Boneless chicken breasts or bone in?

**itsagirlthing** · 07-27-2008, 11:22 AM

Is it really more economical to purchase chicken breasts with the bone in as opposed to buying boneless chicken breasts? Around here the cost for bone in chicken breasts is 99 cents per pound (on sale). Obviously cheaper than the boneless chicken breasts for $2.99 per lb (on sale also). With the bone in you are actually paying for the weight of the bones, too. So which is cheaper in the long run?

**cheapskate 49** · 07-27-2008, 01:40 PM

If you have the time to debone the chicken and know that you will do it...then it's cheaper.I used to buy them on sale,debone and make a soup broth with the bones and feed the cat the bits left on the bones.Once you've done it a few times it doesn't take long.

**Jskell911** · 07-27-2008, 02:34 PM

I agree, if you can debone, then that would work out cheaper. We only buy boneless, skinless (cuz we are pickly-LOL). But we do not pay more than $1.99/lb EVER. We just buy huge quantities when we do buy it.

**dcompton** · 07-27-2008, 02:57 PM

There is actually very little bone on a chicken breast in relation to the meat, so it is definitely the better buy. And you don't have to debone them - they can be cooked (baked, fried, whatvever you do with whole pieces) as is. I often did them in the crockpot, and the meat just falls off the bones, and is great for chicken sandwiches, salad, and casseroles.

Other times I would just "rough cut" the meat off, leaving more meat on the bones than proper de-boning would. I would collect the bones until I had a good number, and then make a good, really meaty chicken soup from it.

I buy the boneless occasionally for times when I need something quick -- the others are larger and thicker -- but the bone in breasts are really more economical.

**DonnainME** · 07-27-2008, 05:03 PM

I prefer boneless thighs but if I have to buy breasts - I buy them when they are $1.99 per lb or less. It happens a few times a year.

It is pretty easy to debone a chicken breast.

**emily_hope** · 07-27-2008, 09:35 PM

I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I'm just finicky that way.

**suebeehoney** · 07-27-2008, 09:58 PM

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts are the one 'convenience' meat I do purchase, simply because of my schedule. Being a single parent, whatever time I don't have to spend on food prep can be spent with my kids...

I buy them frozen, and in bulk size bags, so I get a really good deal on them.

**elphie** · 07-27-2008, 10:58 PM

I actually calculated the difference. I saved the scraps from our dinner; bones, skins, and meat that was left on the bone. I weighed the waste and calculated how much chicken we had actually eaten. I pay $1.99 for boneless skinless frozen bags at Aldi's and have zero waste from this. My tally for the bone in chicken was $1.97. For me the 3 cents was not worth the hassle.

**dcompton** · 07-28-2008, 06:58 PM

Elphie -- interesting. What are you paying for chicken breasts? I've been getting them for .77 a pound lately, and they are very large, so a smaller meat/bone ratio, with only the thin ribs. I almost never find boneless for less than 1.99. Do you use the bones for anything else or toss them?

**elphie** · 07-28-2008, 08:09 PM

The cheapest I have been able to find the bone in chicken lately is .99 a pound. the ones I find at this price generally have a lot of fat and skin that must be trimmed away which is most of the waste, not the bone itself. The better cuts of chicken around here have less waste but cost more. I always check the chicken when its on sale thinking I will eventually get a better deal but it just hasn't happened yet.