggling the knife until they come apart. This leaves you with all three parts perfectly cut. 

How Do I Know When My Chicken Is Cooked?

Now that you know how to cut your chicken, you probably want to know whether you’ve cooked it to perfection or not. Here’s how you’ll know:

• The FDA recommends chicken’s internal temperature should be 165 degrees F
• The outside skin is crispy
• The inside is juicy and tender
• Any serious chef or just part time back yard BBQ grill master should have an instant digital thermometer

The important thing to remember is that no matter how you decide to cook your wings, make sure the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 165 F. In addition, check whether the largest drumette is done properly with the help of a meat thermometer while avoiding contact with the bone.            

What Sauces Go Best With It?

Your chicken wings are all prepared, you’re setting them on a plate for the perfect Instagram picture, and you think to yourself, ‘oh no! I forgot the sauce.’ Well lucky for you, we’ve remembered it for you!

Here are a couple of sauces you can go for. These include spicy, sweet, and tangy ones. Another great thing is you can make these yourself; if not, you can get them from your nearest local market as well! Some of our favorites include the honey mustard sauce, which comes with the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Or, you can try a special buffalo sauce.

The Bottom Line

There’s no better way to spend your weekend than with a bucket of crispy chicken wings cooked to perfection beside you. 

Once you master the trick to cutting these perfectly, you can try your favorite recipes out. You can deep-fry, bake, grill, or even smoke these amazing chicken wings. So, what are you still reading this for? It’s time to grab the tools you need and start cooking the perfect chicken wings!