Buffalo Keto Chicken Wings (super crispy!)

These keto chicken wings are our family’s absolute favorite, and here’s why: they’re oven-baked, SERIOUSLY crispy, saucy/dip worthy, AND easy to make. So fire up the oven before the next game, or even just for dinner!

Planning on serving these at a party? Consider a few of these keto appetizers as well: chipotle lime chicken wings, garlic parmesan wings, or jalapeno parmesan crisps.

At the risk of sounding a little grandiose, I’m going to make a bold statement here: Buffalo baked chicken wings deserve a renaissance. 

Because before they were considered “bar food”, and before they became staples of late-night room service, poolside dining, and 99 cent menus everywhere — they were a delicacy. A craze. A uniquely American invention.

And while scholars continue to debate the dish’s true origins, and food writers make pilgrimages in search of revelation, us regular folks tend to forget what all the fuss was about. Chicken wings have become so ever-present, so standardized, that we’ve lowered our standards. “A wing is a wing”, we tell ourselves. And all wings are more-or-less “good”.

Hot. Sweet. Salty. Snobby.

But what if I told you that you shouldn’t settle for rubbery skin, or watered-down sauce? That you, from your own kitchen, could rediscover the potential hidden in the humble wing? And that you didn’t need a deep fryer to do it?

You might just end up judging all other wings by this standard.

The Search for Superior Wings.

First things first: a lot has been learned since wings first appeared in the city of Buffalo sometime in the 1960s. A quick google search will yield literally thousands of results claiming “secret” solutions and “ultimate” recipes. Good news is, I’ve done the homework for you — in the form of countless hours of tasting, testing, and re-tasting. Poor me.

Two big takeaways from my journey to the bottom of the food internet: wings are actually better baked, and baking powder is your best friend.

The results:

• The crispiest keto chicken wings you’ve ever had
• The juiciest keto chicken wings you’ve ever had
• A newfound respect for your oven
• A newfound respect for yourself
• A thick and complex sauce
• Instant wing snobbery

*Author’s note: You’re going to want to go ahead and make some keto ranch dressing for this one.

How to Make Keto Chicken Wings

1. Combine baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
2. Completely dry your chicken wings with paper towels.
3. Place them in a large bowl, and sprinkle with baking powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Place wings on an oven-safe rack nestled inside a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
6. Once keto wings are done baking, place them in a large bowl, and pour sauce on top. Toss to combine.

Better Buffalo Wings: Crucial Tips + Tricks

1. Get yourself some “party wings”. These are wings that have already been separated (the drumette from the flat, with the tip removed). I buy these in bulk at Costco. If you have whole wings, find the joint and divide the wings into pieces using a sharp knife (video tutorial).
2. KEY INGREDIENT: Baking powder. Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and acid. When combined with salt, it dries out the skin of the wings, creating a deliciously crisp texture. We tested many other methods, including: 1. baking soda, which left a weird aftertaste and wasn’t nearly as crispy. 2.Oil, again, wasn’t crispy.
3. No need to flip. For some odd reason, we found the baked wings without a flip were crispier — go figure!
4. The wire rack is key. This allows the warm oven air to fully circulate around the wings, again, getting them crispy.
5. Sauce ratio. You’ll find most recipes for buffalo wings have more butter. We much preferred this ratio of butter to hot sauce, as it was thicker, and coated the baked wings well.
6. What’s the best hot sauce for chicken wings? My go-to is Frank’s Red Hot for a few reasons. Most importantly, because it’s a thicker hot sauce (again, allowing the sauce to coat the wings). I also love its combination of flavors, and it’s not crazy spicy!

Let’s Talk Sauce (Keto Tips…)

Now. Buffalo sauce is traditionally made with 1-2 tablespoons of honey. If you use 1 tablespoon and eat 1 serving of these wings, you’re consuming 4g carbs. If this is more than you’d like, here are your options:

• Skip the sweetener
• Use confectioners erythritol instead
• Use another keto chicken wings sauce…

What wing sauce is keto friendly? For an easy option use keto BBQ sauce, or follow my garlic parmesan wing recipe.

Dipping Sauce Recommendations

Now, you have an incredibly difficult decision to make: will you dip your low carb chicken wings in ranch or blue cheese? Almost as heavily debated as crunchy vs. creamy peanut butter — this decision is on you, friend. Full transparency: I’m a ranch gal. In case you missed it at the top, my homemade ranch dressing can be found here.

Storing + Reheating Tips

Although these low carb chicken wings are best served immediately, you can store any wing leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, or until the wings are heated through. Be sure to toss in sauce (if you don’t have any left, make a 1/2 batch) before serving.

Recipe Variations

1. Low carb chicken wings? YES PLEASE! Swap the honey with confectioners erythritol. Or, skip the sweetener all together if you’re looking for spicy keto chicken recipes.
2. Add more heat to your baked hot wings by sprinkling some cayenne pepper into the sauce.

More Keto Chicken Recipes

• Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
• Curry Chicken Salad
• Chicken Stuffed Peppers
• Keto Fried Chicken
• Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Keto Chicken Wings

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Servings :4 Servings

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

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Ingredients

Wings:

• ▢ 3 Pounds Chicken Wings drumettes and flats separated, tips removed (Note 1)
• ▢ 1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper freshly ground

Sauce:

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Frank's Red Hot (Note 2)
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons Confectioners Swerve/Lakanto or honey (Note 3)

Recommended Dips:

• ▢ Ranch Dressing
• ▢ Blue Cheese Dressing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prep. Preheat oven the 425 F and place an oven-safe wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Dry wings (3 pounds) by wrapping them in paper towels - you want their surface to be completely dry (this is key in getting them crispy!).
• Combine. In a small bowl, combine baking powder (1 1/2 tablespoons), salt (1 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon). Place wings in a large bowl and sprinkle half the baking powder combo over the top. Toss a few times, then sprinkle the other half of the baking powder. Toss until the wings are fully coated.
• Bake. Spread wings onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
• Sauce + Serve. Combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Taste, and adjust to your liking. Remove wings from the oven and brush them with the sauce. Serve warm (Note 4), and enjoy!

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Lindsey's Tips

1. Dividing the wings. Don't want to bother slicing the wings? Purchase "party wings" (I do this in bulk at Costco). If that's not an option, divide the flats and drumettes by slicing at the joint. Use the same technique for removing the tip.
2. Hot sauce. Frank's Red Hot is my preferred hot sauce, as it isn't too hot, has great flavor, and is thicker than most hot sauces, which allows it to coat the wings well.
3. Sweetener. Opt for confectioners erythritol, or skip the sweetener altogether.
4. Reheating. Reheat your leftovers in the oven, although these are best served immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 7gProtein: 34gFat: 35gSodium: 1166mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gNet Carbs: 6g

©Little Pine Low Carb. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

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