Keto Foods

Are Chicken Wings Keto? – Carbs, Protein and Keto-friendly Wing Recipes

By Bree

Last updated on September 6, 2022

Are chicken wings keto? Why are some chicken wing recipes not keto-approved?

These are some of the questions that dieters ask because it can be very confusing, especially in the beginning.

Let’s take a closer look and go through it step by step.

What Makes Chicken Wings Such a Popular Choice for Low Carb Diets?

Chicken wings are hugely popular among dieters for many reasons. Here are some of the top examples:

Chicken wings are a budget-friendly meat option that packs plenty of protein at an affordable price.
Chicken wings are a decent source of saturated animal fats as well.
They’re also quite nutrient-dense, offering up a good amount of essential vitamins and minerals.
Chicken wings are versatile enough to build a variety of tasty low carb dishes around.
They also give you a good excuse to experiment with making homemade low carb sauces and dips.

Are Chicken Wings Keto?

Chicken wings can absolutely be considered 100% keto-friendly.

Offering up no carbs whatsoever, chicken wings pack a good amount of protein for their cost, along with a modest amount of saturated fat. They’re also a surprisingly good source of essential micronutrients like zinc, selenium, and B-complex vitamins.

There are numerous methods of preparation that you can try, complete with homemade dips.

When ordering out, it’s not uncommon for chicken wings to be tossed in a sauce of some sort, so be mindful of this. Avoid sauces that contain honey, syrup, or anything that contains sugar because although chicken wings by itself are low carb, the sauces may not be.

If you keep these in mind, you can rest assured that you’re enjoying your chicken wings while still staying within keto guidelines.

Chicken Wing Nutrition Facts

Here is the approximate nutritional breakdown for a 100 gram serving size of medium sized chicken wings, skin on:

124 calories
3.5 grams dietary fat
22 grams protein
0 grams carbs
0 grams dietary fiber
0 grams sugar
57 mg cholesterol
81 mg sodium
194 mg potassium

Keto-friendly Chicken Wing Recipes

Keto Buffalo Chicken Wings

VIEW RECIPE

Health Benefits of Chicken Wings

For being such a low cost meat option, chicken wings pack plenty of notable health benefits for keto dieters. Here are our picks for the top 3 health benefits that chicken wings can provide you with:

Promotes muscle growth and repair. Chicken wings are an excellent low cost source of protein, if not the very best. Your average serving of chicken wings is packing an impressive amount of protein, which can help to fuel muscle growth and repair.
As an added bonus, studies have also shown that protein heavy meals can reduce binge eating afterwards due to increased satiety. (1)
May relieve symptoms of depression. Chicken wings are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which plays a role in regulating serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is in turn responsible for regulating mood and may provide some relief from symptoms of depression. (2)
Excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. Chicken is also rich in certain essential nutrients that play a role in protecting against disease, such as zinc, selenium, and B-complex vitamins. Chicken wings are particularly rich in niacin, a B vitamin known to protect against certain types of cancer. (3)

Keto Chicken Wing Alternatives

Variety is indeed the spice of life and that certainly holds true when it comes to dieting as well. So with that in mind, here are our top suggestions for keto-friendly chicken wing substitutes: