What is a 'boneless wing' actually made from?

A “boneless wing” is actually made from chicken breast meat. It is not a chicken wing at all, but a small piece of boneless, skinless breast that is coated, cooked, and served with wing-style sauces.

The name became popular as restaurants sought a neater alternative to traditional Buffalo wings, especially as demand and prices for bone-in wings increased. The breast pieces are commonly breaded or coated with flour and spices, then fried or baked much like chicken nuggets.

The main mix-up is assuming “boneless” means the bones were removed from a real wing. Traditional wings contain a drumette, flat, and pointed tip; boneless versions use a different cut of meat. They may still be tossed in Buffalo sauce and served with celery, blue cheese, or ranch, which gives them their wing identity despite their origin as breast meat.