Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings

by KetoFocus.com
4.7 Stars (32 Reviews) 7 Comments
Air FryerCarnivoreDairy FreeEasyKid Friendly

Keto chicken wings cooked in an air fryer come out extra crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

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Nutrition Facts

4

Servings

472

Calories

35.9g

Fat

30.6g

Protein

1.3g

Net Carb

2.4g

Total Carbs

Wings are a favorite quick keto meal or appetizer that most everyone enjoys. Since they are small, chicken wings (aka party wings) cook quickly, especially if using an air fryer. This chicken wing recipe is finger lickin’ good just bare but toss them in your favorite sauce to make buffalo wings, garlic parmesan wings or sticky Asian wings.

dipping a keto avocado fry into ranch dressing
One of the easiest and best ways to cook keto wings is in the air fryer. Chicken wings cooked in an air fryer creates an extra crispy crust on the outside to seal in the juicy chicken meat inside. A simple toss in the mildly spicy seasoning and you’re ready to cook.

Clean up is just as easy when using an air fryer. I simply place my air fryer basket in the dishwasher when I’m finished. No need to clean out an oil fryer or oil splatter. Or a large baking sheet if baking in the oven.

WHAT MY COMMUNITY SAYS ABOUT THIS RECIPE

“Chicken wings were amazing!!! So juicy and delicious. I recommend dipping with bleu cheese sauce.”

➥ from YouTube subscriber @veronicalyons9695

 

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Can you eat chicken wings on keto?

Yes, the chicken wing is keto approved!

Chicken wings are loved by many on the keto diet as they have near perfect fat and protein ratios, are low in carbohydrates, and are incredibly delicious.

Most people on a low carb diet eat chicken wings because of the beautifully cooked crispy chicken skin. The skin contains most of the fat. The fat is composed of saturated fatty acids and a healthy monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. This fatty acid is also found in olive oil.

Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video

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Keto Chicken Wings Ingredients

  • 20 party chicken wings (~ 2 lbs)
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • couple dashes of black pepper

Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings Directions

  • STEP
    1

    Get the flavor

    Combine the chicken wing seasonings in a small bowl - chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper

    Ingredients

    • 4 teaspoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • black pepper (couple dashes)

    Annie from KetoFocus holding a bowl of seasoning over the chicken wings lined in a baking sheet.
    Quick Tip
    If you are going to coat wings in a sauce, or you are looking for a crispier wing add 1 tablespoon of baking powder to the seasoning.
  • STEP
    2

    Coat the wings

    Place the wings in the ziplock bag. Add olive oil and seasoning. Shake the bag until evenly coated.

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs party wings
    • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil

    Annie from KetoFocus shaking a bag of chicken wings.
    Quick Tip
    Alternatively, add the chicken, oil and seasoning to a bowl and mix to combine.
  • STEP
    3

    Prep the air fryer

    Preheat the to 380 °F air fryer as instructed on by your air fryer.

    An air fryer preheating at 380 degrees.
  • STEP
    4

    Air fry the chicken wings

    Place all the wings in the air fryer basket. Cook at 380 °F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Toss the wings every 5 minutes.

    Party wings coated with seasoning sitting in an air fryer basket.
    Quick Tip
    Air fryer brands can vary on cook time. Consult the manufacturers instructions for cooking wings or check the progress of the cook after 15 minutes.
  • STEP
    5

    Alternative cook method: oven instructions

    Spread the wings out on a baking tray lined with a cooling wire rack that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. This prevents the skin from sticking to the bottom and allows for the bottom of the wing to crisp up too since air can reach it. Bake the wings at 400 °F for 45 - 60 minutes. You can turn the wings after 30 minutes to ensure even baking and crispiness. Keto baked wings in the oven still turn out marvelous if done right and I highly suggest you trying them even if you own an air fryer.

    A stovetop oven in a white kitchen.
    Quick Tip
    If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still bake this wing recipe in an oven.
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Close up photo showing air fried crispy chicken wings on a tray.

Benefits of cooking wings in an air fryer

  • Crispy chicken – Air fryers produce a circulating forced hot air as opposed to traditional ovens which just heat without the circulation. This is what achieves that perfect crunchy skin. The crispy skin helps to lock in the moisture inside creating a juicy chicken wing.
  • Clean up is easier – Using an air fryer over the conventional oven or an oil fryer minimizes the dishes. The mess is contained to the basket so there is no grease splatter or giant tray to wash by hand afterwards. Most air fryer baskets are dishwasher safe too.

My family loves our air fryer. It’s one appliance my kids can easily use. They cook everything from hot dogs to breakfast sausage in the air fryer.

Chicken wings vs party wings (drumettes or wingettes)

If you grab a package of chicken wings, they may be a large whole wing instead of the small drumstick and flat wings that you are used to seeing. You should be able to find the smaller party wings in the meat section of the grocery store or in the freezer section. 

Party wings are the ones used in this recipe. They consist of a drumette and wingette. The drumette looks like a miniature drumstick and tends to have more meat than skin. It is also easy to hold because of the bone on the bottom, so your fingers don’t get as messy. The other type is chicken wing is called the wingette, a flatter piece that has more skin than meat.

If you can’t find party wings, you can use the whole chicken wing and cut them into these smaller pieces using a knife. Cut at the two joints and discard the wing tip – which has very little meat. 

A chicken wing with dotted lines showing the separation of drumette from wingette/flat and tip.

Air fry frozen chicken wings

Forgot to thaw your wings? This recipe works if you have frozen chicken wings.

  • Toss the wings in the marinade then place in the air fryer basket.
  • Cook at 350 °F for 10 minutes first.
  • Then increase the temperature to 380 °F for 25 – 30 minutes.

Tips for extra crispy chicken wings

Want the crispiest, crunchiest wings like you get at a restaurant, follow these tips.

  • For extra crispy keto wings, spray the air fryer basket first with cooking spray. Not only will this help prevent the skin from sticking to the basket, but a little bit of oil will aid in crisping up the skin.
  • You could also try cooking your wings at a lower temperature to start (350 degrees) and then increase to 380 degrees for the last 15 minutes.
  • Remember to shake the basket every 5 minutes to allow for even cooking so that all sides are getting crispy.

Coat with baking powder or cornstarch prior to air frying.

Reheating chicken wings in an air fryer

If you have leftover chicken wings, you can reheat them in the air fryer to still have perfectly cooked, crispy wings the next day. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, add your wings and air fry at 380 °F for 3 to 5 minutes.

Sauces for your chicken wings

I love to eat plain keto chicken wings, but they are also delicious when you dip them into your favorite keto sauce. Here are some sauces you should try with your keto wings.

Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings: FAQS

How many carbs are in keto chicken wings?

Keto chicken wings, well chicken wings are low in carbs. This low carb recipe has only 1.3g of net carbs per serving. It is important to know that it is the sauce that generally adds carbs, so be careful of BBQ sauce and some of the Asian sauces.

How do I make keto buffalo chicken wings?

If you want to make air fryer buffalo wings, you should follow this recipe until finished. You may choose to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder in Step 1 in order to prep the wings to absorb more sauce. Once you have finished all the steps in the recipe place the wings in bowl and coat with buffalo wing sauce. From there you can place the wings back in the air fryer to cook in the sauce. Experiment to reach your desired results. As I like to lightly sprinkle cayenne pepper with the buffalo sauce.

If I order wings at a restaurant, will they be keto?

It depends. As the server how the chicken wings are prepared. If they are breaded, don't order them as they will be coated with flour, cornstarch or breadcrumbs. Buffalo Wild Wings has wings that are keto approved, especially if you get their bare or plain wings.

Are chicken wings gluten free?

Yes, at their simplest chicken wings contain no gluten. This chicken wing recipe does not include any ingredients that contain gluten. Be careful of wing recipes that are breaded as they likely contain gluten, unless specified otherwise.

Nutritional information & Macros

Nutrition Information

Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Servings: 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 472
Fat 35.9g
Protein 30.6g
Total Carbs 2.4g
Net Carbs 1.3g

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7 Comments

  2. I don’t follow keto, but I used your recipe (recommended from my mom). I coated in different sauces when done! Finger lickin’ good!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sara. Thank you for your message. Lots of the recipes here are keto already.. meaning no tweaks from the traditional recipe to make it that way. Thanks for stopping in!

      Reply

  3. These wings were the bomb!, made them for Super Bowl and they were a hit. The only thing I added was “Slap your Mama” Cajun seasoning (1 tsp) to kick things up a notch. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

  4. I came here for the wings recipe but got sold on the corn dogs! It never occurred to me to wrap them in keto dough. Of course, IRL I don’t eat corn dogs but now I just might!

    Reply

  6. These are delicious and easy to make! I made these wings for the first time tonight, my husband and I agree that they are some of the best we have had. I like things a little less spicy so we used 2 tsp of chili powder and an extra tsp of the garlic powder.

    Reply

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