Championship Chicken Wings (Printable)

Crispy chicken wings with a spicy, tangy sauce paired with creamy homemade ranch dip.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Wings

01 - 3.3 lbs chicken wings, split and tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - ½ tsp black pepper
05 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
06 - ½ tsp garlic powder

→ Championship Wing Sauce

07 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - ⅓ cup hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot)
09 - 1 tbsp honey
10 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

→ Homemade Ranch Dip

11 - ½ cup sour cream
12 - ½ cup mayonnaise
13 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
15 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - 1 tsp lemon juice
18 - ½ tsp onion powder
19 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top for optimal air circulation.
02 - Pat chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange seasoned wings in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake for 40–45 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until golden brown and crispy with skin rendered.
04 - While wings bake, prepare the sauce in a small saucepan. Whisk together melted butter, hot sauce, honey, and apple cider vinegar over low heat until fully combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
05 - In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh chives, dill, parsley, minced garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
06 - Transfer cooked wings to a large bowl. Pour prepared championship wing sauce over wings and toss vigorously to ensure every piece is evenly coated.
07 - Arrange sauced wings on a serving platter alongside chilled homemade ranch dip. Add celery and carrot sticks for classic accompaniment if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The baking powder trick creates wings that are impossibly crispy without deep frying
  • The homemade ranch puts store bought versions to absolute shame
02 -
  • Patting the wings completely dry before seasoning is the most important step for crispy skin
  • The wire rack lets air circulate underneath so every side gets perfectly crisp
03 -
  • Let the wings rest for 5 minutes after tossing in the sauce so the coating really sticks
  • Room temperature wings will cook more evenly than cold ones straight from the fridge

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