Touchdown Spicy Wings (Printable)

Golden wings tossed in spicy sauce, served with a smooth ranch dip and fresh veggie sticks for dipping.

# What You Need:

→ For the Spicy Wings

01 - 2.2 lbs chicken wings, split at joints, tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder

→ For the Spicy Sauce

07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1/3 cup hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot)
09 - 2 tbsp honey
10 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

→ For the Ranch Dip

11 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1/2 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 tsp dried dill
17 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
18 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
19 - 1/2 tsp salt
20 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
21 - 1 tsp lemon juice

→ To Serve

22 - Celery sticks
23 - Carrot sticks

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange wings on the wire rack in a single layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
04 - While wings bake, prepare the spicy sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine melted butter, hot sauce, honey, and cayenne pepper. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
05 - Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a bowl until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
06 - When wings are done cooking, transfer them to a large bowl. Pour the spicy sauce over the wings and toss thoroughly to coat evenly.
07 - Serve hot wings immediately with the chilled ranch dip, celery sticks, and carrot sticks.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The homemade spicy sauce beats anything you can buy at the store, and you can adjust the heat exactly to your liking
  • That baking powder trick creates restaurant-level crispy skin without any deep frying mess
  • The ranch dip comes together in minutes and tastes infinitely better than bottled versions
02 -
  • Patting the wings absolutely dry is the most critical step — any moisture on the skin will prevent that coveted crispiness from developing
  • Let the wings rest for just 2 minutes after baking before saucing them so the sauce sticks better instead of sliding right off
  • The ranch dip tastes better if you make it an hour ahead and let it chill — the dried herbs need time to hydrate and release their flavor
03 -
  • Don't overcrowd the baking sheet or the wings will steam instead of crisp — work in batches if needed
  • Let the spicy sauce cool slightly before tossing so it thickens up and clings better to the wings

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