Chicken Cuts and You
As we all know, there exist a great many different ways to cook chicken meat. You might prefer the wings, the thighs, the breast, or a whole roast. Regardless your preferred chicken cuts, everyone seems to agree on one thing. Chicken, and all the chicken cut types, offer a rich taste and fantastic tenderness. There is no cut of poultry that everyone dislikes.
At Tip Top Meat, we believe that it’s important to know your chicken cut. Where it comes from, where it’s best used, and how to prepare it. Having the right information allows you to better choose the cut you want when it comes time to cook! That’s why we’ve assembled a list of the different chicken cuts.
Neck Chicken Cut
For obvious reasons, we won’t discuss the head. Instead, we’ll move right to the neck. A lot of people tend to throw this chicken meat out, but you might be missing a treat! Chicken neck is tasty, tender, and incredibly cheap. We suggest cooking this cut of poultry into tender rillettes.
Breast Chicken Meat
The chicken breast is one of the most well-known and well-enjoyed chicken cuts. It’s always a tender morsel, and you can prepare it in oh so many ways. Try roasting, simmering, stuffing, or skewering it. Truly, there’s no limit on what you can make with this versatile cut!
Back Cut of Poultry
It’s fairly rare to find this chicken cut sold on its own. Most of the time, you will need to buy it along with the rest of the chicken. So, while slightly less accessible, it’s still very easy to get a hold of. You can eat this poultry portion boiled, roasted, and also grilled. Another versatile cut!
Wing of Chicken
Chicken wing is some of the most popular chicken meat out there, and for good reason! As fast food or a healthy meal, it serves as a delicious and incredibly tender option. Its reputation is well established, and also very well deserved!
This cut of poultry comprises three parts. Firstly, you have the drumette, which is a little smaller than the drumstick. Then, you get the wingette, which is probably the most favoured. It’s less meaty, but also offers that crispy chicken skin taste. Finally, you have the tip of the wing. This is very rarely found packaged with chicken wings. Reason being, it contains much less meat than its two other counterparts.
Thigh Cut
The thigh chicken cut sits between the animal’s leg and tail. It has a bit more fat to it than the breast. Consider this a plus, as it makes the cut smooth, juicy, and extremely tasty. You are best off eating thighs grilled or roasted. It won’t disappoint!
Leg Portion
Chicken leg is yet another firm favourite of the chicken cuts. It has quite a bit more fat than the breast, and includes the animal’s whole leg. The fat makes it very juicy, and this lends a lot of flavour to it. A good chicken leg or drumstick recipe will go a long way for this chicken meat.
