Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
U.S. Chicken Wing Prices Drop 66% to Near $1 a Pound as Production Rises 2.2%
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29

U.S. Chicken Wing Prices Drop 66% to Near $1 a Pound as Production Rises 2.2%

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29

Summary

  • Wholesale whole wing prices opened 2025 below $1.00 a pound and sit only slightly above $1.10, down 66% from pandemic-era highs above $3.20.
  • A 2.2% increase in U.S. meat-chicken production in 2025, helped by lower feed costs and improved hatchability and liveability, has kept wing supplies steady and costs in check.
  • Restaurants are more likely to push wing specials rather than permanently cut menu prices, with operators citing frequent cost swings and high menu reprinting costs.
  • USDA data show wing prices strengthened this week, but industry groups still call them a bargain for restaurants and grocers as demand-driven swings continue.
  • The cheaper supply arrives as wings remain a popular affordable protein, giving restaurants room to market new flavors and promotions more aggressively.

Insights

As wholesale chicken costs drop, what hidden economic factors could suddenly trigger another massive price spike before football season?
With wing prices plummeting from pandemic highs, are restaurants using temporary specials to mask permanently inflated menu costs?