Hey there, fellow food enthusiasts! Today I’m super excited to dive into one of my absolute favorite cooking ingredients – chicken pieces! Whether you’re a busy parent trying to get dinner on the table or a culinary explorer looking to expand your recipe collection, understanding different chicken pieces can totally transform your cooking game.
As someone who cooks chicken multiple times a week, I’ve learned that each piece of chicken has its own unique qualities, cooking methods, and flavor profiles I’m gonna share everything I know about selecting the perfect piece of chicken for your meal and give you some amazingly easy recipes to try
Understanding Different Chicken Pieces
When you’re standing at the meat counter it can get a bit overwhelming with all the different chicken parts available. Let’s break down the most common pieces and what makes each special
Chicken Breast
- Characteristics: Lean white meat, can be boneless or bone-in, with or without skin
- Best for: Quick cooking methods like grilling, pan-frying, or baking
- Flavor profile: Mild, takes on flavors of seasonings well
- Nutrition: Highest in protein, lowest in fat
Chicken Thighs
- Characteristics: Dark meat, more fat content, can be boneless or bone-in
- Best for: Slow cooking, braising, grilling, baking
- Flavor profile: Rich, juicy, more intense chicken flavor
- Nutrition: Higher in fat than breast meat but still nutritious
Chicken Drumsticks
- Characteristics: Dark meat, always bone-in, easy to handle
- Best for: Baking, grilling, frying
- Flavor profile: Juicy and flavorful
- Nutrition: Good source of protein with moderate fat content
Chicken Wings
- Characteristics: Small pieces with high skin-to-meat ratio
- Best for: Appetizers, party food, frying, baking, grilling
- Flavor profile: Rich flavor, takes on sauces well
- Nutrition: Higher in fat due to skin content
Chicken Legs (Quarters)
- Characteristics: Combination of thigh and drumstick
- Best for: Roasting, grilling, slow cooking
- Flavor profile: Juicy dark meat flavor
- Nutrition: Balanced protein and fat content
Chicken Forequarters
- Characteristics: Includes breast and wing portion
- Best for: Roasting, baking
- Flavor profile: Combination of white and dark meat
- Nutrition: Varies based on parts included
Why Choose Different Pieces for Different Recipes?
I used to just grab chicken breast for everything because that’s what I knew, but oh man, was I missing out! Each piece of chicken has specific qualities that make it perfect for certain dishes:
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Breast Great when you need a quick-cooking, lean protein. Perfect for slicing into stir-fries or cutting into cubes for kabobs.
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Thighs: My personal favorite! They’re more forgiving when cooking (harder to dry out) and have more flavor. Perfect for slow cookers or any recipe where you want juicy, flavorful meat.
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Drumsticks: Kid-friendly and great for casual meals. They’re easy to eat with your hands and often less expensive than other cuts.
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Wings: Party food heaven! Great for appetizers and gatherings where finger foods reign supreme.
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Whole chicken: The most economical choice – you can roast it whole or break it down into parts and save the carcass for making stock.
Cost Considerations
With grocery prices these days, I’m always looking to save money where I can. Here’s what I’ve noticed about chicken pricing:
- Breast meat is typically the most expensive cut per pound
- Dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) is usually more affordable
- Whole chickens often give you the most bang for your buck
- Wings used to be cheap but have gotten pricier due to their popularity
If you’re trying to stretch your grocery dollars, learning how to break down a whole chicken can save you serious money over time. Plus, you’ll have bones for homemade stock – double win!
5 Easy Ways to Cook Chicken Pieces
1. Oven-Roasted Chicken Pieces
This is my go-to method for busy weeknights. Simply season your chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs, place them on a baking sheet, and roast at 425°F until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Dark meat pieces may take a bit longer than white meat.
2. Grilled Chicken
Perfect for summer! Marinate your chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes (though overnight is better), then grill over medium heat until cooked through. This works great for any piece of chicken!
3. Pan-Fried Chicken
Heat some oil in a skillet, season your chicken pieces, and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. I love this method for thighs and breasts.
4. Slow Cooker Chicken
Place your chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best) in the slow cooker with your favorite sauce or seasonings and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Super tender, fall-off-the-bone goodness!
5. Air Fryer Chicken
My newest obsession! Air fryer chicken pieces cook up crispy on the outside while staying juicy inside. Wings and drumsticks are especially awesome this way.
12 Delicious Chicken Piece Recipes to Try
Here are some amazing recipes that showcase different chicken pieces:
1. Garlic and Dijon Baked Chicken Legs
These chicken legs are coated with Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and fresh garlic for a zesty, flavorful dinner. The acid from the lemon and mustard helps tenderize the meat while adding fantastic flavor.
2. Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Simple but elegant, this recipe combines chicken pieces with fresh herbs and lemon for a restaurant-quality meal at home. It’s perfect for serving over mushroom risotto or with simple roasted potatoes.
3. Artichoke Chicken Recipe
This unique recipe pairs chicken drumsticks with artichokes, brown mustard, and oregano for a nutritious and flavorful bake. Don’t forget to pour the pan juices over your rice!
4. Classic Oven Roasted Chicken Pieces
Using a blend of paprika, garlic powder, and other spices, this recipe creates perfectly crispy, delicious chicken pieces. Make extra spice blend to use on veggies and other proteins!
5. Oven Fried Chicken
Get all the flavor of fried chicken without the deep fryer! This recipe uses Bisquick mix as a coating to create that crispy outer layer we all love in fried chicken.
6. Chicken Adobo
This Filipino-inspired dish uses chicken pieces simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, jalapeño, and soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice and diced avocado for a complete meal.
7. Oven Baked Chicken Bites
These bite-sized chicken pieces are seasoned with olive oil, Italian seasoning, and cayenne for a spicy kick. Great for snacking or as a protein for salads!
8. Oven Roasted Greek Chicken
This recipe uses a yogurt-based marinade to tenderize chicken pieces and add tanginess. The skin crisps up beautifully in the oven for added texture.
9. Baked Chicken Drumsticks
A simple, weeknight-friendly recipe that produces crispy, juicy drumsticks with a hint of smoky flavor from paprika. Pair with roasted veggies and rice for a complete meal.
10. Oven Baked Rosemary Chicken
The classic pairing of rosemary, lemon, olive oil, and garlic creates wonderfully aromatic chicken pieces. Turn it into a sheet pan meal by adding vegetables to roast alongside the chicken.
11. Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Perfect for parties! Marinate your chicken pieces in a mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce enhanced with lemon juice, brown sugar, paprika, and apple cider vinegar.
12. Roasted Greek Chicken Breasts
Fresh oregano, thyme, garlic, and red pepper flakes give these chicken breasts a Mediterranean flair. While fresh herbs are recommended, dried herbs work in a pinch.
Food Safety Tips When Handling Chicken Pieces
Before I wrap up, I gotta mention some important safety tips when working with chicken:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw chicken
- Use a dedicated cutting board for raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination
- Never wash raw chicken in your sink (it just spreads bacteria)
- Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (use a meat thermometer!)
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking
Why I Love Cooking with Different Chicken Pieces
I used to be intimidated by anything other than boneless chicken breasts, but once I started experimenting with different chicken pieces, my cooking really leveled up! Dark meat pieces like thighs have so much more flavor and are way more forgiving if you accidentally overcook them a bit.
Plus, buying different chicken pieces (or whole chickens) has helped me save money and reduce food waste. I can make chicken stock from the bones and use different pieces for different meals throughout the week.
Final Thoughts
Happy cooking, friends!
Get More Bang for Your Cluck
For many, the easiest route to a chicken dinner is simply to preheat the oven, season a whole bird, and throw it in. While this is undoubtedly an easy and delicious dinner, there are many different ways to utilize the various cuts of chicken.
Chances are you’ve heard of all of these cuts, but you probably haven’t used all of them. Even if you are an experienced cook who has used all parts of the bird, there’s still more challenges to enjoy. You could cook something different every day and seemingly never run out of new things to try!
Breast meat comes from the front of the bird and consists of lean muscle. It’s where almost all of the bird’s “white meat” is found, which makes it a popular and common food item on tables throughout the country.
- Bone-in BreastsBone-in is generally the roughest cut for breasts and can include substantial amounts of skin, cartilage and connective tissue. Cooking the breasts this way allows the bone and other tissue to help keep the meat moist and flavorful, which is often a real challenge with white meat. These cuts of chicken are great for stuffing with your favorite ingredients: such as our ready-to-cook spinach stuffed chicken breasts.
- Split BreastsA split breast is very similar to bone-in, except that it’s been split down the middle. It may be sold as a single half or a whole breast that’s simply been divided. Like whole bone-in breasts, there is some variety in this kind of cut, and it offers all the same advantages as a classic bone-in breast: the fat and skin attached to the meat make it easier to keep juicy and flavorful.
- Boneless/Skinless BreastsThis is what most people have in mind when they think of breast meat. They are a sight in almost every supermarket and a common ingredient in all kinds of food ranging from fried chicken to casseroles. They are a good choice when looking for pre-seasoned options or, if you have some extra time, you can marinate a boneless breast ahead of time. If you’re short on time, try one of our stuffed chicken breasts: they’re stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeno, wrapped in bacon, seasoned with our special seasoning blend, and ready for the grill or oven!
The tenderloin is a long and narrow muscle found beneath the breast muscles, so it’s similar in taste and texture. The finger-friendly size and shape makes it a perfect choice for breading and frying. A lot of backyard chefs are more than willing to make room for tenders on the barbeque too. They might dry out a little when overcooked, but tenderloins make for a sumptuous cut of white meat when you get it right!
A lot of poultry fans really enjoy dark meat, which is one of the reasons thighs are so popular. Cajuns in particular have a certain reverence for the thigh, as it’s the star ingredient in a chicken and sausage gumbo. Thigh meat is darker and contains more oil than breast meat, making it a juicier cut that’s much more forgiving when slightly overcooked. When marinated, the versatility of the thigh is virtually unrivaled, making it ideal for browning and using in gravies, jambalaya, or shish kabobs. The cut comes from the underside of the animal between the legs and wings, and is largely to thank for the popularity of our stuffed chicken thighs.
Another favorite for finger-food fans. It’s one of the few cuts of meat that comes with its own convenient handle and just enough meat for a few big bites. Drumsticks are the legs with the feet removed. The dark meat in this cut is friendly to heavy seasoning and marinades as well as grills and barbecues. It’s also one of the most popular cuts of chicken when fried!
Wings don’t make the meatiest cut, but they can still pack plenty of crunch and flavor. Wings may be served whole or divided into drumettes, which connect directly to the torso, and flats, which are the smaller piece closer to the wing tips. They are usually cooked briefly at high temperature and are a classic choice for game day and tailgating.
The heart, liver, kidneys and gizzards aren’t everyone’s favorite cut, but they have plenty of potential. In fact, many authentic Cajun recipes use chicken giblets. They can be cooked down into the food or simply used for flavor before being removed. The high concentration of iron in chicken giblets is responsible for the unique taste of rice dressing and can be found in both Best Stop and Savoie’s dressing mix.
Aside from being an excellent source of calcium, chicken necks are an awkward piece of meat with plenty of flavor. While they usually play second fiddle to their more substantial cousin: the turkey neck, they can make for a delightfully salty snack. They are also a great option for making soups, broths, and gravies.
Despite what you may expect from the name, chicken backs are mostly rib cage and torso. The cut is essentially everything that’s left after removing the other cuts. There’s some meat with a lot of bone and other tissues. It’s a staple for home-made chicken broths where it’s boiled down at high temperatures for at least a few hours, and their high fat content adds moisture to a dish.
Stop Wasting Money on Chicken
FAQ
What is a piece of chicken called?
The parts of a chicken used in cooking are the breast, tenderloin, back, wing, leg, drumstick, and thigh.
What is the meaning of chicken piece?
A generic term used to refer to a chicken cut into parts.
What are chicken slices called?
Chicken tenders (also known as chicken goujons, chicken strips, chicken fingers, or chicken fillets) are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the bird. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).
How many calories are in 1 PC of chicken?
One skinless, boneless, cooked chicken breast (172 g) has the following nutrition breakdown : Calories: 284. Protein: 53.4 g. Carbs: 0 g.