Boneless wings made from breast meat are way cheaper per pound than actual wings and there's virtually no waste for the restaurants to deal with. That's some pretty slick marketing right there!
When I was young, chicken breasts were the premium cut and they were $3-$4 (all prices I'm quoting are per LB). Wings were considered "peasant food" and I remember seeing them priced at 39 cents.
Today, you can buy boneless skinless breasts for under $2.
Bone-in skin-on breasts are $3-$3.50. They cook up juicier and taste better, but they're not as healthy. How is it that they can get away with virtually doubling the price, when they leave the skin and bone on?
Wings have become really popular and sell for $4/LB or more. They're about 1/2 scrap and not good for you, but they are yummy when prepared properly. According to reports, Americans will eat about 1-1/3 billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday. That's about 4 wings for every man, woman and child in the country!
I can buy whole chickens for $1/LB and it takes less than 10 minutes to cut one up. I understand convenience and the laws of supply and demand, but somebody is really pulling a fast one here!