Buffalo Wild Wings Emerges Victorious After Lawsuit Over Boneless Wings

In 2023, a lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings made headlines after a diner accused the chicken wing franchise of not using actual chicken in its boneless wings, claiming the restaurant violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act. It caused a discussion about whether “boneless wings” could be classified as such.

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At the time, Buffalo Wild Wings brushed it off, joking on X (formerly Twitter), “It’s true. Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken. Our hamburgers contain no ham. Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo.”

Nearly three years later, Buffalo Wild Wings is coming out victorious, as a judge ruled that the restaurant can keep the boneless wings on the menu.

How did Buffalo Wild Wings get away scot-free?

Judge John Tharp ruled that the restaurant didn’t violate the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act because the term “boneless wings” isn’t limited to the chain. “Boneless wings are not a niche product for which a consumer would need to do extensive research to figure out the truth,” Tharp wrote, per NBC News. “Instead, ‘boneless wings’ is a common term that has existed for over two decades.”

He added that the plaintiff didn’t “‘drum’ up enough factual allegations to state a claim. Though he has standing to bring the claim because he plausibly alleged economic injury, he does not plausibly allege that reasonable consumers are fooled by Buffalo Wild Wings’ use of the term ‘boneless wings.'”

Are boneless wings actually wings?

Boneless wings are made with ground, breaded, and fried chicken breast pieces shaped to look like wings—basically, they’re nuggets. What makes them qualify as wings rather than tenders is the sauce, typically Buffalo sauce. So while they’re not real chicken wings, they are a cheaper, slightly less messy alternative to your standard wings, with a similar taste. And if you’re looking for the best, we ranked the top frozen boneless wings to buy.