The National Chicken Council (NCC) predicted that, during the Super Bowl, Americans would consume more than 1.4 billion wings, a number that has risen just about every year over the last decade.

But it’s not just the Super Bowl that is seeing rising wing numbers; industry insiders note that the wing category is as strong as it’s ever been, and processors and food retailers are capitalizing on the craze. The chicken wing market has continued to grow, with wings being offered in fast food, fast casual, and even fine dining.

After a lackluster 2023, wing prices surged through much of 2024, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That’s even as wing inventories showed lower numbers than usual at 59 million lbs headed into the seasonal lift.

“Both factors indicate strong demand,” said Tom Super, senior vice president of communications for the National Chicken Council. “The NCC estimates that Americans will eat around 33 billion wing segments in 2025.”

Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, a food scientist and food industry consultant, noted chicken sales overall have seen an increase in sales this past year attributed to many consumers trading down from beef in order to save money at the grocery store as inflation continues to impact them.

“In the realm of foodservice, chicken-based restaurants have been appearing nationwide as beef-based restaurants struggle, resulting in a shift in revenues for each,” he said. “Interestingly, this has occurred after chicken wing prices went through steady and significant increases over the past four years, which have slowed down over the past year, likely in reaction to slower sales trends as prices approach consumers’ price threshold.”

Aaron Leach, senior vice president of supply chain and general manager of prepared foods for Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the third-largest poultry producer in the United States, noted wing demand ebbs and flows, but 2025 is projected to be on the upswing.

“We are starting to see a renewed peak interest coming from the retail front,” he said. “There hasn’t always been a solid quality product in retail, and that’s what we are working with retailers on. We want to get a product to the consumer that they can put in a fryer or an oven and deliver positive results to the customer.”

Demand is also picking up steam in the foodservice sector and Wayne-Sanderson Farms is working to satisfy both segments of the industry through new advancements and automation to cook the product quicker and increase efficiency through the operation.

The company’s Line 51 in its Decatur Prepared Food plants (Decatur East and Decatur West are connected by a 14,000-pallet cold-storage facility) are dedicated to pre-cooked chicken wings, with a total of four lines (a high-steamed wing line, two fully cooked lines and a raw marination line).

“Our Line 53, we take the product through a fryer and go through an oven and freeze it,” Leach said. “We operate that way as an effort to solve for the end-user. A steamed wing, generally works well for someone who is going to recon the product in a fryer — think of pizza chains and QSRs. Why we send them through a fryer for 20-30 seconds, that’s for folks that are reconing the wings in an oven and getting a crispy wing, such as national pizza chains without fryers.”

QSR uptick

Wings continue to be an incredibly good mover at QSRs and casual dining chains, with Popeye’s and Arby’s among those posting strong numbers over the last year.

“The restaurant chain WingStop has been reaping the benefits, as seen in increased same-store sales and also in the addition of new restaurants,” Le said. “Another wing-based restaurant chain, Wing Snob, has taken advantage of the chicken wing trend and is looking to add more franchise locations across the country.”

John Stetson, chief executive officer of Stoner’s Pizza Joint, with 52 locations across the United States, has seen a big growth in the sale of wings this past year.

“We are confident that wing sales will stay steady in 2025,” he said. “They have consistently been approximately 10% of our overall sales for the past three years. We purchased 133,760 lbs of jumbo chicken wings last year. This was an increase over our prior year, and most of our increase was due to new unit development.”

Matt Ensero, co-founder of Wing It On! and brand president of Craveworthy Brands, noted the wing chain has also seen large year-over-year growth nationwide.

“The evolution of dining habits post-pandemic has solidified wings as a delivery and takeout powerhouse — currently about 90% of the business is off-premises and thriving,” he said. “Third-party delivery services account for nearly 40% of our orders on average, demonstrating consumers’ continued preference for convenience without sacrificing quality.”

Source: Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Top trends

Wings are going through some changes as well, as new flavors and spices are bringing more customers to the segment. Ensero noted that there is variance to wing flavor popularity depending on region.

“In the Northeast, our award-winning Medium Buffalo sauce is our fan favorite, while at our Southeastern stores, the time-tested Southern favorite, Lemon Pepper, continues to dominate,” he said. “Across all stores, our barbeque-based flavors are always at the top of the popularity list, especially our BBQ and Buffalo crossover flavor — Honey Buffalo BBQ.”

“Sticky-finger sauces and a ton of different spices, seasonings and sauces are the big trends, not to mention more spicy offerings,” Super said.

As for the style of wings, traditional bone-in wings remain the foundation for most menus; however, many are seeing increased interest in boneless options which speaks to a broader market evolution taking place where guests are now looking for variety in how they enjoy their wing experience.

Preparing the process

The poultry growers and packers Stoner’s Pizza Joint utilizes are vertically integrated and manage feed, hatcheries and harvest/packing. “Some plants that supply us are automated to butcher the chickens and cut them into specified portions,” Stetson said. “Our wings are first- and second-joint jumbo wings and average 5-7 wings per lb. A lot of science/tech is used to improve yields by breeding chickens for the best results. Our packers also work to gain efficiency by having hatcheries, chicken houses and harvesting/packing facilities in proximity to one another. This cuts down on energy consumption and cost, which keeps pricing competitive.”

Upon receipt, the wings are smoked in a smoker for two to three hours and then run through the oven.

“For preparation, we wash the wings and rub them with our proprietary rub,” Stetson said. “They are then placed on a pan and put into a smoker. Once smoked, the wings are allowed to cool, portioned, and placed in our cooler until needed for orders. Orders run through our pizza oven to bring them back to temperature, and they are sauced or dry rubbed before serving.”

John Stetson, chief executive officer of Stoner's Pizza Joint, expects wing demand to remain steady in 2025.

| Source: Stoner's Pizza

Wing It On! prides itself on using fresh, never frozen wings at all its locations.

“Upon receiving the wings from our trusted suppliers, we implement a specialized two-stage cooking process that we have refined over the years of operation,” Ensero said. “We par-cook the wings about two-thirds of the way, which allows us to maintain quality and consistency, while ensuring quick-service times. When an order comes in, it finishes the wings with a flash-fry that delivers a crispy exterior while keeping the meat juicy,” Ensero said. “The wings are then hand-tossed in signature sauces and served with scratch-made blue cheese and ranch dips. This process helps us maintain both quality and efficiency, especially during peak hours.”

The wing industry has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability in recent years. There have been significant shifts in consumer behavior, particularly in how people order and consume wings.

“The rise of delivery and takeout options has transformed wings from being primarily dine-in sports bar food to a convenient, quality meal option for any occasion,” Ensero said. “Looking ahead, we anticipate continued innovation in unique flavors and preparation styles with growing demand for both traditional bone-in wings and alternative options like boneless and tenders. We also expect to see continued evolution in packaging solutions as off-premises dining remains strong.”