Chicken wings are a tasty treat that can work with a low-carb or keto diet. Whether you eat them as a snack on game day or for dinner during the week, you need to know how many carbs they have. I’d Rather Be A Chef has a lot of chicken wings recipes. Knowing how many carbs they have can help you make smart choices and stick to your diet plan without giving up taste or fun.
Understanding the carb content in chicken wings is particularly important for anyone following a low-carb or keto diet. These diets require careful monitoring of carb intake to maintain ketosis and achieve desired health benefits. Since you know how many carbs are in wings, you can still eat this popular dish while following a low-carb diet. Let’s dive into the details so you can savor your wings without any guilt.
Many people think that chicken wings are the best food to eat on game day. These tasty bits of protein and fat are crispy, juicy, and totally delicious when they’re done right. But if you’re trying to cut back on carbs, you might be curious about how many are in chicken wings.
The short answer is – it depends. Even though plain chicken wings don’t have many carbs, how they are cooked and sauced can have a big effect on the number. I personally enjoy chicken wings, so I decided to look into the specifics so you can still enjoy wings while on a low-carb or keto diet.
Plain Chicken Wings are Nearly Zero Carb
Chicken wings in their natural unadulterated form contain virtually zero carbohydrates. The meat is made up almost entirely of protein and fat with minimal naturally occurring sugars.
According to the USDA, 100g of chicken wing contains:
- 0g of total carbohydrate
- 0g of sugar
- 0g of fiber
So one plain chicken wing with no added ingredients is going to net you zero grams of carbs. This makes plain wings an excellent low carb choice when eaten on their own.
Adding Extras Impacts the Carb Count
Here’s where things get tricky. Even though wings don’t have any carbs on their own, adding things like breading, sauce, and marinades will change the nutrition profile. To make smart decisions about whether to cook or order wings, you should know this.
Breading
Traditional wheat flour breading, often used on fried wings, contains a significant amount of carbohydrates and will raise the carb count substantially. One typical wing with traditional breading can have around 5-8g net carbs.
However, there are low carb alternatives. Using almond flour or coconut flour rather than wheat flour can slash the carbs while still giving you that crispy coating.
Frying vs. Baking
The way you cook doesn’t have a direct effect on the carb count. Naked fried wings and naked baked wings both have the same amount of carbs. But when restaurants fry food, they might use a thin layer of starch or flour that adds trace carbs.
Sauces
This is where you really need to pay attention, as sauces vary wildly in their carb content depending on ingredients. Buffalo sauce is a classic lower carb choice, but sweet, sticky sauces like teriyaki and honey garlic are carb bombs.
Aside from Buffalo, ranch and blue cheese dressing are decent low carb dips for wings. And you can make sugar-free BBQ sauce at home.
When in doubt at a restaurant, ask about the sauce ingredients or skip it altogether.
Low Carb Chicken Wing Cooking Tips
If you want to enjoy wings without going overboard on carbs, here are some useful tips:
- Bake, air fry, or pan fry without breading
- Use almond flour instead of regular flour for breading
- Ask for wings to be cooked without marinades or rubs
- Choose Buffalo, ranch, or blue cheese sauce
- Avoid sweet/sticky sauces like teriyaki
- Make your own sugar-free BBQ sauce
- Order extra wings naked
With the right preparation, wings can absolutely be part of a healthy low carb or keto diet. A few carbless naked wings paired with some veggies makes a tasty, balanced meal.
Just stay mindful of added carbohydrates and you can happily enjoy this classic appetizer even when limiting carbs!
Popular Chicken Wings and Their Carb Content
There are many flavors of chicken wings, and each one has its own amount of carbs that people on a low-carb or keto diet need to think about. Here’s a breakdown of the carb content in some popular wing flavors:
Buffalo wings are a classic favorite known for their spicy kick. For a serving size of 6 half wings (about 140. 63g), you can expect approximately 0. 2 grams of carbs. These wings are typically coated in a tangy Buffalo sauce that adds flavor without significantly increasing carb intake. However, remember that Buffalo Wings calories are around 440. 6 kcal.
BBQ wings offer a sweet and smoky flavor profile. A serving size of 3 wings (about 100g) contains around 9 grams of carbs. Because BBQ sauce has a sweet base, it tends to have more sugars and carbs. If you’re watching how many carbs you eat, you should limit how many of these wings you eat.
Teriyaki wings provide a savory-sweet taste with an Asian-inspired flair. Each serving of 3 wings (about 100g) contains approximately 2 grams of carbs. Compared to BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce has fewer carbs because it is sticky and usually has soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients that add carbs.
- Honey Garlic: Seven grams of carbs are in two pieces of honey garlic wings, which is about 100 grams. People love honey garlic wings because they are sticky sweet and have a hint of garlic.
- Lemon Pepper: We like to eat lemon pepper wings dry-rubbed. Two wings (unspecified amount) have no carbs in a serving size. Tangy citrus notes and a hint of black pepper make up this flavor profile.
Sauced vs. Un-sauced Wings
- Common sauces and how many carbs they have: Buffalo sauce has 1-3 grams of carbs per serving; BBQ sauce has 4–10 grams of carbs per serving; and teriyaki sauce has a range of 4–10 grams of carbs per serving.
- What kind of carbs are in wings with dry rubs? Most wings seasoned with dry rubs have less than 1 gram of carbs per serving.
How Many Carbs Are In Chicken Wings? – Keto Kitchen HQ
FAQ
How many carbs are in 6 chicken wings?
The amount of carbohydrates in 6 chicken wings varies depending on how they are prepared, but they generally contain very few carbohydrates. Plain, unbreaded, and skinless wings have virtually no carbs.
How many carbs are in a chicken wing with skin?
Can you eat chicken wings on a keto diet?
First off, keto is all about keeping those carbs low and embracing fats and proteins, and chicken wings fit this bill perfectly. They’re naturally low in carbs, making them an excellent choice for anyone keeping a close eye on their carb intake. But the real magic happens when you consider the fat content.
How many net carbs are in 10 wings?
One serving of Checkers 10 Chicken Wings Plain has 690 calories, 44 grams of fat, 68 grams of protein, and 4 grams of net carbs.
How many carbs are in a chicken wing?
The favorite choice for the term “Chicken Wings” is 1 medium Chicken Wing (Skin Eaten) which has no carbs. The total carbohyrate, sugar, fiber and estimated net carbs (non-fiber carbs) for a variety of types and serving sizes of Chicken Wings is shown below.
How many calories are in a 4 oz chicken wing?
A 4 oz. whole chicken wings, bone-in skin-on (Wild Zora) contains 180 calories, with 0 carbs, 61 fat, and 39 protein. There are 124 calories in 1 large chicken wing (skin-eaten). Homemade 3 Whole Chicken Wings Baked (3 pieces) contains 0g total carbs, 0g net carbs, 19g fat, 27g protein, and 294 calories.
How many calories are in chicken wings?
For instance, baked wings typically have about 128 calories for a whole wing, while grilled wings from KFC contain roughly 80 calories. The macronutrient breakdown shows that chicken wings with skin have a higher calorie count due to fat content; for example, a 34 g wing with skin has 86 calories, with a significant portion derived from fat.
Can you eat chicken wings on a low-carb or keto diet?
When enjoying chicken wings on a low-carb or keto diet, these tips can help you keep your carb intake in check: Opt for grilled, baked, or air-fried wings without breading to minimize carb content. Use sauces like Buffalo, garlic Parmesan, or lemon pepper that are lower in carbs and sugar.
Are fried chicken wings low in carbs?
Without the breading, baked, grilled, or fried chicken wings are still pretty low in carbs, but they do have a few. This minimal carb content comes from any seasonings or marinades used during cooking. By choosing low-carb seasonings and avoiding sugary sauces, you can keep the carb count as low as possible.
How many calories are in fried chicken wings?
When examining fried chicken wings, one can expect around 195 calories, with macronutrients consisting of 58g of fat, 27g of protein, and 14g of carbs. Cooking methods and skin presence greatly influence caloric content, with roasted wings having about 99 calories per piece on average.