In the United States, we eat a lot of meat, including beef, pork, and fish. But if theres one kind of meat to rule them all, it has to be chicken. According to the USDA, chicken is the most-consumed meat in the U. S. , and it shouldnt come as a surprise — you can grab a grilled chicken sandwich, a roasted quarter, or fried tenders just about anywhere from the grocery store to your favorite restaurant.
But as much as we love chicken, we tend not to love every part of the bird. Many people throw away chicken parts that don’t get used, like the liver and extra fat. On the other hand, people love chicken breast and other popular cuts of meat. But why? And which cuts of chicken actually taste the best?.
Weve done a deep dive to take a close look at notable cuts and parts of chicken, and weve ranked them from worst to best. You may be surprised at where some cuts end up on this list. If there are some cuts that you have yet to try, keep an open mind and head to your local grocery store or butcher shop. Going for a less common (and sometimes less expensive) cut of chicken may just change the way you look at poultry forever.
Coming in last place is what Jamie Oliver calls “arguably the most popular part of a chicken” — but it also happens to be one of the least flavorful and least enjoyable parts as well. This is the chicken breast. This is probably what you choose when you’re in the meat section of the store and don’t know what else to get. It may be a favorite of gym bros who bow at the altar of high-protein, unseasoned poultry, but if you ask us, its a total waste of your money. If chicken breast is one thing, its dry. Of course, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can employ to make your chicken breasts taste less mouth-drying, but ultimately, its time for us as a society to come to the conclusion that chicken breasts just dont taste that good.
Chicken breast is known for being a lower-fat meat (via Healthline), so the dietary fat-phobic food culture of the 90s might be to blame. Whatever the case may be, we now know that fat in meat is actually a good thing when it comes to adding flavor to a dish. Therefore, the chicken breast earns its last-place status.
Raising chickens can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Fresh eggs every morning, cute little chicks pecking around the coop, and the satisfaction of caring for a small flock of feathered friends. However, to properly care for backyard chickens, it’s important to have a basic understanding of their anatomy. Knowing the parts of a chicken can help you quickly spot any potential health issues or injuries.
We’ll talk about all the important outside and inside parts of a chicken’s body in this detailed guide. If you want to know what the different parts of a chicken do, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced chicken keeper, keep reading.
External Anatomy of a Chicken
Let’s start with the external physical features of a chicken that are visible on the outside of their body
Head
A chicken’s head contains several important parts:
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The comb is the red, fleshy thing that grows on top of a chicken}s head. It helps keep the body’s temperature stable and can be a sign of health problems if it looks discolored or strange.
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Wattles are the red skin flaps that hang down under a chicken’s chin. Also aid in temperature regulation.
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Earlobes are the small, fleshy bumps on the side of a chicken’s head that go where the ears are. Often a different color than the rest of the head.
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Beak: The hard, pointed mouthpart of a chicken. Since chickens don’t have teeth, they use their beak to peck, feed, groom, and more.
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Nostrils: The two holes located at the base of the beak through which chickens breathe.
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Eyes: Chickens have small, round eyes on either side of their head. Their eyesight is quite poor compared to humans.
Neck and Hackles
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Neck: The narrow part of a chicken’s body between the head and body. Allows range of motion for the head.
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Hackles: The long, narrow feathers that cover a chicken’s neck. Particularly pronounced in roosters.
Body
Moving down from the neck, a chicken’s body contains:
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Breast: The upper front part of a chicken’s body between the neck and abdomen. Contains the chicken’s crop organ for food storage.
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Wings: Located on the upper back, a chicken’s wings provide balance and allow short flights. The long flight feathers are called primaries while the shorter feathers closest to the body are the secondaries and coverts.
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Thighs: The upper segments of a chicken’s legs to which the wings are attached.
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Legs: The lower limbs of a chicken used for walking and scratching. Contains the hock joint and ends in feet and toes.
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Tail: Projection of longer feathers arising from the rear of the body. Helps with balance and expressing emotions. Roosters tend to have longer, more arched tail feathers.
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Vent/Cloaca: The single posterior opening through which a chicken urinates, defecates, and lays eggs.
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Abdomen/Belly: The underside of a chicken’s body between breast and vent containing internal organs. Becomes larger and more distended in egg-laying hens.
Feet
A chicken stands on two yellow-skinned feet called:
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Toes: Chickens normally have four toes on each foot with nails protruding from the tips. Some breeds may have more or fewer toes.
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Scales: Tough, overlapping plates cover the lower part of a chicken’s legs and top of their toes.
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Pads: Thicker, cushiony skin on the bottom of chickens’ feet helps support their weight.
Internal Anatomy and Organs
The internal systems and organs inside a chicken’s body carry out important biological functions:
Skeletal System
- Bones: A chicken’s skeletal system provides structural support and protects internal organs. Key bones include the breastbone, wishbone, leg bones, wing bones, and vertebral column.
Muscular System
- Muscles: Chickens have skeletal muscles throughout their body attached to bones by tendons. These muscles allow for locomotion, digestion, respiration, and other motions.
Respiratory System
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Trachea: Windpipe that transports air from the chicken’s nostrils and mouth to the lungs.
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Lungs: The pair of organs where gas exchange occurs in the respiratory system.
Cardiovascular System
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Heart: Muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the circulatory system via rhythmic contractions. A chicken heart has 4 chambers.
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Arteries: Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the lungs and body.
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Veins: Blood vessels that return blood to the heart from the lungs and body.
Digestive System
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Crop: Pouch along the esophagus where chickens store and soften food before digestion.
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Esophagus: Tube connecting a chicken’s mouth to their crop and stomach.
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Stomach: Muscular sac that further digests food from the crop and passes it to the gizzard.
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Gizzard: Powerful organ containing swallowed stones that grinds up food.
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Intestines: Long, coiled tubular organs where absorption of nutrients occurs.
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Cloaca: The chamber and opening where the digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts empty.
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Vent: External opening of the cloaca for releasing digestive waste.
Immune System
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Thymus: Organ where T cells mature to mount immune responses against pathogens.
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Bursa of Fabricius: Site of B cell maturation crucial for antibody production and immunity.
Reproductive System
Female
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Ovary: Organ that produces female hormones and yolks for eggs.
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Oviduct: Passageway where egg white, membranes, and shell are deposited onto the yolk.
Male
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Testes: Paired organs in the male that generate sperm and testosterone.
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Vas deferens: Tubes that transport mature sperm from the testes.
Common Chicken Breeds
There are over 200 breeds of domestic chicken recognized by the American Poultry Association. Some common backyard chicken breeds include:
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Rhode Island Red: A dual-purpose breed raised for eggs and meat. Hardy and docile.
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Barred Plymouth Rock: A popular black and white hen used for both eggs and meat.
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Australorp: A gentle, productive breed that lays lots of large brown eggs.
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Silkie: Known for fluffy, hair-like feathers and charming personality. Lay small white eggs.
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Orpington: A British heritage breed and ideal backyard pet known for being big, fluffy, and friendly.
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Leghorn: Smaller breed that matures quickly and is a very reliable egg layer.
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Jersey Giant: A very large chicken breed bred mainly for meat production due to its huge size.
Signs of a Healthy Chicken
When you’re familiar with chicken anatomy and know what’s normal, you can more easily spot signs of illness or injury in your flock. Here are some signs of a healthy chicken:
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Active, alert, and sociable behavior
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Smooth, well-groomed feathers
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Bright red comb and wattles
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Clear, bright eyes
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Smooth, symmetrical gait
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Good appetite and drinking regularly
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Normal egg laying in hens
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Well-formed droppings
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Clean, odor-free vent area
Bone-in chicken thighs
What sets bone-in thighs apart from their easier-to-handle boneless counterparts? Well, it all comes down to the fact that including the total package helps to improve the taste. All the flavor thats housed in the chicken bone gets released into the chicken flesh when you cook it — when you divorce the thigh from the bone, you miss out on all of that flavor. Plus, theres that fact that the bone prevents the thigh from drying out, which is especially important if youre not a total pro at cooking chicken.
Are bone-in chicken thighs a bit more difficult to handle on your plate? Sure. You have to contend with the bones and figure out how to cut around them to get the perfect bite onto your fork. But if you ask us, its worth the extra time and effort to enjoy more of that flavor. Lifes too short to throw away the bone, you know?.
Lets face it: Inflation is hitting us in the pockets just about everywhere, but its particularly noticeable when you go to the grocery store. According to Fortune, the annual inflation rate from June 2021 to June 2022 was 9.1%. But when it comes to food, were technically spending 12.2% more than we did last year. Thats a huge jump in prices. And when youre trying to make your dollar stretch, its important to look for some lower-cost items at the grocery store.
One reason we love ground chicken so much is that it’s often less expensive than other chicken cuts at the store. This makes it a great budget buy. Plus, its just so versatile — you can use it in pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef.
Yes, it can get dry, which is why it doesnt rank higher on our list. Its important to cook your ground chicken on a lower setting than you would typically use for ground beef, as chicken contains less fat. If you want to add more fat to your dish, you can always use olive oil. This will help with the dryness.
Chicken wing drumettes
Chicken wings are one of those foods that are pretty much always hit the spot no matter what. But its no secret that wing-eaters have their opinions about which types of wings are better. And here at Tasting Table, we must admit that we are, in fact, flats lovers. Now, are chicken wing drumettes bad? Not by any stretch of the imagination. A cute handheld drumstick doused in buffalo sauce or crisped to perfection? Magical. Transcendent. Life-affirming. How can you not love a fried tiny food? But unfortunately, its just too hard to get every little piece of meat off of a drumette without getting buffalo sauce all over your face.
Perhaps if youre the type of person whos never been accused of being a messy eater, who barely has to use their napkin when they eat wings, you dont have this problem and can consume your drumettes with joy. But for the rest of us, eating drumette chicken wings in public is just too perilous.
How to Butcher a Chicken: 10-Piece Country Cut
FAQ
What are the 12 parts of a chicken?
The basic external parts of a chicken include the comb, beak, wattles, ears, earlobes, eyes, eye rings, wings, tail, thighs, hocks, shanks, spurs, claws and toes.
What are the 12 pieces of chicken?
How many parts can you get from a whole chicken? Let’s run through a quick breakdown on how to get 12 parts from a whole chicken – 2 Wings – 2 breast – 2 drumettes – 2 drumsticks – 2 tenders – 2 thighs Save the carcass for chicken stock.
What are the 8 pieces of a chicken?
A whole chicken, when cut into eight pieces, yields two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and two wings.
What are chicken parts called?
The parts of a chicken used in cooking are the breast, tenderloin, back, wing, leg, drumstick, and thigh.