Spicy Chicken Wings Ranch (Printable)
Crispy chicken wings coated in spicy sauce with smooth ranch for a bold, balanced bite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken Wings
01 - 2.2 lbs chicken wings, separated at joints, tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
→ Spicy Sauce
07 - 1/4 cup hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot)
08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
09 - 1 tbsp honey
10 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
→ Ranch Dressing
11 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1/4 cup sour cream
13 - 2 tbsp buttermilk or milk
14 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
15 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
16 - 1/2 tsp dried dill
17 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
18 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
19 - 1/4 tsp salt
20 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
02 - Pat chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with vegetable oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until evenly coated on all sides.
03 - Arrange wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until skin is crispy and golden brown.
04 - While wings bake, prepare the spicy sauce by whisking together hot sauce, melted butter, honey, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until fully incorporated.
05 - In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, chives, parsley, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
06 - Once wings are cooked through and crispy, transfer to a clean bowl. Pour the spicy sauce over the wings and toss thoroughly until evenly coated.
07 - Serve immediately with chilled ranch dressing on the side for dipping.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The oven baking technique gives you restaurant-quality crispiness without the mess of deep frying
- That homemade spicy sauce has just enough honey to balance the heat perfectly
02 -
- Patting the wings completely dry is the most important step for crispy skin
- Let the sauce-coated wings sit for just a minute before serving so the sauce clings better
03 -
- Room temperature wings cook more evenly than cold ones from the fridge
- Don't crowd the baking sheet or they'll steam instead of crisp