Chicken wing prices are down — here's why your favorite restaurant may not cut prices

It's National Chicken Wing Day, and fans of one of America's most iconic foods have reason to celebrate: Wing prices have fallen after years of soaring costs.

Wholesale whole wing prices are down from a year ago. There's also a steady supply available, according to a July market trend report published by Performance Foodservice.

It's likely chicken wing lovers will be able to take advantage of those lower wholesale costs through deals and specials at restaurants, Kipper Greist, managing partner of Jumby Bay Island Grill in Jupiter, Florida, told Fox News Digital.

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"Prices fluctuate constantly on every menu item," Greist said. "If one item drops, three go up. The cost of reprinting menus is thousands of dollars, so it isn't cost-effective to raise or lower prices when the market changes. We would rather offer specials like our 99-cent wings on Wednesdays and during football season."

The lower prices come as chicken production has outpaced expectations, helping keep wing supplies strong and wholesale costs in check.

The dip in cost was due to U.S. meat-chicken producers "boosting domestic production by 2.2% in 2025, aided by lower feed costs," Wells Fargo reported.

"Chicken production, including wings, of course, is running ahead of earlier expectations as hatchability and liveability have somewhat surprisingly improved," Tom Super, senior vice president of public affairs for the National Chicken Council (NCC), told Fox News Digital. "That is, the poultry genetists and live-production management have apparently begun to overcome these two challenges."

Wholesale wing prices have strengthened this week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but they remain a bargain for restaurants and grocery retailers, Super said.

"With the wing supply somewhat fixed, fluctuating consumer demand heavily influences the ups and downs in wholesale prices," Super said.

Wholesale wing prices opened in 2025 below $1.00 per pound and rose only modestly to slightly above $1.10 per pound — a 66% decline from their historic pandemic-era high above $3.20 per pound, according to Southern Ag Today.

"When wing prices rise to unattractive levels for food service buyers, they tend to pull back on wing promotions and special price offerings," Super said. 

"Then, as wing prices move to much more affordable levels, food service buyers, especially those dedicated to wings, jump back into marketing wings more aggressively."

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Chicken wings are also "an affordable protein option," according to the NCC. 

"Consumers are continuing to value and appreciate wholesome protein in their foods," Super said. 

This trend, combined with favorable pricing, offers chicken wing lovers the opportunity to gather with friends and family affordably, he added.

"If there is one menu item that never grows old, it's the chicken wing," Greist said. "Its versatility attracts every genre. It can be an appetizer for a group or a meal for others."

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Every wing lover is different, Greist said.

"Some like a large, meaty wing, while others prefer the smaller wings," he said. "The sauce is where it's at! Customers are trending away from traditional sauces and experimenting more with hot garlic, garlic Parmesan, Thai chili and mango barbecue."

The origin story of America's love affair with the chicken wing varies, but a widely accepted version credits the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, with popularizing one of the least-desirable parts of the chicken by deep-frying the wings, coating them in hot butter sauce and serving them with blue-cheese dressing and celery.

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"With new flavors, spices and rubs constantly offering another great reason to try wings again, wing lovers and want-to-be wing lovers find the next wonderful taste an attraction hard to resist," Super said.