Buying and lighting calculator · Poultry

How much chicken wings do I buy and when do I light?

Wings are almost always sold whole, tip on, in half-kilo trays or loose; each one weighs about 90 g. They are the least meaty part of the bird: between bone, cartilage and cooking loss, only 40% of the weight you buy reaches the plate as meat (the USDA Food Buying Guide gives even lower figures for fully boned meat). That is why the portion rises to about 500 g raw per person to reach 200 g on the plate; as a starter, half of that is plenty. In the kamado they work well at 200 °C with the deflector: about 45 minutes, turning them halfway, and a last stretch over direct heat if you want very crisp skin. Drying them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours beforehand does more than any sauce.

How to ask for it

For 4 people: Ask for 2 kg of fresh chicken wings, whole with the tip on; if the butcher separates them into flats and drumettes, you save yourself the work.

Wings are mostly bone: only about 40% of the weight you buy ends up as meat, so 200 g on the plate takes about 500 g raw. 74 °C minimum; 77-79 °C for the cartilage to soften.

How we calculate it

We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.

To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.

Frequently asked questions

How many chicken wings per person?

As a main course, about 500 g raw per person, which is five or six wings of 90 g and leaves about 200 g on the plate. As a starter, half of that is enough. Of what you buy, around 60% is bone, cartilage and cooking loss.

How long do wings take in a kamado?

At 200 °C with the deflector, about 45 minutes. AmazingRibs gives 40-45 minutes at 190-220 °C and Big Green Egg 45-55 minutes at 204 °C. Turn them halfway and take them off when they read 77 to 79 °C: below that the cartilage stays tough; above it they start to dry out.

How do you get crisp wings in a kamado?

Dry them well: leave them uncovered in the fridge with salt for a few hours before cooking. Cook them with the deflector at around 200 °C and, for a crisper finish, move them over direct heat for a few minutes, turning them. Add sauce only at the end, off the heat, or the skin goes soft.

Other Poultry cuts

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Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".