Keto Chicken Wings
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My keto chicken wings are oven-baked until crispy, tossed in a sticky buffalo sauce, and broiled until caramelized. They’re addictive and have ZERO net carbs!
As much as I love fried chicken wings, it’s not exactly a healthy weeknight dinner. So, I devised a keto chicken wing recipe and swapped the oil for the oven. Now, they’re healthier, less messy, AND fit for a keto diet. I’ve made this recipe for my keto and non-keto friends, and the latter did not believe me when I told them they were keto!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Baked, not fried! So they’re significantly healthier, and there’s no big pot of oil to clean up after.
- Truly crispy. The wings are baked, then tossed in sauce, then broiled. This gives them maximum crispiness and helps the sauce become sticky and caramelized.
- Minimal prep time. All you need is one bowl and one baking dish, and the oven does most of the work.
Ready for more keto chicken recipes? You’ll love my keto buffalo chicken dip, keto chicken tenders, and keto crack chicken.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I love, love, love chicken wings, and these were super crispy. I usually use baking powder, but that is not keto-friendly. These taste even better.” – Lucille
Key Ingredients
- Chicken wings. I prefer using skin-on, bone-in wings and drumettes. If you’d rather use boneless wings, reduce the baking time by 5-7 minutes.
- Vegetable oil. To coat the wings so they get golden and crisp.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Baking powder. My secret ingredient! This guarantees browning and extra crispiness in every bite.
- Buffalo wing sauce. A delicious combo of Frank’s Buffalo sauce, keto honey, and butter.
How to make keto chicken wings
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Toss the chicken with the salt, pepper, and oil.
Step 2- Place the wings on the rack and bake until crispy, flipping midway through.
Step 3- Whisk the buffalo sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until warm and smooth.
Step 4- Place the wings and sauce in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat.
Step 5- Place the wings back on the baking tray and broil briefly, then serve warm.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pat dry the wings with paper towels before adding the oil to ensure there’s no moisture on the wings.
- Swap the oil for…mayo. I know it sounds bizarre, but mayo is mostly oil after all. If you toss the wings in it, you’ll get crackling crisp wings with great flavor.
- Don’t skip the wire rack. I tested this recipe with the wings directly on the baking sheet, and the results were SO different. Keeping the wings on a rack allows every side to get equal heat, and the oil can drip off so they get crispy.
- Don’t forget the dipping sauces! Serve the wings with blue cheese dressing and keto ranch dressing.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover wings can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Place the cooled wings in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Chicken wings are naturally keto-friendly until you start adding seasonings and sauces to them. If the sauce contains sugar or added carbs, it can easily kick you out of ketosis.
Yes, you can! These wings are a little plain with just salt and pepper but just as delicious.
More low carb appetizers
If you tried this Keto Chicken Wings recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Keto Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 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, vegetable oil, and baking powder. Toss until all are combined. Transfer to the wire rack. Bake for 45 minutes or 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.
I made these today- I wrapped the wings in paper towels and refrigerated for a day- skipped keto honey cause I didn’t have any but these are absolutely fabulous!! Very crispy and delicious and a heck of a lot cheaper than wings from take out or a restaurant (I caught a sale at Lidl for $1.99/lb for wings)
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback and review, Jen. I love how you prepped them a day before to ensure maximum crispiness 🙂