What Are Chicken drumettes and How Can I Use Them?
Wondering what to do with chicken drumettes? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 7 recipes to put them to work.
Key Points
- The meaty first wing segment, shaped like a mini-drumstick with one bone.
- A whole wing splits into drumette, flat wingette, and bony tip.
- Party favorite: glaze or marinate, then roast, grill, or fry until crisp.
- Meatier and slower than a flat, so cook a touch longer to 165°F (74°C).
- Buy pre-cut or split whole wings yourself through the joint.
What are chicken drumettes?
A chicken drumette is the meaty first segment of the wing, the part closest to the body. It looks like a tiny drumstick, with a single bone and a knob of meat pulled to one end, which is exactly why it gets the name.
A whole chicken wing has three parts: the drumette, the flat middle section (the wingette), and the bony tip. Cut the wing apart and the drumette is the chunkiest, easiest-to-eat piece.
How to Use Drumettes
This is party food.
Drumettes are the piece people reach for first on a platter of wings, with real meat on the bone and a built-in handle to hold. Toss them in a glaze or marinade, then roast, grill, or fry until the skin crisps and the meat pulls off the bone.
Mahogany Chicken Wings with Green Papaya Salad and Glazed Chicken Drumettes with Warm Asian Coleslaw both lean on a sticky-sweet coating, while Marinated Chicken Drumettes soaks them ahead so the flavor goes deep.
They also work as a single bite of dark meat in rice dishes. Kid's Paella scatters them through the pan, tender and easy for small hands.
Treat them like any bone-in wing piece. They run meatier and slower to cook through than a flat, so give them a few extra minutes and pull them at 165°F (74°C).
Buying and Storing
You can buy drumettes already separated, or cut them yourself from whole wings with a sharp knife through the joint. Look for plump pieces with intact, unbroken skin.
Store them cold and cook within a day or two. Frozen, they keep for up to nine months. Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter.
Quick facts
Where to find chicken drumettes: Chicken drumettes are usually found in the poultry section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
- In Chinese
- 鸡drumettes
- British (UK) term
- Chicken drumettes
- en français
- pilons de poulet
- en español
- drumettes pollo
Recipes using chicken drumettes
There are 7 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Sesame Chicken Wings
Broiled sesame chicken wings marinated in a punchy blend of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, coriander, and lemon juice. Coated in sesame seeds and broiled until sticky and charred at the edges.
Mahogany Chicken Wings with Green Papaya Salad
Mahogany chicken wings lacquered with hoisin, plum sauce, and soy until glossy dark brown, paired with bright Thai-style green papaya salad. Bold sweet-salty-tangy contrast for a party platter.
Kid's Paella
Kid-friendly paella: chicken drumettes, bacon, saffron rice, and peas in a single pan. A gentler introduction to Spanish flavors that still delivers that signature golden, crackling bottom.
Maurice's Spicy Chicken Wings
Baked spicy chicken wings marinated in soy sauce, honey, and dry mustard. Crispy oven-baked drumettes with a sweet heat glaze that sticks to every bite.
Glazed Chicken Drumettes with Warm Asian Coleslaw
Asian-glazed chicken drumettes pan-fried in peanut oil with garlic-ginger stir-fry sauce, served over warm sesame coleslaw cooked in the same skillet.
Jamaican Chicken Wings
Jamaican chicken wings marinate overnight in jerk seasoning with Scotch bonnet, allspice, dark rum, and warm spices, then bake to a sticky-sweet finish. Authentic Caribbean party wings.
Marinated Chicken Drumettes
Marinated chicken drumettes baked in a sticky Asian glaze of hoisin, soy sauce, plum jelly, honey, and dry sherry. Overnight marinade, then roasted until lacquered and caramelized.
