Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Wings

These amazing Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wings are made with the perfect combination of spicy Buffalo sauce and cool ranch seasoning. They pack a wonderful and unique punch of flavor that’s a fun twist on traditional wing recipes.

 

Buffalo Ranch Crockpot Chicken Wings

If you’re looking for the perfect game day snack or party appetizer that will wow your guests, you’re going to love these crockpot buffalo wings. This recipe takes classic, tangy Buffalo sauce, and kicks up the flavors a notch with the zesty addition of Homemade Dry Ranch Seasoning. These flavorful wings are the ultimate hearty appetizer, but you can also serve them with a simple side dish, and they make a delicious weeknight dinner.

The best thing about this recipe, though? They cook up flawlessly in your slow cooker, until tender and juicy. They are then placed under the broiler just long enough for the sauce to brown up and become caramelized leaving you with mouth-watering chicken wing perfection!

If you love Buffalo flavors, you should also check out Buffalo Chicken Pasta, or this tasty Crockpot Buffalo Dip.

Why We Love This Recipe

• Great for any occasion: These crockpot wings are the perfect party food or serve them with a simple side dish for a complete meal.
• A fun twist on original wings: Tangy ranch and buffalo flavor go hand in hand. This recipe uses dry ranch seasoning that combines all those flavors.
• Slow cooking convenience: The crock pot does most all the cooking for you, which frees up oven space and a lot of our time.

Ingredients 

• Fresh chicken wings
• Hot wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Sauce or your favorite)
• Dry ranch seasoning
• Brown sugar
• Butter  

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Wings

Step One: Add the Wings to the Crockpot

• Dry the chicken wings off with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid from the package.
• Place all the wings in your crockpot.

Step Two: Make the Sauce

• In a small bowl, combine the cup buffalo wing sauce with the ranch seasoning and brown sugar.

Step Three: Cover the Wings with the Sauce

• Pour mixture over the wings. Add the butter to the top of the wings.

Step Four: Cook the Wings

• Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours until tender.  

Step Five: Caramelize the Sauce

• Place the wings on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Brush with the sauce from the slow cooker and place under the broiler in your oven.
• Broil for about 5 minutes or until nice and golden and they have crispy skin. You can baste more if you like while broiling.

 NOTE: Keep an eye on the wings under the broiler because they are under very high heat and will burn easily.

• Serve these crock pot buffalo chicken wings with carrot sticks, celery sticks, and some ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, and enjoy! 

Variations of Slow Cooker Buffalo Wings

• Chicken: If you want to make large entree portions of buffalo ranch chicken, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of wings. You’ll need to increase to slow cooking time.

• Extra heat: If you like extra hot wings, add in a few dashes of hot pepper sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper.

• BBQ sauce: Skip the buffalo sauce and use BBQ sauce instead.

• Teriyaki sauce: For an Asian flair, you can use a bottle of teriyaki sauce instead of buffalo sauce.

Can I Cook Frozen Wings in the Crockpot?

You sure can. A slow cooker makes it easy to cook chicken wings from frozen. Just keep in mind frozen wings tend to create more moisture in the slow cooker. This may dilute the flavors so you may want to add a little extra sauce.

How Do You Make Homemade Buffalo Sauce?

There are a lot of different ways you can make it, simple recipe takes 1/2 cup of Frank’s Hot Sauce, and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Add in a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce and a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder.

Place the mixture in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. For a big batch of wings, you may want to double the ingredients.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Recipe Tips 

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to a couple of months.

• If you have trouble telling if the wings are completely cooked, check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer.

• Don’t skip the broiling step. It’s necessary to get that great flavor and to end up with crispy chicken wings. 

• If the buffalo sauce is too spicy for the little ones, add several tablespoons of ketchup or add extra brown sugar.