When cooking chicken, it’s important to know which parts will be done first so you can avoid over or undercooking any section. The breast is lean and cooks quicker than the legs and thighs which have more fat and connective tissue. In this article, we’ll examine which part of a chicken cooks the fastest and provide data on approximate cooking times for different pieces.
Breast Meat
Chicken breasts are the fastest cooking part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook the quickest as there is no bone or skin to slow down the cooking time. Bone-in chicken breasts take a little longer since the bones partially shield the meat and conduct less heat. Still, both types of chicken breast cook faster than any other cut of chicken.
Chicken breasts are composed of lean white meat with very little fat or connective tissue. This means they can cook through in a short amount of time without needing prolonged cooking to break down tougher elements. Chicken breasts are sectioned into halves with a tenderloin on either side of the breastbone. The tenderloins cook even faster than the rest of the breast since they are smaller and thinner.
When cooking a whole chicken, the breast meat will always be ready before the legs, thighs, and wings. For this reason, it’s important to monitor chicken breasts carefully during cooking and remove them sooner so they don’t overcook and dry out while the dark meat finishes cooking.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the fastest cooking form of chicken breast. Without bones or skin, there is no barrier between the lean meat and the heat source. Boneless breasts can go from raw to safe minimum internal temperature in as little as 6-8 minutes if sliced thinly for stir-fries or grilled quickly over high heat.
If kept whole, boneless breasts take 12-15 minutes from raw when cooked by quick methods like grilling, broiling, sautéing, or stir-frying. Baked boneless chicken breasts take slightly longer at around 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. Slow braising methods would extend the cooking time to 30-40 minutes or beyond.
Bone-In Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts with the bones in take 2-3 minutes longer than boneless breasts since the bones partially shield the meat and don’t conduct heat as rapidly. expect bone-in breasts to take around 15-18 minutes to reach safe temperature if grilled, sautéed, broiled or pan-fried. Baking bone-in breasts will take closer to 25-30 minutes.
Cooks should monitor the internal temperature of bone-in chicken breasts and remove them from the heat source once they reach the USDA recommended safe minimum of 165°F. The bones may cause the breasts to cook less evenly, so temperature should be verified in multiple spots.
Leg and Thigh Meat
After the chicken breast, the legs and thighs are the next fastest cooking sections. However, they do require considerably more time than the breasts to become tender and reach safe internal temperature. Chicken legs and thighs are composed of dark meat, which has more fat content and connective tissue.
The fat keeps the dark meat moist during cooking. But it also means the meat can’t get as hot as quickly as lean breast meat when exposed to heat. The connective tissue in legs and thighs breaks down into gelatin during moist cooking methods, keeping the meat juicy and tender. But it also requires prolonged cooking to fully dissolve.
Whole chicken legs and thighs cook faster than individual drumsticks or thighs since there is more meat stacked together. Individual legs and thighs cook the slowest of these options. Here are approximate cooking times for chicken legs and thighs:
- Whole legs and thighs – 45-60 minutes
- Leg quarters (thigh and drumstick) – 35-45 minutes
- Individual thighs – 30-40 minutes
- Individual drumsticks – 35-45 minutes
Chicken legs and thighs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 175°F-180°F since the dark meat is less prone to drying out and can withstand higher temperatures before becoming tough.
Wings
After the breast meat, chicken wings take the longest amount of time to cook. The wing bones partially shield the meat from heat and also give off moisture as they cook, preventing the meat from cooking quickly. The skin and small amount of fat in wings also slows the cooking process.
Expect chicken wings to take around 45-60 minutes to become tender and fully cooked. The meat near the tip of the wing cooks fastest since it is thinnest, while the meatier drum section closest to the body takes longest. Flip wings frequently while cooking and move drier wing tips toward heat to cook evenly.
Cook chicken wings until they reach an internal temperature of at least 175°F-180°F throughout. The skin should become browned and crispy, while the meat easily pulls away from the bone when they are fully cooked.
Cooking Times by Method
Here is a comparison of approximate cooking times for different cuts of chicken using various cooking methods:
| Cut of Chicken | Roasted (350°F oven) | Baked (425°F oven) | Grilled | Pan-fried or sautéed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless breasts | 20-25 minutes | 15-20 minutes | 8-12 minutes | 6-10 minutes |
| Bone-in breasts | 30-40 minutes | 25-30 minutes | 12-15 minutes | 10-15 minutes |
| Legs and thighs | 45-60 minutes | 35-45 minutes | 25-35 minutes | 20-30 minutes |
| Drumsticks and thighs | 45-60 minutes | 35-45 minutes | 25-35 minutes | 20-30 minutes |
| Wings | 50-60 minutes | 45-55 minutes | 30-40 minutes | 25-35 minutes |
Cooking times vary based on the thickness of the cuts and whether bone is present. Always check chicken internally to confirm safe temperature has been reached.
Why the Breast Cooks Fastest
There are a few reasons why chicken breasts cook faster than other sections:
- Breasts are composed of lean white meat while legs and thighs contain fattier dark meat
- Breasts do not contain much connective tissue unlike legs and thighs
- Boneless breasts have no bone to obstruct heat transfer
- Breasts are thinner than drumsticks and wings
- Less fat means breasts don’t need to reach as high of temperature
The white meat in chicken breasts is lower in fat and contains less connective tissue like collagen and elastin fibers. This means heat can quickly penetrate through the meat to warm it to safe internal temperature. The lack of bones also allows for faster conductive heat transfer.
Meanwhile, the dark meat of the legs and thighs contains more fat marbled throughout as well as thicker connective tissue. The fat prevents the meat from heating up too quickly, while the connective tissue needs prolonged moist heat to break down into gelatin. Bones also partially shield the meat and slow cooking.
Wings cook slowest as they have skin, small deposits of fat, and the wing bones blocking heat and evaporative moisture loss. By understanding the composition of different chicken parts, you can better plan cooking times and temperatures.
Conclusion
Chicken breasts are the fastest cooking part of the chicken while legs, thighs, and wings take longer. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook the quickest as they have no skin or bones to slow heat transfer. Bone-in breasts take a couple minutes longer than boneless. Legs and thighs require more extended cooking to melt fat and collagen, while wings are shielded by skin and bone.
Keep the quick cooking time of breasts in mind whenever you cook a whole chicken. Remove the breasts first when they reach 165°F internal temperature so they don’t overcook. Let the legs, thighs, and wings continue cooking until they reach 175°F-180°F. Knowing which parts of a chicken cook fastest will help you time everything just right for perfectly cooked meat.