Are Buffalo Chicken Wings Keto?

American food icons like buffalo chicken wings have made them a must-have appetizer on menus all over the country. Their tangy, spicy flavor profile makes them hard to resist. But what if you’re on a keto diet? Can you still enjoy this tasty treat?

The good news is that traditional Buffalo chicken wings can easily be made keto-friendly With just a few simple tweaks, you can indulge in this delicious snack without kicking yourself out of ketosis

How Buffalo Wings Fit Into The Keto Diet

The keto diet emphasizes high fat, moderate protein, and very low carb intake. It aims to put the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.

On the surface, Buffalo wings seem keto-approved. They have few carbs and a lot of protein and fat. But the specifics are what make a difference when checking to see if a recipe or preparation will work for the keto diet.

Here are some factors to consider regarding Buffalo wings and keto:

• Breading – Some restaurants bread their wings before frying, which adds unnecessary carbs from flour or breadcrumbs. Opt for unbreaded wings.

• Sauce—Buffalo sauce is mostly made of hot sauce (no carbs) and butter. But some places add sugary ketchup or thickeners like cornstarch. Ask about ingredients or check nutrition info.

• Oil for Frying—Usually, vegetable or canola oil is used to fry wings. It’s not a deal-breaker, but better for you would be olive or avocado oil.

• Dipping Sauces – Bleu cheese and ranch dressings are ideal low carb dippers for wings. Avoid honey mustard or other sugary sauces.

As long as you are mindful about limiting carbs from breading and sauces, Buffalo wings can definitely be incorporated into a keto eating plan.

Finding Keto-Friendly Buffalo Wings When Eating Out

If you want to indulge in wings during a night out, you have plenty of keto-approved options at popular wing joints. Here are some of the top picks:

Buffalo Wild Wings

This aptly named chain offers both traditional and unique wing flavors. Their traditional wings tossed in Buffalo, Mild, Medium, or Hot sauce all have only 3g net carbs per serving. Dry rub flavors like Desert Heat and Lemon Pepper are also great low carb choices.

Wingstop

Wingstop lets you customize your wings with various sauces and dry rubs. Classic Buffalo and Louisiana Rub flavors are tasty keto selections. Just avoid heavily sweetened sauces like Hawaiian, Mango Habanero, and Atomic.

Hooters

Hooters has an extensive wing bar where you can sauce and season wings to your liking. Some good keto-friendly picks are Daytona Beach Style (lemon pepper dry rub), Naked (no sauce), and Buffalo. Their bleu cheese dressing also has just 1g net carb per serving.

Applebee’s

Applebee’s features boneless and traditional bone-in wings. Select Classic Hot Buffalo or Dry Cajun seasoning for low carb options. Their homemade ranch pairs nicely and is lower carb than most bottled ranch dressings.

Roosters

This wing-centric chain lets you build your perfect wings with various sauces and dry rubs. Go for Cajun, Lemon Pepper, or Roosters Classic Hot sauce on your wings. Their house-made bleu cheese is another good keto choice.

Wherever you go, don’t be afraid to ask about preparation methods, breading, sauces, and dipping options to find the best keto-approved wings.

Tips For Making Buffalo Wings Keto At Home

You can easily replicate delicious Buffalo wings at home while keeping them 100% keto-friendly. Here are some tips:

• Choose unbreaded wings – Buy plain chicken wings and avoid any breaded or floured varieties. This shaves off unnecessary carbs.

• Bake or air fry instead of frying – Baking or air frying cuts down on unhealthy oils compared to deep frying. Wings come out just as crispy!

• Make Buffalo sauce from scratch – Combine butter, hot sauce, and spices like garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika. Control the ingredients for a keto-approved sauce.

• Toss the sauce – Mixing the wings and sauce together ensures even coating and maximum flavor in every bite.

• Offer keto-friendly dipping sauces – Bleu cheese dressing and ranch made with quality ingredients make the perfect dippers for homemade wings.

• Add crudités – Offer cut up celery, cucumber, bell peppers, and other low carb veggies for dipping alongside wings.

With a few easy substitutions like utilizing baking instead of frying, you can transform traditional Buffalo wings into a keto-friendly addition to your meal plan.

Keto Buffalo Wing Recipe Ideas

Here are some delicious recipe ideas for making Buffalo wings at home while sticking to your keto diet:

Classic Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings

Coat oven-baked chicken wings with a sauce of butter, hot sauce, and spices. This no-fuss recipe skips the frying but keeps all the flavor.

Air Fryer Buffalo Wings

The air fryer makes wings super crispy and cuts down on oil. Toss air fried wings in a mixture of melted butter and Frank’s RedHot Sauce.

Dry Rub Buffalo Wings

Skip the wet Buffalo sauce and coat oven-baked wings with a mixture of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper for a tasty dry rub version.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Transform your Buffalo wing flavors into a creamy, spicy dip with chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, and bleu cheese crumbles. Pair with low carb veggies.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Top a bed of greens with diced tomatoes, shredded carrot, crisp celery, shredded chicken, hot sauce, bleu cheese, and ranch dressing for a lighter, keto take on Buffalo flavor.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Simmer diced chicken, chicken broth, hot sauce, cream cheese, cauliflower, and spices for an easy, comforting soup that captures the essence of Buffalo wings.

So go ahead and get creative with how you incorporate that classic Buffalo wing flavor into keto meals and snacks!

Are Store-Bought Frozen Buffalo Wings Keto?

For quick and convenient Buffalo wings any night of the week, consider keeping a bag of frozen wings on hand. Popular brands like Tyson and Perdue offer premade frozen Buffalo style chicken wings that can simply be baked or air fried from frozen.

When selecting a store-bought frozen wing option for keto, be sure to read labels carefully and watch out for:

• Breading – Some frozen wings have a flour or breadcrumb coating. Go for unbreaded.

• Added sugars – Check the sauce ingredients for sweeteners like sugar or honey.

• Starch thickeners – Many brands add cornstarch to thicken their Buffalo sauce.

Two good keto picks are Tyson Any’tizers Boneless Buffalo Style Chicken Wings and Perdue Buffalo Style Chicken Wings. Both are unbreaded with no sugary additives. Perdue lists less than 1g net carb per 3 wings.

Check your grocery store freezer section for these and other keto-friendly frozen Buffalo wing options that can be prepared in minutes. They’re especially great to keep on hand for spur of the moment Buffalo wing cravings!

Are Buffalo Wings Keto: The Verdict

Traditional Buffalo chicken wings are a keto-approved food you can continue to enjoy in moderation on a low carb diet. Just be selective about where you get them and which preparation methods are used. Opt for unbreaded wings tossed in classic Buffalo hot sauce or dry seasonings. Skip heavily breading or sugary sauces.

When eating out, popular wing chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop, and Roosters all offer great keto-friendly options. Be sure to ask about ingredients and preparation. At home, bake or air fry your own wings using clean ingredients. And frozen wings can be an easy shortcut for when that Buffalo wing craving strikes.

So next time Buffalo wings are on the menu, you can feel good about ordering them with the right modifications and keeping your keto diet on track. A few spicy Buffalo wings can definitely be part of a balanced low carb lifestyle. Just stay mindful of the added carbs in certain recipes. With some simple adjustments, this tasty appetizer can still be keto-approved.

Yes, buffalo chicken can be keto-friendly if prepared and consumed mindfully.