Cuts of Chicken Meat

Whole Chickens
Whole Chickens are marketed either fresh or frozen.

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Halves
The bird is split from front to back through the backbone
and keel to produce 2 halves of approximately equal weight.

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Breast Quarters
Halves may be further cut into which include the wing.
A breast quarter, including portions of the back, is all white meat.

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Split Breast
A breast quarter with the wing removed.

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Split Breast without Back
A breast quarter with wing and back portion removed.

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Boneless, Skinless Breast
Split breast that has been skinned and deboned.

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8-Piece Cut
The whole bird is cut into 2 breast halves with ribs and back portion,
2 wings, 2 thighs with back portion and 2 drumsticks.
The parts may be packaged together and labeled as whole
cut-up chicken. These are usually sold without giblets

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Whole Chicken Wing
The Whole Chicken Wing is an all white meat portion composed
of three sections; the drumette, mid-section and tip.

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Wing Drummettes
The first section between the shoulder and the elbow.

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Wing Mid Section with Tip
The flat center section and the flipper (wing tip).

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Wing Mid Section
The section between the elbow and the tip, sometimes
called the wing flat or mid-joint.

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Whole Chicken Leg
The Whole Chicken Leg is the drumstick-thigh combination.
The whole leg differs from the leg quarter in that id does not
contain a portion of the back.

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Boneless, Skinless Leg
Whole chicken leg with skin and bone removed.

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Thigh
The thigh is the portion of the leg above the knee joint.

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Boneless, Skinless Thigh
Thigh with skin and bone removed.

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Drumsticks
Drumsticks include the lower portion of the leg quarter (the portion between the knee joint and the hock).

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Giblets
Includes heart, liver and neck.

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