Wings look like a high-margin item. Until the portion creeps up, sauce gets heavy, and ranch cups multiply.
This guide is a U.S.-focused chicken wings cost calculator. Use it to set consistent wing portions, price sauces correctly, and stop undercharging on your busiest nights.
Quick Summary
- Wings are priced by raw weight, not wing count
- Sauce and ranch can add $0.50+ per order
- Price bone-in vs boneless separately
- Treat combo baskets as their own SKU
U.S. Ingredient Benchmarks (Retail)
These are BLS U.S. city average prices. Use them as a sanity check, then replace with your wing invoice costs.
| Item | Latest U.S. city average | Unit cost | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, fresh, whole | $2.020/lb (Dec 2025) | $0.13/oz | Baseline for chicken price swings |
| Flour, white, all purpose | $0.554/lb (Dec 2025) | $0.03/oz | Light dredge still costs money |
| Butter, stick | $4.408/lb (Dec 2025) | $0.28/oz | Buffalo sauce cost anchor |
Note: Wings usually cost more than whole chicken. Always price from your wing invoice.
Portion Standards to Lock In
If you do not lock these, wing profits disappear fast.
- Raw wing weight per order (lb)
- Wing count per order (8, 10, 12)
- Sauce ounces per order
- Ranch/blue cheese cups per order
- Celery weight per order
- Packaging cost per order
Example: 10-Piece Bone-In Wings
Portion assumptions (example):
- Raw wings: 1.2 lb
- Example wing cost: $3.00/lb
- Flour: 2 oz
- Oil absorption: $0.20
- Buffalo sauce: 1.5 oz butter + hot sauce ($0.15)
- Ranch + celery: $0.50
- Packaging: $0.45
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Portion | Unit Cost | Line Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wings | 1.2 lb | $3.00/lb | $3.60 |
| Flour | 2 oz | $0.03/oz | $0.06 |
| Oil absorption | 1 portion | n/a | $0.20 |
| Sauce (butter + hot sauce) | 1 portion | n/a | $0.57 |
| Ranch + celery | 1 portion | n/a | $0.50 |
| Packaging | 1 set | n/a | $0.45 |
| Total | $5.38 |
Price Targets
| Target Food Cost % | Menu Price |
|---|---|
| 28% | $19.21 |
| 30% | $17.93 |
| 32% | $16.81 |
If your market will not pay that, shrink the portion or adjust the wing count.
Sauce and Dip Pricing
Sauce is not free. Neither is ranch.
Simple rule:
Sauce + dip price = (Sauce cost + Dip cost) / Target food cost %If extra ranch costs you $0.35, charge $1.25-$1.50.
Bone-In vs Boneless
Boneless wings are chicken breast. They should not share pricing with bone-in wings.
- Bone-in is priced by raw weight
- Boneless is priced by meat ounces
- Do not price them the same unless costs match
Margin Leak Checklist
- Raw wing weight is logged
- Sauces are portioned
- Ranch cups are counted
- Wing count matches the menu
- Combo baskets have their own price
Related Guides
- US Menu Pricing Calculator
- Food Cost Ratio Guide
- Prime Cost Guide
- US Delivery App Pricing Guide
- US Restaurant Portion Control Guide
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