In its 2024 wing report, the National Chicken Council estimates that 1.45 billion chicken wings will be consumed during the Super Bowl this weekend.
According to the report, 1.45 billion wings is enough to give four of them to each man, woman and child in the United States. It’s also enough to fill every seat in all 30 NFL stadiums with 693 wings.
How does the wing count compare to previous years?
The estimated wing consumption amount for this year is not much different from the one last year. The National Chicken Council’s 2023 report also estimated 1.45 billion wings would be consumed — which was then a record-breaking amount.
The 2022 report estimated 1.42 billion chicken wings would be consumed during that year’s Super Bowl.
What the council had to say
Council spokesman Tom Super shared in the new report, “Football is great. Wings are great. But they’re even better together.”
He humorously added, “One of these days, Buffalo will get back to the Big Game which would give wing consumption a nice boost.”
Why do Americans eat chicken wings during the Super Bowl?
Deep-fried chicken wings, according to the council, have long been a staple in Southern cooking. One common origin story for chicken wings refers to the co-owner of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York: Teressa Bellissimo.
Per The Buffalo History Museum, in 1964, Bellissimo cut and cooked leftover wings for her son and his friends as a late-night snack. She decided to douse and toss the wings with a peppery hot sauce, and the finished product was well-received. As the story goes, the next day, the owners put the “Buffalo wings” onto the Anchor Bar menu.
Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, chicken wings gradually grew in popularity and became an option on menus across the country. However, during the 1980s, U.S. consumers passed on wings in favor of skinless, boneless chicken breast, per the council.
But wings were an inexpensive byproduct, so they were a cheaper option to be served in bars and restaurants. Once satellite TVs appeared in eateries, according to Mental Floss, wings became a cheaper, yet quality option to serve to patrons while they watched multiple hours of sports.
Because of its inexpensiveness and sharing ability for large groups, wings quickly intertwined with football and, over time, became a nationwide phenomenon especially beloved on Super Bowl weekend, per the council.
Why are blue cheese and celery served with wings?
Mental Floss shared that the sides that typically come with wings also trace back to Bellissimo.
When she finished plating the wings, she added on some blue cheese dressing and some celery sticks that were, reportedly, left over from making an antipasto salad.
The pairings stuck, since crunchy, semi-hydrating celery and heat-mitigating blue cheese paired nicely with the salty, spicy wings.
