Baked Keto Chicken Wings Truly Crispy

Ready for more keto chicken recipes? You’ll love my keto buffalo chicken dip, keto chicken tenders, and keto crack chicken. My family is rightfully obsessed with chicken wings, which is why I’ve been making them on repeat for the last few weeks. 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 Win-win-win!

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. No one will taste the difference. 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!

Ingredients needed

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.

For the buffalo wing sauce:

Buffalo sauce. Franks Buffalo sauce is keto-friendly. If you use another buffalo sauce, make sure there’s no added sugar or carbs. Keto honey. Adds essential sweetness and stickiness. I prefer making my own, as I’ve yet to find a high-quality store-bought brand. Butter. Unsalted and measured in its melted state.

How to make keto chicken wings

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and lay a wire rack atop a lined baking sheet. Step 2- First bake. Toss the chicken with the salt, pepper, and oil. Place the wings on the rack and bake until crispy, flipping midway through. Step 3- Make the sauce. Whisk the buffalo sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until warm and smooth. Step 4- Toss the wings. Remove the wings and turn on the oven’s broiler setting. Place the wings and sauce in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat. Step 5- Broil. 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. Yes! You can skip the oven and air fry these wings instead- they are almost identical to my air fryer chicken wings. Start by adding the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry at 200C/400F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the wings, toss them in the sauce, add them back to the basket, and air fry for another 5 minutes.

BBQ wings. Toss the wings in my sugar-free BBQ sauce. Garlic parmesan. Toss the baked wings in minced garlic, melted butter, and parmesan before broiling. You can also make my garlic parmesan wings and skip the flour. Extra spicy buffalo wings. Add a few dashes of Frank’s hot sauce or add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

To freeze: Place the cooled wings in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheating: Reheat the wings in a preheated oven or air fryer until warm.