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Spicy Ranch Chicken Wings are my go-to for game day or any time I’m craving crispy, flavorful wings with a kick. They’re soaked in hot sauce, butter, and vinegar, then coated in ranch seasoning and baked until the meat practically slides off the bone. These wings are seriously addictive, and once you try them, you’ll understand why I can’t stop making them.
If you love wing recipes like this, be sure to try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings or my crispy baked Chicken Wings that are coated in my One Spoon Dry Rub seasoning blend!
Why These Wings Are the Best
Let’s be honest: there’s nothing worse than a wing with rubbery skin or meat that refuses to leave the bone. You know the kind—more struggle than satisfaction. Well, I’ve got good news: these wings deliver everything a perfect wing should.
- The spicy, tangy marinade soaks deep into the chicken, making every bite flavorful and juicy.
- Then there’s the ranch seasoning that crisps up beautifully in the oven, giving you that salty, tangy punch of ranch with every bite.
- And the best part? That moment when the meat just falls off the bone.
If you’re planning a party, watching the game (or the commercials, in my case), or just looking for a finger-licking dinner, make sure you’ve got plenty of these wings ready.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings: Whole wings or cut into drumettes and flats—your choice.
- Hot sauce, butter, and apple cider vinegar: For a spicy, tangy marinade.
- Ranch seasoning and paprika: To coat the wings with bold flavor as they bake.
Exact quantities are listed below in the recipe card. Note: the recipe card allows you to easily scale the recipe and will automatically adjust the ingredient quantities.
Instructions
Always refer to the recipe card below, but here’s a quick rundown.
1. Prep Your Ingredients
In a large resealable bag, combine hot sauce, melted butter, and apple cider vinegar.
2. Marinate the Wings
Add the wings, seal the bag, and toss to coat. Let them marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight for maximum flavor.
3. Prepare to Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. If you have a wire rack, place it on a baking sheet to allow for even cooking. No rack? Grease the baking sheet or use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
4. Coat and Cook
Arrange the wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they aren’t touching. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning and paprika. Bake for 50–60 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the skin is crispy and golden brown. The internal temperature should read 165°F when they’re done.
4. Serve and Enjoy
Let the wings rest for a few minutes before serving to lock in all that flavor.
These wings are best enjoyed with extra ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping, and don’t forget the napkins!
Tips for the Best Ranch Chicken Wings
- Space them out: Give the wings room to cook evenly for that crispy finish.
- Adjust the heat: Prefer mild wings? Reduce the hot sauce a bit. Want them spicier? Add cayenne pepper.
- Keep it simple: A wire rack helps with even cooking, but a greased or parchment lined baking sheet works just fine.
More Game Day Recipes
If you want to try other game day recipes that your friends will love, check out these favorites:
- Chili Recipes: Beer Chili (the chili recipe I make most often), Taco Chili, White Chicken Chili, Five Alarm Steak Chili
- Tasty Dips: Jalapeno Bacon Guacamole, Warm Buffalo Chicken Dip, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Beer Cheese Ranch Dip
- Some other favorites: Jalapeno Popper Chicken Flautas, Cowboy Caviar, Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
If you tried this Spicy Ranch Chicken Wing recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings whole or cut into drummettes and wings with tips discarded
- 2/3 cup hot pepper sauce I used Tobasco but Frank's Red Hot would work
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Combine 4 pounds chicken wings, 2/3 cup hot pepper sauce, melted 1/4 cup butter, and 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a plastic freezer bag. Squeeze to mix and evenly distribute ingredients. Allow to marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours to overnight, occasionally squeezing the bag to ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- To cook, heat grill or oven to 350 degrees F. If baking in oven, a grill rack set atop a baking sheet is ideal to give the bottom of the wing a nice dry finish, but not necessary if you don't have one. If using just a baking dish without a rack, be sure to grease the baking dish or line with parchment paper. Shake off any excess marinade and arrange chicken in a single layer on the grill or baking dish.
- Sprinkle wings with 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix and 1 teaspoon paprika. Bake (or grill), uncovered, at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until the skin starts to crisp and the meat is pulling away from the bone. You can flip them half way through (if not cooking on a grill or a rack but on a baking sheet) to ensure both sides get crispy.
Notes
- You can use whole wings or wings where the drumettes have been cut into separate segments.
- I prefer to use Tobasco as my hot sauce but you can use a different kind, if desired.
- Be sure wings aren’t touching when they cook to allow them to cook evenly
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally created in January 2016 but has been updated with new photos and additional info to make the recipe very easy to follow.
Love this recipe! It’s like a recipe that I used to do for wings that my boyfriend used to ask for all the time. He now wants this one…. all the time. Lol. But we both agree … Delicious! A new go to when it comes to wing night in this house.
Thank you!
This is by far my new favorite wing recipe. I followed recipe using Frankโs Wing Sauce instead of Tabasco and used a full pack of Ranch mix. I also marinated the chicken overnight, at least 12 hours before baking on a rack in the oven. I sprinkle half of a pack of Ranch mix over the wings then the other half when I flipped the wings halfway through cook time. Soooo good!! IMO, mild to medium spicy level. Perfect heat level for me but can be toned down a bit by dipping in your favorite Ranch or blue cheese dressing.
I made these tonight. They were good but not as good as I had hoped. I tasted the vinegar more than anything! A bit of spice, but hardly no ranch flavor at all (I even used the entire ranch packet, not just 2 Tbsp). Iโll probably try it again with less vinegar!?
Hi D’Lynn, Thanks for your feedback and hopefully it will help other readers who don’t love vinegar as much as I do! Krissy
These look amazing! Do you use actual Tobasco? or would something like Franks red hot sauce work.
either would work
Wow those look incredible and love the photos! I love spicy chicken wings, so I would love to try these! Thanks for sharing!
Our favorite wing recipe and easy to make.
You make a good point about the skin. No one wants to try to break apart chewy skin with their teeth when they’re supposed to consume something which melts effortlessly in their mouth.
YUM! That’s it, I’m making these tonight…. Now just waiting for dinner time!