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prep time
6 h 30 min
cook time
1 h 20 min
ready time
7 h 50 min
Keto Mole Chicken Wings
Don’t let the recipe times scare you off! Most of the time needed for this recipe is to let ingredients “do their thing” and marinate together to develop their flavors. Skin-on chicken wings are marinated in a savory and bright blend of spices before baked on an oven rack. The chicken wings are baked two more times coated in a rich, thick Mexican mole sauce. The mole sauce has a little heat, flavors of onion and sesame, and a hint of cacao. This traditional sauce gets a Keto twist for a recipe that is finger-licking-good. After the wings are tossed in the creamy mole sauce, grab your share before they’re all gone! You can enjoy these chicken wings as a snack to enjoy throughout the week, as part of a larger Keto meal, or as yummy finger food to share with a group.
What Is Mole?
Mole sauce is a Mexican condiment for marinating and smothering foods. Mole is made with chiles, but different types of chiles make different types of moles. The traditional sauce can be red, brown, black, yellow, or green. This mole is made with guaijllo peppers, which score as slightly milder than a jalapeno on the Scoville scale. Traditional-style mole sauce can cook for hours or even days, but this Keto version can be made in under an hour.
How Long Should Chicken Marinate?
Chicken is a protein that can hold on to many flavors and can withstand longer marinating times. In most recipes, around 6 hours is a good amount of time for chicken to marinate. However, you can marinate chicken for even longer than that for more complex flavors, which can be especially yummy if you’re grilling foods. Chicken wings can marinate for up to 24 hours for the most flavor.
Jessica L.
Net Carbs
1.4 g
Fiber
0.4 g
Total Carbs
1.8 g
Protein
12.3 g
Fats
11.7 g
161 cals
#1 Low Carb & Keto Diet App Since 2010
Track macros, calories, and access top Keto recipes.
Ingredients
Raw Chicken Wings
1.5 lb
Salt
0.5 tsp
Black pepper
0.25 tsp
Lemon pepper seasoning
0.25 tsp
Garlic powder
0.5 tsp
Onion powder
0.25 tsp
Chile Guajillo Dried
0.25 oz
Yellow onion
2 oz
Beef broth
0.5 cup
Tomato paste
0.5 tbsp
Tahini
1 tbsp
Liquid Stevia
10 drops
Cocoa Powder Dry Unsweetened
0.5 tbsp
Butter, unsalted
1 tbsp
Recipe Steps
steps 8
7 h 50 min
Step 1
Prepare the chicken wings at least 6 hours before you cook them so they can marinate. You can choose to leave chicken wings whole or cut them into the smaller “wings” and “dings”. Add raw chicken wings to a large mixing bowl, and toss them with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Fold the chicken wings over until they’re evenly coated in spices. Add the seasoned chicken wings to a large Ziploc bag and marinate them in your refrigerator for 6 hours or more, at your discretion.Step 2
When it’s closer to cooking time, you can begin making the mole sauce. Slice the top off of a large dried guajillo chile and shake the seeds out. Discard the stem and seeds, and add the dried chile to a small pot. Add whole, raw onion to the pot, and fill the pot with water until the ingredients are covered. Heat the pot on your stove until the chile and onion are simmering and rehydrating in the water.Step 3
Once you see the chile is rehydrated and the onion is tender, take the pot off the heat. Transfer the chile and onion to a food processor and add 1 or 2 spoonfuls of the liquid from the pot. Pulse the ingredients until the chile and onion break up in the food processor. At your discretion, you can add more cooking water to the food processor and pulse until you have a loose chile paste.Step 4
In a new pot, bring the beef broth to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, stir tomato paste and tahini into the broth until the oils break up in the liquid and the ingredients emulsify. Stir the liquid stevia, cocoa powder, and all the chili paste from your food processor into the pot. Once the sauce comes together, melt the butter into the pot. Place a lid over the pot and let the mole sauce simmer down for approximately 15-20 minutes. Watch the heat so your mole sauce doesn’t bubble too much and make a mess!Step 5
While the mole sauce is cooking down, turn on your oven to preheat to 400 degrees. Spray a baking rack with pan spray, and set it over a sheet tray to catch any drippings in the oven. Arrange your marinated chicken wings on the baking rack, and send them straight into your preheated oven. Bake the chicken wings for 20 minutes.Step 6
When your mole sauce has finished simmering down, remove the lid from the pot and stir the sauce together. If there is still some fat separated from the sauce, continue simmering the sauce without a lid until the sauce can be stirred together into a thick, creamy sauce. If you need to, you can use a hand immersion blender or a standing blender to bring the sauce together off the heat. Pull the chicken wings out of the oven, and brush some of the mole sauce liberally over the top of each chicken wing.Step 7
Bake the chicken wings for another 20 minutes. After the second round of baking, use a pair of tongs to flip each chicken wing over on the baking rack. Brush more mole sauce over the wings, and return them to the oven for a third and final round. Bake the chicken wings for just 10 minutes this time. Let the chicken wings cool for 5 minutes before continuing to the last step.Step 8
After cooling, place all the chicken wings in a large, clean mixing bowl. Pour all the remaining mole sauce from your pot over the chicken wings. Fold or toss the wings until they’re completely coated in mole sauce. Serve the chicken wings hot as is, or include another finger food or side dish with them.
