Your Ultimate Guide to Poultry Cuts

 

Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting in the kitchen, understanding different poultry cuts is important for creating tasty meals. The type of cut you use in a dish can make a huge difference to the flavour, texture and the way you cook your meal.  

By mastering the basics of what poultry cuts to choose you can make sure that you're getting the most out of your poultry dishes 

Understanding Poultry Cuts 

Knowing the various poultry cuts allows you to select the perfect option for the dish you’re preparing. Each cut of meat—whether chicken or turkey—responds differently to cooking techniques, delivering varying degrees of flavour and tenderness.  

Some cuts, like the breast, are lean and tender, making them perfect for quick cooking methods like grilling or pan-searing, while darker cuts, such as thighs and drumsticks, can have a richer flavour and a juicier texture. These cuts are ideal for slow cooking or braising. By choosing the right cut for your dish, you can make the right choice for your meal 

Chicken Cuts 

Chicken is one of the most versatile meats, and its cuts can be used across an array of dishes. Here’s an overview of the most common options when it comes to chicken cuts. 

Chicken Breast 

• Boneless: The boneless chicken breast is lean, mild in flavour, and quick to cook. Ideal for grilling, baking or stir-frying, it's a popular choice for lighter meals. Think grilled chicken salads or stir-fried chicken and veg. Boneless chicken breasts are ideal for marinating and grilling, creating juicy dishes like grilled lemon herb chicken or stuffed chicken dishes. They also work well as a chicken burger, stir fry or with salad. 

• Bone-in: Slightly more flavourful than boneless breasts because of the bone. These are perfect for roasting as the bone adds moisture and richness. 

Chicken breasts are ideal for marinating and grilling, creating juicy dishes like grilled lemon herb chicken, Hunter’s chicken or butterfly chicken breasts. They also work well as a chicken burger, teriyaki stir fry or with salad. 

Chicken Thighs 

• Boneless: Offering a bit more flexibility, boneless chicken thighs work well for grilling or stir-frying. They cook faster than bone-in thighs but still deliver that signature richness. 

• Bone-in: Known for their rich, juicy flavour, bone-in thighs are excellent for slow cooking and roasting. They stay moist and tender, making them perfect for stews or casseroles. 

Chicken thighs are great for slow-cooker meals like chicken curry or stew, and they can work really well marinated and serviced with a side. They retain their flavour well and are a really tasty addition to any meal. 

Drumsticks 

A favourite for many, drumsticks are an affordable and flavour-packed option. They’re great for frying, grilling or even baking. Their meat is tender, and when cooked properly, falls off the bone. 

Drumsticks work really well as fried chicken, with crispy skin and juicy meat. They also work well breaded. If you’re getting on the grill, drumsticks are a great choice for barbecue dishes as they get that smoky, charred flavour without drying out. 

Chicken Wings 

Chicken wings are small but mighty. Whether you’re hosting a party or just fancy a snack, baked or grilled wings are always a great choice. Perfect as a starter or served up at a barbecue, you can add your favourite spice or sauce to them. 

When it comes to wings, classics like buffalo wings, sticky honey garlic wings or sauces like barbecue or spicy sriracha all work well and will be a great choice for any event. Choose marinated chicken wings for poultry that’s packed with flavour. 

Turkey Cuts 

While similar to chicken in some ways, turkey is a larger bird and there’s often more to go around when you choose a cut of turkey. It’s often associated with hearty meals and gatherings like Christmas, with turkey rising in popularity in December. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular turkey cuts. 

Turkey Breast 

The breast is one of the leanest turkey cuts, making it a go-to for roasting. Its large size also makes it ideal for slicing up and using in sandwiches. Though lean, you can still use it in plenty of different ways and can be grilled or baked with the right seasoning. 

Roasted turkey breast with herbs, turkey and stuffing sandwiches or even a turkey stir fry are all great choices to make with turkey breasts. 

Turkey Thighs 

Packed with flavour, turkey thighs are often underappreciated but are often popular on a full bird. These cuts are best for braising or slow cooking, as they stay moist but become incredibly tender. Their rich flavour lends itself to hearty, tasty dishes. 

Slow cooked turkey thighs in a red wine sauce is the perfect slow cooker meal, whereas if you prefer your turkey thighs crispy then roasting a bone-in turkey thigh with fresh garlic and rosemary is delicious. You can use turkey in place of chicken for tacos, pasta dishes or stews. 

Drumsticks 

Like their chicken counterparts, turkey drumsticks are known for having a stronger flavour. They’re excellent for stews, roasting or grilling. Their larger size compared to chicken makes them ideal for more filling meals, and they work well on a barbecue. 

Serve roasted turkey drumsticks with gravy and traditional trimmings or go for something like honey mustard turkey drumsticks served with rice or potato wedges to change it up. You can even lightly bread turkey drumsticks for a satisfying, crispy crunch that’s filled with flavour. 

Turkey Wings 

Though less commonly used, turkey wings can be delicious when prepared correctly. You can prepare them in any way you’d usually use chicken - baked, grilled, fried or even in soups and stews, they make for great snacks or starters too. 

Honey soy baked turkey wings are a great choice for something Asian-inspired that you service with rice and veggies, whereas more traditional barbecue flavours also work really well for turkey wings. 

Why These Cuts Exist

Different cuts of poultry exist to cater to different tastes, preferences and cooking methods. These cuts allow for more precise cooking and better flavour control, ensuring that each part of the bird is used in the most suitable way. For instance: 

• Breasts are lean and quick-cooking, perfect for those who prefer lighter, low-fat dishes like grilling, stir-frying or baking. 

• Thighs and drumsticks contain more fat and connective tissue, making them ideal for slow-cooking methods like braising, roasting or barbecuing, which help develop rich flavours and tender textures. 

• Wings are smaller and packed with flavour, popular in appetisers and casual meals, particularly when grilled or fried, often accompanied by bold sauces. 

From a sustainability perspective, offering different cuts of meat helps reduce waste and promotes a more ethical approach to meat consumption. By using the whole bird, including less popular parts like thighs, wings and drumsticks, there’s a move away from wasteful practices where only select portions, like the breast, are in demand.  

Using a variety of cuts supports more accessible and affordable options too. This can help with creating a tasty variety of meals to maximise on your budget, as often less popular cuts are more affordable. 

Ready to Try New Cuts? 

Now that you know more about the different poultry cuts available, why not add some new recipes to your repertoire? Our Just Chicken Box is the perfect way to try out some new cuts of chicken with chicken breasts, a full chicken ready for roasting, skewers, thighs, stir fry chicken and chicken strips in a range of flavours and marinades in a range of flavours and marinades.