Crispy Chicken Wings - For the Carnivore Diet
These wings are pure carnivore: just chicken, salt, and animal fat. The key to shatter-crisp skin is getting the surface dry, using enough heat, and letting rendered fat help finish the job. A simple overnight salt rest pulls moisture from the skin; high heat does the rest. If you want an extra edge, a light dusting of unflavored gelatin—entirely animal-based—creates a delicate, glassy crunch.
Bake them on a rack so hot air can circulate and fat can drip away, or air-fry for maximum convection. Beef tallow, duck fat, or chicken schmaltz add clean flavor and a pleasing, rich finish without any plant-based seasonings.
Serve them plain with a sprinkle of salt, or dip into melted bone marrow or whipped salted butter for more richness. Leftovers re-crisp nicely in a hot oven or air fryer, making these wings great for meal prep and easy snacking.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) chicken wings, flats and drumettes
- 1.5 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp beef tallow, duck fat, or chicken schmaltz, melted
- Optional: 1 tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin for extra-crisp skin
Instructions
- Pat wings very dry with towels. If whole, separate into flats and drumettes.
- Dry-brine: Sprinkle all over with salt and place on a wire rack over a tray. Refrigerate uncovered 8–24 hours (or at least 30 minutes if short on time).
- Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C (convection if available). Put a rack set over a sheet pan in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat.
- Toss wings with melted tallow/duck fat/schmaltz. If using gelatin, dust lightly now and toss again to coat.
- Arrange wings skin-side up on the hot rack with space between pieces. Bake 25 minutes, flip, then bake 10–20 minutes more until deep golden, crisp, and at least 185°F/85°C at the thickest point. Broil 1–3 minutes if you want extra blistering.
- Rest 5 minutes. Toss with a little more melted fat if desired and adjust salt to taste.
- Air fryer option: Cook at 400°F/205°C for 22–28 minutes, flipping or shaking halfway, until crisp and cooked through.
- Tallow fry option: Heat 1–1.5 inches of tallow to 350°F/175°C. Fry wings in batches 10–12 minutes until deeply crisp and cooked through. Drain on a rack and salt.