Except for those who often visit the market to purchase food, to most people, identifying the number of wings in a pound is not easy at all. We will never know exactly whether we should buy how many wings for a certain number of people.
It would be a shame if not serving enough wings for all the guests. To avoid this circumstance, La Pulperia will guide you how many wings in a pound, and how to buy a sufficient amount for your meal.
How Many Wings In A Pound?
An average raw wing weighs about 3.5 ounces. That means for whole chicken wings (drumette, flat and wing tip intact), there are 4-5 pieces in a pound.
In case you get chicken wings with drumettes and wingettes separated, the answer for “How many wings in a pound?” is 10-12 pieces mixed.
This answer is right, but it is not enough. You will discover that the size of chicken wings varies, meaning that their weights are not the same. For smaller wings, you will have more in a pound and vice versa, if the wings are bigger, you have less than the number given.
Another thing you should consider is that chicken wings when cooked will lose around 25% of initial weight. And not only about the meat, the overall weight can be also affected by coatings such as tempura or crispy flour.
The Two Types of Chicken Wings
It’s worth thinking about what kind of chicken wings your guests expect to serve. Some people may prefer one type better than the other. So you can decide to choose whole wings or buffalo wings at the supermarket or butcher shop.
Whole Wings
Whole wings are usually the entire wings from the chicken without being broken into pieces. You can easily find this kind of wings in the poultry section or in frozen bags in the freezer section of butcher shops. Many people prefer whole wings because of the hand-full feeling, especially when they are smoked or barbecued.
Each raw whole wing usually varies from 3-4 ounces in weight. Do a simple division, you will get the number 4-5 pieces of chicken wings per pound.
Wings have three sections: At the top is the drumette, next is the wingette (aka flat) and the smallest part is the wing tip. If separated, the tip is usually discarded or used for chicken broth since it’s small and bony. The remaining parts, including the drumette and flat are most popular, and usually referred to as buffalo wings.
Buffalo Wings
The name buffalo wings for the two parts come from the wings served at a Bar in Buffalo, New York in 1964. The co-owner of the Anchor Bar, Teressa Bellissimo prepared deep fried leftover wings with hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son, Dominic and his friends. Since the guys extremely liked them, the Bellisimos decided to add the dish on the menu the day after, served with bleu cheese sauce and celery slices. And Buffalo wings immediately became a hit. Don’t be mistaken, Buffalo is the location where the name comes from, not the sauce.
Anyone who has eaten buffalo wings can easily realize that there are two different parts made up of the dish, which are drumettes and wingettes.
Drumette
This is the meatiest part of chicken wings and has a main bone surrounded by meat. The drumette is attached to the chicken’s breast and resembles a drumstick.
Wingette or Flat
The middle section of chicken’s wings contains two bones. It has less meat and thinner skin layer than drumette, but the juiciness is almost the same.
One pound of uncooked Buffalo wings will contain about 10-12 pieces mixed, double the number of the whole wings. For more detailed weight for each part: A raw drumette weighs between 1.5 and 2.5ounces (7-10 pieces per pound) and an uncooked flat can weigh about 1.5 ounces (10-12 pieces per pound)
If you order Buffalo wings at a restaurant, you may be given the choice of separated wings, drums or mix of them based on your preference.
What about frozen chicken wings?
In case you buy frozen wings, things are a little bit different. Chicken wings are often sold by the broken-into-piece wings instead of by the pound.
A common size for a package of frozen wings is about 4 pounds, equivalent to 40-50 wings, which means 10-12 wings per pound. However, these numbers can vary relyinging on the size of the package and the brand. So, you should check the package to view how many wings are included.
Generally speaking, when buying chicken wings, just remember the 4-to-5 number for the whole wings and double it for buffalo wings.
Why Does This Difference Matter?
This information about chicken wings isn’t just fun facts. You will find it necessary when identifying how many wings each person serves as the type of wings you will buy is whole wings or buffalo wings.
How Many Chicken Wings Per Person?
When it comes to considering how many chicken wings each person tends to serve, you should keep in mind that different courses will need different amount of wings.
The table below is a suggestion for How many pounds of chicken wings per person.
| Course | Buffalo wings | Whole wings |
| Appetizer | 4-6 pieces | 2-3 pieces |
| Entree with sides | 1-1.5 pounds | 5-6 pieces |
| Sole entree | 1.5-2 pounds | 6-8 pieces |
- Appetizer: A suitable amount for the main appetizer followed by dinner is about 4-6 drumettes or wings, or 2-3 whole wings.
- As a main course with sides: 1-1.5 pounds of buffalo wings (5-6 whole wings), accompanied with sides offered may be enough for a person.
- As the sole entree (with no sides): each person may serve 1.5-2 pounds (6-8 whole wings) if wings served only.
In general, 5-6 whole wings, approximate 10-12 buffalo wings will be enough for normal people to feel full, especially when served with side dishes.
However, this guide is made on the basis of average appetites. For special guests like wing lovers, heavy eaters or special meals as buffets or parties, the recommended serving is 2 pounds per person. There may be leftovers, but surplus is better than shortage when you decide to entertain your guests.
Tips for Choosing Chicken Wings
Have you ever wondered that even when you check the packaging and expiration date, your chicken sometimes still can not be consumed? The fact is that not all the wings are appropriately qualified. So, you should self-equipped knowledge of choosing the best wings. Below are some tips from La Pulperia:
Check the smell
Another way to exactly choose good chicken wings is testing its smell. Fresh raw chicken will have a mild smell or non-smell at all. If it has a strangely apparent smell, like sulfur or rotten eggs, that means certain bacteria infect the chicken and release gas that causes the chicken to smell off.
However, human’s sense of smell is not that sensitive all the time. Not everyone can notice the foul smell of chicken. So, never rely on the smell alone when choosing chicken wings. You should pay attention to other signs of spoilage through observation or touch as well.
Check the appearance
The hue of raw chicken wings should range from creamy white to yellow, and they should appear plump. Any visible meat beneath the surface will be peachy-pink in color, the skin should be tightened and dimpled over the meat and bone.
Avoid purchasing the wings if the meat has a pasty or gray appearance. Likewise if you notice any green or blue patches, as these point to the presence of mold. Blood stains aren’t always harmful, but they do show that the meat wasn’t handled properly.
Check the texture
Assuming you can touch the meat beforehand, check to ensure that it isn’t too slimy, sticky, or damp. While a little moisture on the surface is acceptable, it shouldn’t feel soggy. When the wings are fresh, a little dank to the touch feel is acceptable, but it is expected to be firm and springy. Over slimy or sticky often indicates that there are lots of bacteria on the surface.
An important thing to remember is that chicken wings should be immediately placed in the fridge or freezer after being taken away from the selling zone. If you don’t have a plan to cook them instantly, you can store them in the fridge in 1-2 days, or at least 9 months in the freezer.
The Best Recipes For Cooking Chicken Wings?
Chicken wings are ideal ingredients for baked and fried dishes. They are the most classic cooking methods, but also the best. However, if you are bored with classic things and want something innovative, try other recipes. The result may surprise both you and your guests.
Favorite Chicken Wing Recipes
Here are La Pulperia’s favorite chicken wings recipes. The list offers many dishes, even if it is the classic or the brand-new one.
If you just stick to the classics like Buffalo (even a vegetarian version) and honey barbeque, all of your visitors would be satisfied. But if you’re looking for something unique to impress the crowd, we suggest going to sweet and sour Korean or cheesy, buttery garlic parmesan wings. For a great wing sauce, crack open an orange soda or a root beer – trust us, it works!
Want superb flavor but don’t like spicy food? You can choose from our maple bacon wings or chicken parmesan. Alternatively, you may start with a basic baked chicken wings recipe and season to taste.
- Baked crispy chicken wings
- Classic Buffalo Wings
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Fried Chicken Wings
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Pickleback Chicken Wings
- Grilled Chicken Wings
- Slow-Cooker Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wings
- Cilantro Lime Wings
- Spicy Asian Chicken Wings
- Mongolian Glazed Wings
- Crock-Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Maple Bacon Wings
- Bloody Mary Wings
- Sunkist Wings
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
- Root Beer BBQ Wings
- Honey BBQ Wings
- Balsamic Glazed Wings
- Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Garlic Chicken Wings
Sauces You Need For Chicken Wings?
- Classic Buffalo Sauce
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Marinara Sauce
- BBQ Bourbon Sauce
- Harissa Aioli
- Halal Cart-Style White Sauce
- Chipotle-Lime Sauce
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Miso Ginger Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
FAQs related to how many wings in a pound
How Many Wings Are in a 10-Pound Bag?
A 10-pound bag includes approximately 120 pieces if the drumettes and wings are separated, equivalent to about 55-60 whole wings, assuming that the wings are in average size.
The number of wings can fluctuate, depending on their size. If the wings are smaller, there may be nearly 180 pieces of wings and drumettes (85 whole wings). If the wings are bigger, the 10-pound bag can contain about 100 separated flats and drums (50 whole wings).
Parts of the Chicken Wing
A chicken wing has three main sections: the drumette, the wingette, and the tip.
Drumette is the thickest part of the wing and has the shape of a mini drumstick. Its single bone is covered by the meat and a skin layer outside.
Wingerette is the middle part of the wing. It is sometimes called flat based on its appearance. This part contains two bones, and is mostly used for fried dishes.
At the top of chicken wings is the wing tip. This section is small and contains no meat. Wing tip is usually discarded, but in some cases, it can be used to make chicken broth or stock.
When cooking chicken wing, you can choose to cook it as a whole or separate it into parts. It depends on your preference and the method you want to cook. For example, if you want BBQ chicken wings, it would be better if you leave the whole wings. But when it comes to fried wings, using separated drumette and flat for the dish is a better choice.
Whole Wings versus Already Cut
If you consider what type of wings to buy, whole wings or already cut, think of how you are going to cook them. For instance, if you want to make Baked Buffalo or BBQ Chicken Wings, the suitable choice is the whole wings. However, ideal wings for fried chicken are already cut wings.
But what if you change your mind after buying the whole wings? Or you can not purchase wings that have already been broken into drumettes and wingettes? Don’t worry. Cutting a wing into pieces is not too complicated. You can follow these steps:
- Turn over the wing so that the skin is side down and the joints are easy to observe. Find the ridge between the wingette and drumette parts.
- Put a sharp knife next to the ridge and parallel to the drumette. Cut through it. Another efficient method to do this is using a kitchen scissor.
- Do the same way with the second ridge between wingette and tip.
4 lbs of chicken wings feeds how many
It depends. If they are used as an appetizer, a pound of wings can feed 4 people, so 4 lbs (pounds) of chicken wings will be enough for 16 people. As a side dish, 4lbs can serve 3-4 people. As a main dish, 4 pounds of chicken wings is recommended for 2-3 people.
These suggestions are based on average appetites. If your guests have heavy eaters or chicken wings lovers and need a larger serving, then decrease the number of people 4lbs can serve to 1-2.
To wrap up, the answer for “How many wings in a pound?” is not as simple as the question itself. On average, there are about 4-5 whole wings each pound and double for buffalo wings. In case the wings have already been cooked and lose 25% of net weight, the number is triple. In fact, these numbers vary since the size and weight of wings are non-uniform. However, it will give you an overview of what to expect.
Hope this helps. Take a look at our How long to bake chicken wings at 400 recipe before you leave.
Above are exact and detail answer to “How many wings in a pound?” and best baked chicken wings recipe from https://bluevelvetrestaurant.com. Thank you for reading and hope you have a nice cake.
Author: Cloudela
