What Are Boneless Wings? Wet Nuggets? Wet Tenders?

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There’s no denying that boneless chicken wings have a drool-worthy flavor. 

But they sure don’t look like deboned chicken wings… So, what are they? Are boneless wings chicken nuggets tossed in sauce? Or maybe boneless wings are chicken tenders tossed in sauce? This is what’s at the heart of a Buffalo Wild Wings lawsuit. Let’s get to the bottom of it.

Boneless chicken wings, chicken nuggets, and chicken tenders are all tasty, breaded morsels of chicken. However, they’re definitely not the same. 

Below I walk you through the differences between boneless wings, chicken nuggets and chicken tenders so you can get a grasp on what exactly you’re digging into on your plate! 

Boneless chicken wings sauced up with a side of ranch.

Chicken Nuggets vs Boneless Wings

The most significant difference between chicken nuggets and boneless wings is the type of chicken meat they’re made of.

Type of Meat

Chicken nuggets consist of ground or minced chicken meat that’s formed into small nugget-sized patties. 

Most nuggets contain scraps from various cuts of chicken. However, you could make them yourself to ensure they consist of 100% ground chicken breast for a cleaner flavor and texture.

On the other hand, boneless wings consist of diced or cubed pieces of chicken breast rather than formed patties of ground meat. Occasionally, they’re made from strips of chicken thigh. 

All in all, they’re more like chicken chunks than minced, shaped chicken nuggets. 

Lightly golden chicken nuggets on a plate with a condiment bowl of ketchup.

Texture

Because of their makeup, boneless wings are less processed and much meatier. But chicken nuggets shine because of their ultra-crispy coating and even cooking and bite. 

Their divine and addicting texture is a result of their consistent and uniform shape. The same uniformity is impossible to achieve with whole chunks of chicken.

Cost

The more processed the meat, the less the meat is going to cost. No exception here. Chicken nuggets are nearly half the cost of boneless chicken wings.

Preparation

Both chicken nuggets and boneless wings are either battered or breaded and typically cooked via frying or baking. 

Boneless wings typically take it a step further and are tossed in a wing sauce or dry rub after cooking. Flavors range from Buffalo to lemon pepper to chipotle BBQ or garlic parmesan.

Nuggets are usually eaten as-is, with a dipping sauce on the side. No one is stopping you from dipping chicken nuggets in wing sauce like buffalo or BBQ sauce. But you’ll usually find nuggets served with ketchup, honey mustard, or ranch. 

Chicken Tenders vs Boneless Wings

There are two primary differences between chicken tenders and boneless wings. The most obvious difference is the size. The second difference is the type of chicken meat they’re made of. Both differences are related.

Type of Meat

Each chicken tender is the whole tenderloin of a chicken. The tenderloin is the most tender part of the chicken. It is the muscle alongside the chicken breast attached to the breastplate.

As mentioned earlier, boneless wings consist of diced or cubed pieces of chicken breast rather than the whole tenderloin. Occasionally, they’re made from strips of chicken thigh. 

All in all, boneless wings are more like chicken chunks than whole chicken strips. 

Texture

Because of their makeup, chicken tenders are less processed and a cleaner cut given they are a whole muscle. As the name would imply, chicken tenders are also more tender than boneless wings because they come from the tenderloin. Boneless wings can be tastier because the ratio of surface area to meat is higher, allowing for more tasty crispy coating than in chicken tenders. 

Cost

Again, the more processed the meat, the less the meat is going to cost. Boneless chicken wings cost about 25% less than chicken tenders.

Preparation

Both chicken tenders and boneless wings are either battered or breaded and typically cooked via frying or baking. 

Boneless wings typically take it a step further and are tossed in a wing sauce or dry rub after cooking. Flavors range from Buffalo to lemon pepper to chipotle BBQ or garlic parmesan.

Like nuggets, tenders are usually eaten as-is, with a dipping sauce on the side. No one is stopping you from dipping chicken tenders in wing sauce like buffalo or BBQ sauce. But you’ll usually find tenders served with ketchup, honey mustard, or ranch. 

What Are Boneless Wings?

Believe it or not, we have a National Chicken Council, and they credit the popular food chain Buffalo Wild Wings with inventing the boneless wing. 

The bottom line is that boneless wings aren’t simply chicken wings without a bone. Instead, they’re cubed or stripped pieces of chicken breast. 

These chunks of breast are then battered or breaded, fried, or baked. Then, you can toss them in a wing sauce or dry rub, like buffalo sauce or jerk seasoning. 

Boneless chicken wings on a plate sauced up with a more wings in a different sauce on a separate plate in the background.

For the most part, boneless wings are healthier than bone-in ones. 

Bone-in wings are primarily fatty with high-fat chicken skin. Plus, they’re almost always deep-fried in oil. They’re a treat that you should eat in moderation. 

On the other hand, boneless wings are mostly lean, protein-packed white chicken breast. You’ll enjoy more healthy meat and be fuller for longer. Don’t forget that you can cut even more calories and fat by baking or air-frying your boneless wings.

Buffalo Wild Wings Lawsuit

This all brings us to the question, can a “boneless chicken wing” truly be called a chicken wing? An Illinois class action lawsuit filed in March of 2023 argues no on the grounds of false advertising.

I’m not taking sides on this, but I’ll go as far as to say at first glance it seems frivolous. I will say the best part of the case so far is Buffalo Wild Wings tweet in response to the lawsuit:

Tweet from Buffalo Wild Wings in response to a lawsuit filed against them? It reads,"It's true.Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken.Our hamburgers contain no ham.Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo."

If you’re interested in more about the merits of legal cases against food and beverage companies, you can read Why food and beverage cases make up the majority of the ‘most ridiculous’ lawsuits.

I guess it’ll help some lawyers afford chicken tenders vs chicken nuggets.

Recap

In the end, boneless wings, chicken nuggets and chicken tenders are all different forms of tasty chicken usually breaded and fried. 

Boneless wings are actually boneless, skinless chunks of chicken breast or thigh. When you peek under the breading, you’ll notice the muscle fibers indicating it’s an unmarred cube or slice of chicken meat. 

Chicken nuggets are tiny shaped patties of minced meat from various cuts of chicken. Often, chicken scraps are processed to a uniform consistency. Then, they’re shaped and breaded to create chicken nuggets. However, you could make your own from 100% ground chicken breast.

Chicken tenders are made from whole tenderloin, giving them a tender and clean consistency. This is the least processed of the bunch.

Boneless wings and chicken tenders are healthier than both bone-in wings and chicken nuggets. Bone-in wings are high in fat, and chicken nuggets aren’t as clean as straight chicken breast meat. Honestly, you don’t always know what’s ground into them unless you’re making them yourself. 

No matter which bite-sized chicken morsel you prefer, their deliciousness comes down to the cooking method. You’re going to want a tender, juicy, and crispy finish. So grab a beer and get ready to make some mouthwatering sous vide chicken wings

FAQs

What is the difference between a chicken nugget and boneless wings?

Although both are made from chicken, nuggets and boneless wings are made up of different meat. A chicken nugget is ground chicken meat from all parts of the chicken that are shaped into tiny patties, breaded, and cooked. A boneless wing, on the other hand, is a chunk of breaded boneless chicken breast. 

What are boneless wings made of?

Boneless wings are made of large chunks of boneless chicken breast. The quality white meat is then breaded and either fried or baked to crispy, mouth-watering perfection. 

How are boneless wings not chicken nuggets?

Boneless wings are different than chicken nuggets because they’re not made of ground meat. A boneless wing is a breaded strip or chunk of chicken breast. In contrast, a chicken nugget is a ground-up amalgamation of various scraps of chicken meat that’s shaped and then breaded. 

Author

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  • Jasmine

    Jasmine Mattey is a culinary author and regular contributor at Top Sous Vide. She graduated at the top of her class from culinary school, and quickly realized that she loves teaching the simple principles that shape the culinary universe more than slinging orders during dinner rush. Today she pursues her passion for food with a pen in hand. Jasmine is also a culinary expert at Kitchen Ambition, where she reviews kitchen products and teaches home cooking basics.

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