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Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings

4.9 stars, average of 217 ratings

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These keto chicken wings are the perfect food for parties and family gatherings. You won't need a deep fryer to make extra crispy chicken wings any more. I found an excellent and completely foolproof oven-baked method in Cook's Illustrated Meat Book. Once you try it, you will never go back to deep frying!

To get extra crispy chicken wings, you just need baking powder (I used gluten-free), salt and some melted ghee or duck fat. Tossing the wings in a mixture of baking powder and salt helps the skin dry out and break down the proteins, helping the it get crisp and browned.

Tips for the Perfect Chicken Wings

Making chicken wings is easy but there are a few tips that will take your wing game to the next level:

  • Remove any moisture from the chicken wings by pat drying them with a paper towel
  • Use gluten-free baking powder mixed with salt for extra crispiness. The recipe from Cook's Illustrated Meat Book uses 2 tablespoons of baking powder per 4 pounds of chicken wings. I also tested this recipe with only 1 tablespoon and in my opinion, the results were very similar. Just make sure you do NOT use baking soda as a replacement for baking powder. It won't work and will make the wings unpalatable!
  • Use a rack during cooking to allow all the juices to drip.
  • Bake the wings twice, first on low to render the fat and then on high to crisp them up.
  • Use my chili-lime sauce as a dip. If you coat the wings in the sauce, they will lose their crispiness faster.
  • Apart from chili-lime sauce, you can try the wings with Easy Keto Ranch Dressing, Aioli or Chocolate BBQ Sauce.
  • 4-6 wingettes should be enough as an appetizer, and 8-12 wingettes for a complete meal (served with a side).

Note that this recipe originally included an IMO-based syrup which I no longer recommend for keto as most people react to it and get a blood sugar spike. Instead, you can use Allulose syrup or granulated Allulose (best results), Erythritol or Sukrin Gold (may get a bit gritty).

Hands-on Overall

Serving size 4-6 wingettes

Allergy information for Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Nut free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free

Nutritional values (per serving, 4-6 wingettes)

Net carbs3.3 grams
Protein21.8 grams
Fat19.6 grams
Calories284 kcal
Calories from carbs 5%, protein 31%, fat 64%
Total carbs3.4 gramsFiber0.1 gramsSugars0.4 gramsSaturated fat6.6 gramsSodium1,076 mg(47% RDA)Magnesium28 mg(7% RDA)Potassium291 mg(15% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

Crispy wings:
Chili-lime sticky sauce:
  • 1/4 cup Allulose syrup (60 ml/ 2 fl oz) - see tips for alternatives above
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce you can make your own or 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (15 ml)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 120 °C/ 250 °F (fan assisted), or 140 °C/ 285 °F (conventional). Set the oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Use a baking tray deep enough to gather the fat as the chicken wings bake. Line the tray with baking foil to make it easy to clean. Place a rack on top of the foil.
  2. Use a sharp knife or meat scissors and cut the wings at joints - you will end up with three pieces per wing. Pat dry all the pieces using a paper towel.
    Note: You will need 20-24 chicken wings which is about 2 kg (4.4 lbs). This amount will yield about 50% meat. Macronutrients are calculated from edible parts only. Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings
  3. Store the wingtips in the freezer to make bone broth or chicken stock (they are not used in this recipe). Place the remaining wing pieces in a large ziplock bag or a bowl. Add the baking powder and salt. Toss to coat from all sides. Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings
  4. Place the wings on the rack skin side up and spread in a single layer. Brush each piece with melted ghee and bake the wings on the lower-middle rack for 30 minutes. Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings
  5. Then, move the wings to the upper-middle rack, increase the temperature to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional), and bake for another 40-50 minutes. Rotate the tray halfway to ensure even cooking. When done, remove the tray from the oven and let the wings rest for 5 minutes before serving. Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings
  6. While the wings are baking, prepare the chili-lime sticky sauce. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan: the syrup, lime juice, minced garlic, grated ginger, Sriracha, coconut aminos and fish sauce. Combine well and slowly bring to a boil over a medium-low heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
    Note: This recipe originally included an IMO-based syrup which I no longer recommend for keto as most people react to it and experience a blood sugar spike. Instead, you can use Allulose syrup or granulated Allulose (best results), Erythritol or Sukrin Gold (may get a bit gritty). Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings
  7. Serve the sauce with the crispy chicken wings. If not serving immediately, do not cover the wings in the sauce or they won't stay crispy. Enjoy! Keto Chili-Lime Crispy Chicken Wings

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 4-6 wingettes)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Chicken wings, raw with skin
0 g21.5 g15.7 g234 kcal
Baking powder, gluten-free
0.8 g0 g0 g4 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Ghee
0 g0 g3.8 g34 kcal
Lime juice, fresh
0.6 g0 g0 g2 kcal
Garlic, fresh
0.5 g0.1 g0 g2 kcal
Ginger root, fresh
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, homemade (KetoDiet blog)
0.2 g0 g0.1 g2 kcal
Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce)
0.4 g0 g0 g2 kcal
Fish sauce
0.1 g0.1 g0 g1 kcal
Allulose syrup, natural low-carb sweetener
0.7 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Total per serving, 4-6 wingettes
3.3 g21.8 g19.6 g284 kcal

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Martina Slajerova
Creator of KetoDietApp.com

Martina Slajerova

I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food.

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Comments (7)

Hi Martina,
I have been on a keto diet since July 2016 and have dropped only 9kg. Recently, I had chest pains and I was told I had increased cholesterol from my lipids profile tests. I am now cutting back on butter, eggs, coconut oil and cheese. I still want to lose another 10kg but must stay alive to do that. What do you suggest for breakfast meals?

Talk about a drool-worthy photo, looks delicious. I'd love this for a low-carb party dish.

Thank you Kalyn!

I made this exact recipe (minus the chili lime dip) just the other day! I was skeptical that it would work, but I got nicely crisp wings and they were yummy. I did not use the duck fat, or any fat, just the salt and baking powder. I tossed some of the cooked wings with some soy sauce and lemon juice, but I liked the plain ones with some hot sauce. Next time I will make a proper buffalo sauce, but I highly recommend this recipe.

Thank you Irma, I'm glad you liked it! 😊

You're joking right - 2-3 wings as one serving? Not in my house.  Like the recipe though.  Plan on giving it a try.

Not as complete meals, these are just appetizers 😊 So it's about 2-3 wings (4-6 wingettes per serving). I'd say a double should be enough as a complete meal + side.