Sink your teeth into some Keto Wings with amazing sauces and rubs today. Preparing keto chicken wings is EASY and is one of my favorite keto recipes for game nights, parties, or low-key evenings at home. In addition, to being keto, they are low carb, gluten-free, and grain-free too.
Learn how to make chicken wings, and you will have a new go-to meal for life. I know that if you haven’t made homemade wings before, it can seem a little overwhelming. But in reality, it’s really simple to make this keto chicken wing recipe, and they taste so good.
Meats and vegetables are a good base to a keto diet but it can be boring to eat chicken breasts or even steak all the time. Changing it up and making this chicken wings recipe is a great choice! These are the best keto buffalo wings ever.
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Parts of the Chicken Wing
You don’t have to buy pre-cut chicken wings because you can easily cut them yourself. After you get the basics down for cutting them, you can create all sorts of recipes with them. Before you beginning cutting the wings, it’s important to note that there are three different sections to the wings.
There is the wingtip that is pointy and is sometimes referred to as the flapper. Some people eat them, but we usually save them to add other recipes or toss them.
Then there is the wingette. You will commonly see the wingette served at restaurants and have a fair amount of meat. They are messy to eat, and that is what makes them so finger-licking good!
The drumette is the last part, and it literally is a favorite to many people. The drumette looks like little tiny chicken legs and tastes amazing.
How To Cut Chicken Wings
I have to admit I cheat most of the time and spend the extra money on wingettes instead of buying full wings and having to separate them. But when I first did it I was surprised how easy it was.
Step One: Place the chicken wing on a cutting board. Then using a very sharp knife, cut off the wingtip. You should be able to feel where to put the knife by feeling around and putting it in between the joint. You can toss the wingtip or keep it for chicken broth or another recipe.
Step Two: Next, you’ll need to separate the wingette and the drumette. There is an obvious joint between the two. Take your knife and press down to cut them into separate pieces.
That’s it! Can you believe it? I was always so scared to cut my own chicken wings, but I was blown away by how quickly you can do it after trying it.
Cooking Methods
When making wings, there are a couple of methods that work beautifully. You’ll be smacking your lips, enjoying them in no time. You will need 3 pounds of chicken wings, cut into sections.
Air Fryer Wings Recipe: You should cook them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You will need to flip them halfway through.
They are delicious, and it’s a great option when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen.
Oven Baked Wings Method: Another easy option is to place them on a baking sheet. Cook them at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then you’ll need to turn on the broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes, so they finish browning up. It's easy to make crispy oven baked chicken wings.
Optional: If you have a wire rack it is helpful to use it so the bottom crisps at the same time as the top. I do still flip my wings halfway through whether I use a rack or not.
This is a wonderful way to cook them when you are feeding a lot of people. You can make bigger batches than in the Air Fryer.
Do I Need Baking Powder Or Baking Soda?
No, I find that my wings are crisp enough without adding anything. And I love crispy chicken wings. But if you want to try coating them first baking powder is the better choice.
Sauces and Rubs for Wings
Now comes the good stuff! These keto friendly sauces and rubs are what make each batch of wings stand out and leave you wanting more. It can be tricky to find rubs and sauces without added sugar and fillers so I have 2 sauce recipes, 2 links to products you can just purchase, and 2 links to other recipes you can also use on wings. There should be something for everyone with this variety of wing recipes.
Lemon Pepper
We love the tanginess of the lemon and the black pepper in this premade rub. Great combination of flavors and all you have to do is coat the wings in the seasoning after they are cooked. Super straightforward! Wings are also great with my Smoked Paprika Rub.
Sweet & Spicy BBQ
You won’t believe the irresistible flavor of this idea. You simply combine unsweetened BBQ sauce (I use this one from Primal Kitchens) with some brown sugar sweeter to taste. Then add it to the hot cooked wings and toss to coat, and you will have a meal made for a king.
For another barbecue, flavor choice try my Smoked Ribs Rub on chicken wings. It's great!
Creamy Keto Buffalo Wings
If you are a fan of traditional buffalo wings, you are going to love the way these creamy keto buffalo chicken wings taste. Simply cook in the oven or air fryer. While they are cooking combine all the ingredients for the buffalo wing sauce together, add the hot wings and toss to coat them in the mixture, and serve immediately.
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon beaten egg
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Expert Tip: For a little more heat add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Garlic Parmesan Wings
I can’t even think about these garlic parmesan keto chicken wings without licking my lips. There is something so irresistible about the flavor of butter, parmesan, and garlic together. Combine all the ingredients and coat the hot cooked until crisp keto wings.
- 4 oz melted butter
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- tiny pinch crushed red pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon beaten egg
Top Tips For Cooking Keto Chicken Wings
- Invest in a meat thermometer. It’s the best way to tell you if the wings are cooked all the way through. They need to reach 160 degrees. After pulling them out of the oven or air fryer, let them sit for 5-10 minutes to finish heating up on their own. Then serve.
- You could always buy a bunch of different kinds of sauce, but making your own is a fast and healthier method. You will know exactly what’s in the sauce.
- Dip the wings into ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or eat them plain. If the seasoning or sauce you use is good (and the ones I recommend for sure are), then you don’t even have to dip them in anything unless you want to.
Have frozen wings? Check out my Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings recipe.
Want to cook an entire chicken instead? Try my Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe!
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings (cut into sections)
Rubs & Sauces:
Creamy Buffalo Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon beaten egg
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Garlic Parmesan
- 4 oz butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- tiny pinch crushed red pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Cook the wings in a single layer at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. You want to cook them until they are browned and crisp.
- Toss the hot cooked wings with your favorite dry rub or sauce and serve immediately.
Oven
- Cook the chicken wings at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes until they are browned. Optional: Broil for 2-3 minutes to further crisp them.
- Toss the hot cooked wings with your favorite dry rub or sauce and serve immediately.
Sauces
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce desired. Add hot wings and toss to coat.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lisalia says
So easy to make and tasted delicious. Thanks for another winning Keto recipe!
Ashley F. says
These were a hit! So easy to make and taste great! Loved the garlic parmesan!