Game Day Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wings with Buttermilk Marinade
Chicken wings soak in a tangy buttermilk, hot sauce and ranch seasoning marinade. They bake on a rack until crisp, then get tossed in a buttery buffalo glaze. No fryer and no splatter, and the marinade does the work ahead of kickoff.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 4 hr 5 min
- Total
- 5 hr 20 min
- Makes
- About 28 wing pieces (6 appetizer servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan for at least 4 hours of marinating, and no more than 12. Buttermilk and salt turn the meat mushy if the wings sit longer.
- Buy party wings (already split into drumettes and flats). If you have whole wings, cut them at the joints and discard the tips.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder, not baking soda. Baking soda leaves a metallic taste.
- You need a wire rack that fits inside a rimmed baking sheet. Without one, the bottoms of the wings will be soggy.
- Use a classic cayenne-vinegar hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot) for the best buffalo flavor.
Whisk the marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot sauce, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until smooth and evenly orange-red.
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Ready when: No clumps of seasoning remain and the marinade looks uniform.
Tip: Taste a tiny drop of the marinade. It should taste salty and tangy, because the wings will mute it.
Marinate the wings
- Add the wings to the bowl and toss until every piece is coated.
- Transfer the wings and all the marinade to a gallon zip-top bag, press out the air and seal.
- Lay the bag flat on a plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
- Turn the bag over once about halfway through.
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Ready when: Wings are fully submerged or coated, with no dry patches.
Tip: Do not marinate longer than 12 hours. The acid will make the meat mealy.
Preheat and set up pansOven 425°F / 220°C
- About 20 minutes before cooking, position one oven rack in the upper third and one in the lower third, and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and set a wire rack inside each.
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Ready when: Oven is fully preheated to 425°F (220°C).
Tip: Foil makes cleanup easy. Grease the racks lightly if you want an extra non-stick layer.
Dry and coat wings
- Lift the wings out of the bag one at a time and let the excess marinade drip off.
- Wipe each wing with paper towels so the skin is nearly dry.
- Discard the marinade.
- Put the wings in a clean dry bowl, sprinkle the baking powder over them and toss until they are coated with a thin, even, white film.
- Arrange the wings skin-side up on the racks in a single layer, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart.
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Ready when: Skin feels tacky-dry, not wet, and no clumps of baking powder show.
Tip: Wet skin steams instead of crisping. Take your time with the paper towels, because this step decides how crisp the wings get.
Bake first sideOven 425°F / 220°C
- Slide one sheet onto each oven rack.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25 minutes, without opening the oven, until the skin starts to turn pale golden and tight.
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Ready when: Skin is pale golden and fat is pooling on the foil.
Flip and finish bakingOven 425°F / 220°C
- Remove the sheets.
- Flip each wing with tongs, and swap the sheets between the top and bottom racks.
- Return to the oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown, blistered and crisp.
- Check that the thickest part of a drumette reaches at least 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden and crisp, and the thickest part reads 175°F (80°C) or higher, with no contact with bone.
Tip: Chicken is safe at 165°F (74°C), but wings taste better at 175–185°F (80–85°C), when the connective tissue has melted.
Make the buffalo glaze
- While the wings finish, melt the butter with 1/4 cup (60 ml) hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and looks glossy.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Butter is fully melted and the glaze is one smooth, emulsified orange liquid.
Tip: Do not boil the glaze, or it will separate into greasy streaks. Re-whisk before using if it does.
Toss and rest
- Transfer the hot wings to a large clean bowl.
- Pour in the glaze and toss with tongs for about 30 seconds, until every wing is evenly coated.
- Return the wings to the racks and let them sit for 5 minutes so the glaze clings and the skin stays crisp.
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Ready when: Wings look glossy and the glaze is clinging, not pooling.
Tip: Toss right before serving. Wings that sit in glaze for a long time lose their crunch.
Serve
- Pile the wings onto a platter with the celery sticks and a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
- Scatter the chives over the wings, if using, and serve immediately while hot.
Good to know
Tips
- Pat the wings dry after marinating. This is the most important step for crisp skin.
- Cook the wings on a wire rack so hot air circulates all around them. Crowded wings will steam.
- For spicier wings, add 1/2 tsp cayenne to the glaze. For milder wings, use 3 tbsp hot sauce and 1 extra tbsp butter in the glaze.
- Keep the baked wings warm for a crowd on a rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven, and toss with the glaze just before serving.
Make ahead
"Marinate the wings up to 12 hours ahead (see step 2). You can also bake the wings without the glaze up to 1 day ahead, cool, and refrigerate them uncovered. Reheat at 425°F (220°C) for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and crisp, then toss with freshly warmed glaze."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours (food safety limit). Refrigerator: store cooled wings in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze on a tray, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from fridge on a rack at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or from frozen for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot (165°F / 74°C) and crisp. Do not microwave if you want crisp skin."
Substitutions
- buttermilk → 1/2 cup (120 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp milk, or milk with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Let the milk and lemon mixture sit for 5 minutes. Yogurt makes a slightly thicker coating.
- dry ranch seasoning mix → 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dried chives and 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce the added salt in the marinade to 1/2 tsp if using a salted store-bought mix.
- unsalted butter → Ghee or refined coconut oil. Ghee tastes nearly the same. Coconut oil may solidify as the wings cool.
- chicken party wings (drumettes and flats) → Bone-in chicken drumsticks (about 3 lb / 1.36 kg). Bake 45 to 55 minutes total, until 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part.