Hot Honey Chicken Wings with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch
Hot honey is our newest obsession, and we’re drizzling it on everything. Here, we harness its spicy-sweet magic and brush it on chicken wings as they’re charred up on the grill. The addictive sticky wings are then paired with a cooling buttermilk ranch and tangy pickles, evoking the flavors of Nashville hot chicken.
Ingredients
Hot Honey
- 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or ground dried chiles of your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of kosher salt
Ranch
- ½ cup whole buttermilk
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Wings
- Canola oil for greasing
- 3 pounds whole chicken wings (about 12 wings, see Notes)
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- Pickle chips for serving
Instructions
Make the hot honey
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bring the honey to a simmer over moderate heat, then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Transfer half of the honey to a small bowl and set aside.
Make the ranch dressing
- In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Prepare the wings
- Light a grill and oil the grate (make sure the grate is very clean). Pat the wings dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the wings over moderate heat (400°F) for 10 minutes, turning once. Continue cooking the wings, brushing with the hot honey and turning occasionally, until they’re cooked through and charred in spots, about 10 minutes more.
- Transfer the wings to a platter and drizzle with some of the reserved hot honey and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve the wings with the ranch dressing for dipping and pickle chips on the side.
Notes
We like to use whole chicken wings with the tips attached for this recipe, but you can also use separated drumettes and flats. Keep an eye on your grill as the smaller wing pieces will cook in less time.
MAKE AHEAD: The hot honey and ranch dressing can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
Styling:
- Pewter platter with crumpled parchment
- Small bowl of ranch for dipping
- Pickle chips stuck in pockets around the wings
- Bottled beer, beer opener
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!