Buffalo chicken wings are a popular appetizer and snack food. The buffalo sauce gives them a spicy, tangy flavor that people love. But are these wings compatible with a ketogenic or “keto” diet? Let’s take a detailed look at buffalo chicken wings and see if they can fit into a keto eating plan.
What are Buffalo Chicken Wings?
Buffalo chicken wings originate from Buffalo, New York. They were first created in 1964 at the Anchor Bar when owners Frank and Teressa Bellissimo wanted to use up chicken wings that they had in stock. The wings were deep fried and then coated in a cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter. This gave them a spicy, buttery flavor that became an instant hit.
Today, buffalo chicken wings are found on menus across America. They are traditionally deep fried chicken wing sections that are coated in buffalo wing sauce. This sauce is a blend of hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot, and butter. It creates a spicy, tangy flavor. Blue cheese or ranch dressing is usually served alongside buffalo wings to cool down the heat.
Common Preparation Methods
There are a few common methods used to make buffalo wings:
– Deep fried: The chicken wings are submerged in hot oil to cook them. This gives them a crispy exterior.
– Baked: The wings are cooked in the oven on a baking sheet. Baking doesn’t make them as crispy as deep frying, but it’s a lower fat cooking method.
– Air fried: Modern air fryers can be used to make buffalo wings. This also avoids deep frying them in oil.
– Grilled: Wings are sometimes grilled or smoked to cook them before adding the buffalo sauce.
No matter the cooking method, the wings are always tossed or coated in buffalo sauce after cooking. Commercial buffalo wing sauces are thick and cling well to the chicken. Homemade sauces usually contain hot sauce, butter, vinegar, garlic powder, and other seasonings.
Traditional Flavorings
The Buffalo wing sauce is what gives these wings their signature flavor. Traditional buffalo wing sauce contains:
– Hot pepper sauce – This provides heat and tang. Frank’s RedHot is the most popular brand used.
– Butter – Butter adds richness and helps the sauce coat the wings.
– Vinegar – Cider vinegar or white vinegar is sometimes used to add extra tanginess.
– Garlic powder – Garlic powder enhances overall flavor.
– Cayenne pepper – Extra cayenne can be used to make wings extra spicy.
– Salt and pepper – These basic seasonings round out the flavors.
Are Buffalo Wings Keto?
To determine if buffalo wings can fit into the ketogenic diet, we need to take a close look at their nutrition facts. Here is the nutrition information for a typical serving of buffalo chicken wings:
Nutrition Facts for 6 Buffalo Wings (85g)
| Calories | 370 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 27g |
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbohydrates | 2g |
| Fiber | 0g |
| Net Carbs | 2g |
Right away we can see that buffalo wings are very low in carbs, especially net carbs. A 6 wing serving has just 2 grams of net carbs, which is excellent for keto. They are also high in fat and moderate in protein, which suits the breakdown macros for a ketogenic diet.
Now let’s take a closer look at why these nutrition stats make buffalo wings a keto friendly choice.
Low Carb
A ketogenic diet requires limiting your net carb intake, usually to around 25-50g per day. With just 2g net carbs for 6 wings, buffalo wings fit very comfortably into low carb intake goals. You would still have plenty of carbs leftover in your daily budget for other foods.
The minimal carbs in buffalo wings come from the hot sauce. Since they are cooked in oil and contain no breading or thick sauces, the wings themselves have zero carbs. Hot sauces like Frank’s RedHot are also low carb condiments. So wings with buffalo sauce stay very low carb.
High Fat
Keto success relies on getting about 70-80% of your daily calories from fat. With 27g of fat in a 6 wing serving, buffalo wings meet this requirement. All of the fat comes from the chicken skin, making these wings a great source of healthy fats on keto.
The cooking method can also impact the fat content. Buffalo wings are often deep fried in oil, adding even more fat. Baked or grilled wings will be slightly lower in fat than deep fried. Even then, the high fat skin keeps these wings ideal for keto.
Moderate Protein
Protein should account for about 20-30% of your calories on keto. With 25g of protein for 6 wings, this fits right into the amount of moderate protein intake you want. It’s enough to help you meet your daily protein needs without being excessive to kick you out of ketosis.
As long as you portion your protein and don’t eat a very large quantity of wings in one sitting, they can work with a keto protein target. Enjoy them alongside other keto proteins like chicken, beef, eggs and fish.
Best Practices for Keto Buffalo Wings
Here are some tips to make your buffalo wings as keto friendly as possible:
– Avoid breading – Many restaurants bread their wings before frying or sauce them. Go for naked or traditional wings tossed in sauce only.
– Use keto-approved fat – Fry wings in lard, tallow or avocado oil instead of unhealthy vegetable oils.
– Choose baking, grilling or air frying – These methods add less fat than deep frying in oil.
– Make your own sauce – Control the ingredients and leave out sugars found in commercial sauces.
– Watch your portions – Stick to 4-8 wings per serving and don’t overdo your protein intake.
– Pair with low carb sides – Enjoy wings with raw veggies or a keto dip instead of high carb sides like fries.
Keto Buffalo Wing Recipes
Here are some delicious keto buffalo wing recipe ideas:
Classic Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients: chicken wings, melted butter, Frank’s RedHot Sauce, salt.
Bake the wings and toss in melted butter and hot sauce for easy classic buffalo flavor.
Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup
Ingredients: chicken broth, shredded chicken, hot sauce, cream or coconut milk, celery, onion, spices.
Simmer the wings in a soup with broth for fun buffalo flavor in soup form.
Nashville Hot Buffalo Wings
Ingredients: chicken wings, hot sauce, butter, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder.
Amp up traditional wings with extra heat and spice from cayenne and paprika.
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients: sliced jalapenos, cooked chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese.
Stuff spicy jalapenos with buffalo chicken mixed with cream cheese for an appetizer.
Potential Downsides of Buffalo Wings on Keto
While buffalo wings can definitely be included on a keto diet, there are a couple potential downsides to keep in mind:
High Calories
With 370 calories in just 6 wings, buffalo wings are a high calorie food. Their high fat content contributes many calories. Six wings accounts for nearly a fifth of a standard 2000 calorie daily intake. The calorie count can climb even higher if the wings are breaded or fried.
Keto does not necessarily mean high calorie, so this can work against weight loss goals. Be mindful of portions and avoid overconsuming calories when enjoying buffalo wings.
Inflammatory Vegetable Oils
Many restaurants fry buffalo wings in pro-inflammatory vegetable oils like soybean, corn, cottonseed or canola oil. These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids that can promote inflammation in the body. They are also often from GMO crops.
Choosing baked or grilled wings is a healthier option. Opting for frying at home with stable saturated fats like lard or tallow is also more keto-friendly.
Hidden Sugars in Sauce
Some buffalo wing sauces have added sugars like corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup. Read labels carefully to avoid these. Make your own sauce from scratch at home with healthy keto ingredients to avoid unwanted sugars.
Healthier Keto Snack Alternatives
Here are some alternatives for healthy keto snacks that can swap in for buffalo wings:
Cauliflower Buffalo Bites
Replace chicken wings with cauliflower florets baked in buffalo sauce. Much lower in calories but with the same spicy flavor.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Make buffalo chicken dip with shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and full fat cream cheese or sour cream. Serve with celery and carrots instead of chips.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Sautéed chicken tossed in buffalo style hot sauce and wrapped in lettuce leaves for a lighter option.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Top a salad of spinach and keto veggies with shredded buffalo chicken, avocado, cheese, ranch dressing.
Zucchini Buffalo Chips
Thinly slice zucchini into “chips” and bake with buffalo sauce and parmesan cheese for a veggie swap.
Conclusion
Buffalo chicken wings can definitely be part of a ketogenic diet. A serving of wings contains only 2g net carbs, 27g fat, and 25g protein, which suits keto macros well. Be mindful of portion sizes and avoid unhealthy preparation methods like frying in vegetable oils. Make your own wings and sauce at home for full control over the ingredients. Pair your wings with low carb veggies instead of fries or breads. Enjoy buffalo wings as an occasional keto treat along with other healthy fats and proteins. Moderation and high quality ingredients are key to benefiting from wings on the keto diet.