Chicken is one of the most versatile meats you can cook with as it can be added to wraps, soups and sandwiches, or eaten as your main dish alongside a salad and vegetables. Many people stick with chicken breasts because they are low in fat and calories and easy to work with. But you can try other cuts of chicken to make your dishes even better!
To help you out, here are some suggestions on picking the right chicken cut for your meals.
We’ll start with the chicken breast since it’s most commonly used. You can buy chicken breasts whole or pre-sliced, and with the skin on or off. It depends on what you're using the chicken for and how thick you like it. Whole breasts can be roasted, barbecued, baked or pan fried. You can even stuff it for more flavor! Smaller pieces can be added to soups, stews and stir-fries.
Drumsticks come on the bone and are easy to cook. You can toss them on the grill and rub on your favorite barbecue sauce, or you can put them in the oven for crispy skin. Everyone loves to eat drumsticks because they have a lot of meat on the bone and a stronger flavor compared to breasts. And, they are perfect for dipping!
Like drumsticks, chicken wings come on the bone and have a similar fat content to drumsticks and thighs. They are also the cheapest part of the bird, making them a great option for feeding a crowd. You can grill, roast or barbecue chicken wings, and when you do, their skin becomes crispy and delicious. For added flavor and texture, marinade the wings first.
Another type of chicken cut to consider is chicken thighs. Many people say that the thighs are the best part of the bird because they’re tender and juicy. You can buy them bone-in or bone-out, with the skin on or off. Because chicken thigh meat is darker and firmer, it needs slightly longer to cook. They are great for kabobs, one-pot meals and sheet pan dinners.
Chicken legs are just whole legs with the drumsticks and thighs. You can leave them whole and roast them in the oven or barbecue them on the grill. You’ll ultimately get some of the most flavorful parts of the chicken - the thighs and wings - which you can serve up together on a platter plate. Chicken legs are great for crowds, too!
We didn’t want to leave out a whole chicken because you can do a lot with these birds! You can break it down into different cuts or cook it as a whole chicken with herbs and stuffing. Whole chickens are also economical and give everyone at the dinner table something to enjoy. If you have leftovers, add the tender meat to a salad or casserole.
Now that you know how versatile chicken is, you can find the right cut for your recipe!