Pizza Hut Wings: What To Know Before Ordering

Nothing screams football season more than the combination of pizza and wings (though nachos and beer are a close second). The Super Bowl party staples make a perfect pair, especially since dairy products are a major help when it comes to cooling down your mouth after eating spicy foods (via Food Network). Aside from a slice of that cheesy pie being an excellent form of relief after you've downed one too many extra-hot chicken wings, there's also the fact that these two finger foods are just downright delicious, and who doesn't want to eat two tasty foods at the same time? Nobody, that's who.

Pizza and wings make for a superb dinner on the nights you don't have a game lighting up your television screen as well, and fortunately, it's pretty easy to get your hands on both without having to run all over town. There are hundreds of pizza joints that double as a spot to get an order of wings, including Pizza Hut — though you might be a bit more acquainted with the 'za from the Kansas-based chain than you are with the poultry side of its menu. This, friends, is where we come in. We've gathered the info you need about the delivery giant's chicken wings and put it all right here to help you the next time you want to accompany your stuffed crust pizza with something hot and spicy.

Pizza Hut has been serving wings alongside their delectable pies for some time now, perhaps even longer than you realize. Wings made their initial debut on the chain's menu in 1995, but their offerings were quite limited. There was no need to decide between boneless and bone-in, as the latter was the only option back then. In terms of flavors, one Redditor explained that you had a grand total of two choices: mild and hot. This was also before deep fryers were installed at all Pizza Hut locations, so the pre-sauced, unbreaded wings were run through the oven.

The Hut's pre-Y2K wings got a much-needed revamp when the chain's parent company, Yum! Brands, launched its chicken-centric restaurant, WingStreet, in 2003. The brand is technically its own separate entity, though you won't find any standalone locations — they tried that once, and let's just say, it didn't work out (via Investor Place). Instead, WingStreets are conveniently located right alongside their pizza-slinging sister brand, most of which are now equipped with deep fryers following the nationwide rollout of the chicken wing concept in 2014 (via PR Newswire). Offerings include traditional and boneless wings that you can order "naked" or tossed in one of several flavorful dry rubs or sauces (don't worry, we'll go over those, too). The chain has ranch and blue cheese dressings for you to pair with your wings as well.

If you don't consider yourself a very good decision-maker, you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle when ordering wings from Pizza Hut. The chain's WingStreet counterpart has a variety of options that range in both flavor and heat level, but the first decision you'll have to make is whether you want traditional bone-in wings or if you'd rather have your chicken in crispy, boneless form. Your selection will ultimately have no effect on the flavors you can pick from during the next part of the ordering process, though there are some advantages to getting one over the other, so make sure you choose wisely.

Now for the fun part: picking out a flavor, and Pizza Hut has a whole bunch for you to choose from. Dry rub options include ranch and Cajun style, per the Pizza Hut website, while their sauce offerings are a bit more extensive. The chain has eight "bold sauces" for you to pick from, including Garlic Parm, Honey BBQ, Hawaiian Teriyaki, and Spicy Garlic, as well as three possible Buffalo options: mild, medium, and Burnin' Hot. You may also find that some Pizza Huts offer location-specific or limited-time flavors, which in the past have included Lemon Pepper, Nashville Hot, and Smoky Sriracha (via Brand Eating).

You've likely heard about the chicken wing shortage that restaurants are currently facing. While this has caused a number of restaurants to raise the price for a plate of hot wings considerably, Newsweek explains that most large chains like Pizza Hut haven't had to alter the cost too much, or in some cases, at all. 

Location does have some influence on prices at the pizza giant, but in general, Menu with Price reports that a six-piece order of traditional bone-in wings — which is the smallest size that Pizza Hut currently offers — will run you somewhere around $8.99. Meanwhile, boneless wings ring in a little bit cheaper at $8.69 for an eight-count order. As you could probably expect, the price tag grows with the number of wings you order, with 12 bone-in wings going for about $16.99, 18 for $23.99, and the largest order of 36 pricing out at $42.99. Boneless wings follow suit, with 16, 24, and 48-count orders going for an average of $16.49, $22.99, and $39.99, respectively.

Of course, like many chain eateries, Pizza Hut offers several coupons to patrons, so they can enjoy the perfect pairing of pizza and wings at a great deal. These, again, can vary by location.

Downing a plate of chicken wings isn't necessarily the healthiest meal, especially when you're accompanying them with a couple slices of pizza, but you're probably not ordering dinner from Pizza Hut if you're trying to watch your figure. That being said, it is entirely possible to make better choices when turning to the Hut for your meal, especially when it comes to wings. As one dietician pointed out to Women's Health, ordering wings "naked," meaning without any flavoring agent, is a solid option that will run you only 80 calories per wing, as are Pizza Hut's dry rubs, which can "add tons of flavor without added sugar and empty calories."

If you do happen to enjoy your wings drowned in sauce, there are a few options that are better than others. Whether bone-in or boneless, Pizza Hut's sauce-coated chicken wings range from 90 to 140 calories each (via Nutritionix), so there's no need to worry too much if you're only planning on having one or two wings alongside your slice. However, if you're ditching the pizza in favor of a full order of poultry, the Honey BBQ flavor is one to avoid since it is high in sugar, with each bone-in wing containing 5 grams, while Garlic Parmesan is the flavor that holds the most amount of fat (11 grams) per wing. As with anything, practice moderation when ordering wings from Pizza Hut to avoid any potential health issues in the long run.

Pizza Hut may not rank the highest out of all the major pizza chains, though you have to admit, it does make a decent pie. In fact, one survey found that 36% of people would happily eat the restaurant's 'za for the rest of their lives, but does that translate at all to its WingStreet counterpart? There were mixed opinions on the subject in a Reddit thread centered around the chain's poultry, though one user boldly claimed that Pizza Hut had "the best wings of all the fast-food pizza joints." Ultimately, it seems to come down to which ones you order. Many users in the aforementioned Reddit thread criticized Pizza Hut's boneless wings for being too soggy, so the bone-in option seems to be the way to go. One report from Insider found them to be a decent option that were not only impressively meaty, but had a tasty crispy skin as well.

As for which flavor is the best, well, that's really dependent on your taste buds. STL Wing Review has the Buffalo Burnin' Hot flavor at the top of their list, noting that it had an "acceptable level of heat" compared to the chain's mild and medium sauces. However, if the fiery hot flavors aren't your thing, Ranker's list points to the Honey BBQ and Spicy Garlic flavors being suitable alternatives. Whether you're ordering for your Super Bowl party or a casual Friday night, Pizza Hut's wing menu clearly has something for everyone and is definitely worth a try.