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These keto chicken wings are SO easy to make and a secret trick guarantees truly crispy wings every single time! Perfectly baked and brushed with a sticky sauce that will leave you licking your fingers! ZERO carbs per wing.
Keto chicken wings
Whenever I want to impress my friends with some keto appetizers, my favorite recipes to make are mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and these baked keto chicken wings.
Are chicken wings keto?
Chicken wings are high in both protein and fat, and a fantastic keto friendly food. They contain zero carbs and are extremely flavorful on their own. Once you add breading or sauces to them, that is when the carbs creep in! Luckily, like all the chicken recipes I share on here, this one is virtually carb free!
Why this keto chicken wing recipe will leave you reeling for more-
- Baked, not fried! These keto wings are much healthier than those that are deep fried.
- Truly crispy every time. A secret ingredient and cooking method ensures that these wings turn out truly crispy every single time.
- Minimal prep required. Just one bowl is needed to mix the chicken before baking them AND the same bowl is used to coat them in the sticky sauce.
What I love about this recipe is that it is the dish you can serve to a crowd, whether they follow a low carb diet or not. It’s the perfect finger food to serve at parties or events.
I love serving these wings with a plethora of keto dipping sauces, and some of our favorites include ranch dressing, cheese sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, and barbecue sauce.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
For the chicken wings.
- Chicken wings– Use a mix of wings, drumettes, and
- Vegetable oil– To coat over the wings before covering them in the sauce.
- Salt and pepper– To taste.
- Baking powder– The secret ingredient which guarantees perfect browning and extra crispiness in every bite.
For the keto wing sauce.
- Buffalo sauce– Franks Buffalo sauce or any other hot sauce. If you don’t use Frank’s, choose one that has no added sugar or fat in it.
- Keto honey– Adds some sweetness to balance out the spice, along with a lovely sticky texture. I used a homemade keto honey but you can use a store bought one.
- Butter– Measured in its melted state.
How do you make keto chicken wings?
Start by adding the wings, oil, salt, pepper and baking powder into a bowl and tossing together until mixed. Place the chicken wings on a wire rack and cook for 45 minutes and crispy, flipping halfway through.
While the chicken wings are baking, prepare the sticky sauce. In a small saucepan, add the buffalo sauce and keto honey and place it over medium heat. Once it simmers, add the butter and cook for a further three minutes.
Now, remove the wings from the oven, and place them into a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce on top and mix very well, ensuring there all the wings are well coated.
Can I cook these in the air fryer?
If you’d like to make air fryer keto wings, easily do that instead of an oven. You will prepare them the exact same way, except the cooking process.
To air fry– Lay the seasoned wings in an air fryer basket and cook at 200C/400F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the wings, add the sauce, then add back to the air fryer basket and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Pat dry the chicken wings before adding the oil and seasonings. This will ensure the skin remains crispy throughout.
- Don’t fret about the amount of baking powder used, as it leaves no metallic or bitter flavor. It will simply enhance the crispiness of the wings, even after they are covered in the sauce.
- Bake the chicken wings on a wire rack, not a baking sheet. This helps the excess fat and oil drop through, and also helps them bake easier.
Storing, freezing, and reheating instructions
- To store: Leftover wings can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Place the cooled wings in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: You should always reheat chicken wings in a preheated oven to ensure they crisp up again.
More keto chicken recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
If you make this recipe as directed, there are virtually no carbs for 6 chicken wings. If you bake them without the sauce or simply with oil, salt, and pepper, there are literally ZERO carbs.
No, chicken wings are a fantastic food to include on a keto diet. They are easy to prepare and have no carbs in them. You can bake them, fry them, air fry them, and use a plethora of seasonings with them.
For extra crispy chicken wings, they should be cooked at a very high temperature, at least 200C/400F.
Keto Chicken Wings (Truly Crispy!)
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings mix of drumettes and wings
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
For the low carb wing sauce
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons keto honey
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken wings, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil, and baking powder. Toss until all are combined. Transfer to the wire rack. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the wings are crispy, flipping halfway through.
- In a small saucepan, prepare the sticky sauce. Whisk together the buffalo sauce and the honey and place it over medium heat. Once it simmers, add the butter and cook for a further three minutes.
- Remove the chicken wings from the oven. Turn the oven to broiler mode.
- Place the baked chicken wings into a bowl and coat in the sauce until completely coated.
- Place the chicken wings back on the wire rack and cook for a further 3 minutes, just until the sauce caramelizes.
So juicy!
BEST WINGS I’VE EVER MADE, HANDS DOWN!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Thanks, Katie!
SO amazing and truly crispy! Skipped the buffalo sauce being I didn’t have it, but the flavors were delicious regardless. These are definitely wings I’m planning to make again and again!
I just made this today. I was anxious to try the baking powder ingredient to see what effect it had. The chicken came out crispy and brown. I had a bit of a time finding baking powder without aluminum. Since I didn’t have the ingredients for the sauce, I just dipped in some Keto Ranch (from this site).
One tip I might pass on, be sure you thoroughly dry your chicken before adding it to the oil.
My wings didn’t get crispy but after I added the sauce and it caramelized they were delicious I didn’t have wing sauce so I had a sugar free chicken dippin and red hot BBQ sauce that I mixed with honey. It worked perfect. Will make again.
This is the best dish that I ever had!!!! Even my son, who’s not a big meat fan, loved it.
These chicken wings look fingerlickin good! I want to put that glaze on everything haha! Teriyaki is my favourite!
These are so good! I made mine with Frank’s RedHot as my Buffalo sauce and dipped them on honey mustard. They had just the right balance of heat and sweet.
Do the wings need to be thawed to make this recipe? I usually buy a large frozen bag.
Thank you