# Chicken: white meat or dark meat? Which pieces? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098 "2012-08-20T21:32:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/21 "2012-08-20T23:20:16Z")
As long as it’s dark, I couldn’t care less which piece it is, although drumsticks are super handy. To me, white meat is too dry. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/22 "2012-08-20T23:33:38Z")
Eh. Different things. Breast wins for making a big old skillet or pot of meat because it’s easier to debone. Heh. Fried chicken or “handmeat”? Go for even those sinewy drumsticks after thighs. Just tastes better. And, of course [Lisa Lampanalli] who can forget the winglets? [/LL] For me it depends how much protein I want after a walk (\>=20 mi) or a run/jog – breasts are easier to “grab” but it’s about function rather than aesthetics at that point. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/23 "2012-08-21T00:07:37Z")
white meat tastes good with gravy goodness. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/24 "2012-08-21T00:25:34Z")
I tend to buy leg and thigh quarters. I only eat white meat when I buy a whole chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/25 "2012-08-21T00:31:06Z")
DARK MEAT! Especially the legs. My favorite part is the handle it’s born with. 😃 I can’t eat white meat by itself. Gotta wash it down with gravy or my beverage, which gets tedious before too long. If it’s thoroughly marinated and tenderized (by being cooked in a casserole or some such), it’s okay. But I still prefer dark. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/26 "2012-08-21T01:20:43Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > If it’s thoroughly marinated and tenderized (by being cooked in a casserole or some such), it’s okay. But I still prefer dark. I’m the opposite. If the breast is slow cooked in a casserole, yuck. Stringy, dry, blech. Grilled quickly, fried, stir-fried, or breaded and fried, it’s good. The line between cooked through and overcooked is quite fine with chicken breast. Brining it buys you a bit of a fudge factor, though. I kind of think of chicken breast as the tofu of meats. It has very little flavor on its own (at least your typical factory farmed American chicken) and I just use it as a generic protein source. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/27 "2012-08-21T02:48:15Z")
I suck at dealing with bones, so I tend to eat drumsticks. On the other hand, when it comes to wings, I love the little safety pins. I rip them apart like a barbarian and eat it all up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/28 "2012-08-21T02:57:42Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Totally dark meat, drumsticks being the best - the food that comes with a handle. I agree. Gimme meat on a stick. But the best part of the chicken? It’s the skin. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/29 "2012-08-21T03:06:21Z")
Thigh is my favorite for bone in/skin on cooking. Breast for something like a compound dish like Chicken Kiev. I really prefer to roast or poach a whole chicken so I have a bunch of meat off the bones, turn it into anything, chicken salad or chicken divan, chicken and rice, chicken soup. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/30 "2012-08-21T03:08:48Z")
\*\*Chicken: white meat or dark meat? Which pieces? Why? \*\* Answer is yes. I like it all. Order of preference is thighs, breast, wings. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/31 "2012-08-21T03:16:25Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Dark meat for me. Thighs are my favorite. I really don’t get the popularity of breasts- I find them dry and bland compared to thighs. What do you think? Drumstick or breast work for me. I think thighs have a slightly odd flavor I don’t much care for, and wings are too much hassle relative to the amount of meat. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/32 "2012-08-21T04:07:09Z")
For fried chicken it’s dark meat. Stir fry it’s white meat. Or even a blackened chicken breast with a side of red beans an rice is unbeatable. Also: (let me put my snobby hat on) If your white meat is dry; you’re doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/33 "2012-08-21T04:29:22Z")
Fried, grilled, or diced and spiced for tacos, thighs are the best. They’re like drumsticks with extra meat! In chicken and noodles, soup, or other stuff, it’s all good. I don’t dislike breasts, I just like thighs better. I hope that the breast=better culture continues so that the good stuff stays cheaper! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/34 "2012-08-21T04:59:15Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > wings are too much hassle relative to the amount of meat. You’re supposed to eat wings the way God intended them. Cut in half, fried up in butter and hot sauce, and served with blue cheese dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/35 "2012-08-21T13:42:24Z")
Here’s another person who doesn’t understand why people like white meat. My SO does, and he cooks, and he cooks wonderfully, so I eat them, but they are not my favorite. Drumsticks for me, please. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/36 "2012-08-21T13:53:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Dark meat for me. Thighs are my favorite. I really don’t get the popularity of breasts- I find them dry and bland compared to thighs. What do you think? Dark. White. Fried. It’s all good… ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/37 "2012-08-21T14:22:39Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > White meat, if I have a choice. > > Dark meat is usually fine, but about 20% of the time it’ll taste…off to me. The closest I can describe it is that I can taste the coagulated blood in the meat. I never get that with white meat, so I prefer it. Thank you! That’s exactly how I feel - only I feel it to the point where if there’s no breast available, I’ll shrug & go without. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/38 "2012-08-21T14:25:06Z")
In order of preference: Thighs, Drums, Wings, Breasts but I love chicken period so more off all four please! ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/39 "2012-08-21T22:57:44Z")
Dark meat is greasy and gross…I honestly don’t understand why people would like it more than succulent white meat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098/40 "2012-08-21T23:06:24Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Dark meat is greasy and gross…I honestly don’t understand why people would like it more than succulent white meat. Because it has flavor and actually tastes like something. ETA: And, as someone who actually does enjoy white meat, I don’t see how you can call it “succulent” compared with dark meat, unless we have differing definitions of “succulent.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-white-meat-or-dark-meat-which-pieces-why/632098.md?page=3)