If you're looking for a delicious appetizer or meal that is packed with flavor, then keto air fryer chicken wings are perfect. In this post, I’ll show you how to make crispy and juicy chicken wings at home in less than 30 minutes. So get ready, fire up your air fryer, and let’s get cooking.
My air fryer is one of my favorite tools in my keto kitchen. From keto fried pickles, low carb tortilla chips, and keto chicken parmesan, I turn to this handy kitchen appliance time and again.
Today, I’m going to show you how easy it is to make crispy and juicy keto chicken wings in an air fryer.
So keep reading if you want to know more about how to make some really tasty keto-friendly wings!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Wings: You can use flats or drumettes to make keto wings in the air fryer.
- Baking powder: Aluminum-free baking powder helps to ensure crispy chicken wings. (If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, feel free to omit it.)
- Salt: The general rule is one teaspoon of salt per pound of meat, but you can adjust the seasoning to your liking.
How to Get Crispy Keto Wings in the Air Fryer
Crispy skin comes down to two things. Dry wings and baking powder.
Pat the wings bone-dry with paper towels before you season them. And moisture on the surface will interfere with crispy skin.
Next is the baking powder. Baking powder is slightly alkaline and raises the pH levels of the skin. This allows the proteins to break down more efficiently and yields crispier skin. Use aluminum-free. The regular kind can leave a metallic aftertaste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, start by drying the wings with paper towels. This removes excess moisture, allowing them to crisp up nicely in the air fryer.
Next, stir together the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika and black pepper in a small dish.
Put your wings into a large bowl and sprinkle on the seasoning mix. Toss to coat the wings evenly.
Preheat your air fryer to 400° F.
Once the temperature is reached, add the wings in a single layer into the air fryer basket. Spray lightly with cooking spray or brush with butter.
Air fry for 20-25 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes.
Keep an eye on them as they cook, as cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer model.
When the skin is crispy, and wings are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165° F, remove them from the air fryer and toss with your favorite keto-friendly sauce if desired.
Cooking Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
You cook wings straight from frozen. Full disclosure. I like the texture and flavor best when they're thawed first.
But when I'm short on time, frozen works in a pinch. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Cook for 40 to 55 minutes, until they're cooked through and golden brown. Start checking at the 35-minute mark. Air fryers vary dramatically in cooking time, so keep an eye on them.
Serving Suggestions
Toss your chicken wings with buffalo sauce, your favorite hot sauce, or keto bbq sauce.
Great options for dipping include keto ranch dressing, garlic lemon aioli, bang bang sauce, keto blue cheese dressing, and sugar-free peanut sauce.
Serve with a side of celery sticks and carrots (for low carb but not keto).
No Air Fryer? Make Them in the Oven
These work beautifully in the oven. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan so the air can get underneath.
Bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. The rack is the secret. It keeps the bottoms from going soft.
Ways to Flavor Your Wings
The seasoned wings are great on their own. But sometimes you want a little bit more flavor. Here are a few options.
Buffalo: Toss the hot wings in a 1:1 mix of hot sauce and melted butter right straight out of the air fryer.
Garlic parmesan: Toss with melted butter, grated parmesan, and garlic powder.
Lemon pepper: A squeeze of lemon and a heavy hit of freshly cracked pepper and salt.
Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken wings
- 1 ½ tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the wings with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Place in a large bowl. In a small dish, stir together the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Toss the wings with the seasonings.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F.
- Place the wings in your air fryer in a single layer, cooking in batches as needed. Spray the wings with oil.
- Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the wings after 10 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the wings are cooked through. (The internal temperature should be 165 ° F.)
- Toss with your favorite keto-friendly sauce if desired.
Sandy Knapp says
My full size oven has an air fryer setting. Will this work for the recipe?
Wendy Polisi says
Yes! It should work just fine. I don't personally have any experience with full sized oven air fryers, but I have tested this in my Ninja Oven Air Fryer. Generally, you need to increase the cooking time a tiny bit when using an air fryer oven vs. the basket style.
Natalie says
My husband and I really enjoyed these wings. The only thing I did differently was to sprinkle some season salt on them after they were on the air fryer tray. Turned out crispy and delicious.
Sara says
These were very good. Any sauce can be used for dipping. I will make these frequently for sure!
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it.