Quick Answer

What is the difference between drumettes and flats?

A chicken wing has three sections: the drumette (the single-bone section closest to the body, shaped like a small drumstick), the flat or wingette (the two-bone middle section with more skin), and the tip (the small, mostly cartilage and skin section that's usually discarded or used for stock). Drumettes have more meat density; flats have more skin relative to meat, creating a higher sauce-to-bite ratio. Supermarket 'party wings' or 'wing sections' are typically already split into drumettes and flats with tips removed.

Wing Anatomy

A whole chicken wing connects to the body at the shoulder and extends through three joints:

  1. Drumette: The first section from the shoulder joint to the elbow joint. Contains a single humerus bone surrounded by muscle meat. Shaped like a miniature drumstick.
  2. Flat (wingette): The second section from elbow to wrist. Contains two parallel bones (ulna and radius) with a thin layer of meat between. High skin-to-meat ratio.
  3. Tip: The final section from wrist outward. Mostly skin and cartilage. No appreciable meat.

Drumettes: More Meat, Less Drama

Drumettes are the wing section most similar to white meat chicken in eating experience. The single bone makes them easy to pick up, hold, and eat cleanly by twisting and pulling. Most of the meat is concentrated on one side of the bone.

Drumettes are preferred by:

  • People who want more substantial meat per piece
  • Casual diners who aren't wing specialists and prefer straightforward eating
  • Children (the drumstick shape is familiar)

For buffalo wings, drumettes hold sauce well because the meat is thick enough that sauce doesn't immediately run off onto the bone.

Flats (Wingettes): More Skin, More Sauce Surface

Flats are the wing section with religious devotion among wing enthusiasts. The two parallel bones create a section where the skin wraps around a thin layer of meat, producing a higher skin-to-meat ratio than drumettes.

Why wing enthusiasts prefer flats:

  • More surface area per weight — more crispy skin per bite
  • More sauce absorbed per piece (the skin's higher surface area catches more sauce)
  • The "pull apart" technique: pulling the two bones apart from a flat clean them of all meat in one smooth motion, leaving zero waste
  • Flats tend to crisp more evenly because the meat layer is thinner and dries faster

The flat bone-pull technique is a source of wing pride: you can clean every bit of meat off a flat with one smooth motion if you know what you're doing.

Wing Tips: Mostly Waste, Sometimes Useful

Wing tips (the final section) have almost no usable meat. They're typically removed before selling "party wings." Uses:

  • Chicken stock — wing tips add excellent gelatin to stock
  • Deep fried: when cooked at very high temperature, wing tips become extremely crispy skin crackling
  • Discard

Drumette vs Flat: The Ongoing Debate

Drumette vs Flat Comparison

AttributeDrumetteFlat
Meat content More meat Less meat, thinner
Skin surface area Less skin per piece More skin per piece
Sauce absorption Good Excellent
Crispiness potential Good Higher (thinner meat dries faster)
Ease of eating Easier (one bone, familiar grip) Harder until you learn the pull technique
Wing enthusiast preference Moderate High
Casual diner preference High Moderate

💡 The Flat Bone-Pull Technique

Hold the flat by one end. Locate the two parallel bones. With your teeth or fingers, loosen the meat at the wider end. Then pull the bones apart in opposite directions — one forward, one backward. Done correctly, both bones slide cleanly out of the skin-meat shell and you're left with a perfect, boneless piece of wing meat and skin. Practice makes it automatic.

How to Split Whole Wings

Whole wings cost less per pound than pre-split party wings. Splitting them yourself takes 2–3 minutes for a 2-lb bag:

  1. Locate the joint between the drumette and flat. Flex the wing to identify where the two bones connect.
  2. Use kitchen shears or a sharp heavy knife. Cut through the joint, not through bone — you'll feel the resistance drop when you hit the joint cavity correctly.
  3. Locate the joint between the flat and tip. Cut similarly.
  4. Save tips for stock or discard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buy mixed party wings (which contain both). Mixed provides something for everyone and prevents the social conflict of one type running out. For a wing enthusiast crowd where you know flats are preferred: buy drums and flats separately in whatever ratio you want. Flats typically cost slightly more per pound than whole wings because of the extra processing. Drumettes are often sold separately as well, at a higher price than whole wings.