If you’ve ever craved that rich, tangy creaminess of a WingStop ranch, this is your moment. Our Creamy Buttermilk Ranch “WingStop‑Style” Wings recreate the iconic ranch chicken wings experience at home. Think crispy, golden drumettes and flats tossed in a mild buffalo wings sauce recipe, then drenched in a homemade ranch sauce recipe that hits all the right notes—cool, zesty, and ultra‑smooth. You've got everything from the oven or air fryer method covered, plus tips for customizing heat levels with mild wing sauce recipes. Best part? No take‑out run needed—just a copycat restaurant quality snack tailored to your taste.
Creamy Buttermilk Ranch “WingStop‑Style” Wings
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Large Mixing Bowl Use for tossing wings with dry rub and mixing sauces.
Baking sheet with wire rack Helps air circulate under oven‑baked wings for extra crispiness. Alternative: use parchment‑lined sheet and flip wings halfway if no rack.
Air fryer (optional) For extra crunch in half the time.
saucepan For melting butter and whisking buffalo sauce.
Whisk or Fork For combining the ranch sauce ingredients.
Serving platter with parchment paper (optional) Makes for easy cleanup.
Serving bowls for ranch Ideal if you're dipping wings.
For the Wings
- 2 lb chicken wings about 20 small–medium pieces, drumettes and flats, tips removed
- 1 Tbsp baking powder not baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
For the Mild Buffalo Wings Sauce Recipe
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot or your favorite
- 1 Tbsp honey optional, for balance
- Pinch of cayenne pepper for extra mild kick
For the Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise full fat gives best texture
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk add more if you want thinner, more like restaurant style ranch dressing
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp white pepper optional; yellow pepper works too
- 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Prep the Wings
Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss wings until evenly coated. The baking powder is key—it pulls moisture from the skin and helps it crisp beautifully without deep-frying.
Oven method
Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C).
Arrange wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, skin side up.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake another 20–25 minutes until golden, crispy, and cooked through (165 °F internal temperature).
Air fryer method (optional)
Preheat air fryer to 400 °F.
Place wings in a single layer (cook in batches).
Air‑fry 12 minutes, flip, then air‑fry another 10‑13 minutes until crisp and cooked.
Make the Mild Buffalo Sauce
While wings cook, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in hot sauce, honey, and cayenne until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness to suit. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Homemade Ranch Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, and half the buttermilk. Add chives, parsley, dill, garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Adjust consistency with more buttermilk for a thinner, restaurant‑style ranch dressing, or thicken it up by using a bit less buttermilk.
Toss & Serve
Once wings are done, transfer them to a clean bowl. Pour buffalo sauce over them and toss to coat evenly. Spoon wings onto a platter and serve with a large bowl of creamy ranch on the side for dipping. Garnish ranch with extra chopped chives or parsley if desired.
Pairings
- Celery and carrot sticks: Classic crisp coolness soaks up extra wing sauce.
- Fries or tots: Go for crispy seasoned fries—or toss sweet potato fries in ranch for a fun twist.
- Basic garlic bread or Cheddar jalapeño bread: Great for soaking up ranch or buffalo sauce.
- Crisp salad: Think cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and corn—light vinaigrette balances richness.
- Beverages:
- Cold beer (lager, pilsner, pale ale) or a refreshing ginger beer.
- Iced tea with lemon or lime “cones” (small frozen lemonade pops).
- Sparkling water with cucumber or mint for non-alcoholic pairing.
FAQs
1. Can I use chicken breast or thigh instead of wings?
Absolutely! For a ranch chicken wings twist using thighs or breast strips, follow the same baking or air‑frying steps, adjusting cooking time. Boneless breast needs about 15–18 minutes in air fryer or 20–25 minutes in oven at 400 °F.
2. What’s the key to crispy skin without frying?
Baking powder is your secret weapon: it dries the skin and raises pH, giving that crackly crisp finish normally achieved through deep-frying or the WingStop method.
3. How spicy is the mild buffalo sauce?
With just ¼ cup hot sauce and a pinch of cayenne, the sauce hits mild to medium flavor. To tweak, increase the cayenne or hot sauce for more heat, or add brown sugar for sweeter notes.
4. Can I make the ranch sauce ahead?
Yes! Homemade ranch dressing gets better after resting. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Shake or whisk before serving.
5. What if I want a thinner “restaurant style ranch dressing”?
Just whisk in more buttermilk—start with an extra tablespoon at a time until it loosens to your preferred pourable consistency.
