9 Best Chicken Wing Recipes for Playoffs, Game Day, or Super Bowl
Jan 08, 2026
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Chicken wings are the ultimate game day food. They’re crispy, saucy, and perfect for feeding a crowd. Whether you’re hosting a Super Bowl party, watching the playoffs, or just craving great wings any time of year, this chicken wing recipe roundup has you covered. From classic smoked buffalo wings to bold smoked and grilled flavors, plus essential sauces and crowd-pleasing buffalo chicken recipes, these are the 9 best chicken wing recipes to bookmark now.
Why Chicken Wings Are the Ultimate Game Day Food
Chicken wings have become a game-day staple for a reason. Besides being ridiculously addictive in the best possible way, they’re also easy to prep for a crowd, super customizable, and pair perfectly with bold sauces and your favorite dips. Whether wings are the main event or part of a larger spread, they belong on every playoff and Super Bowl menu. And if you’re anything like my family, they’re just as good any night of the week, year-round!
Table of Contents
Start Here – Chicken Wing Essentials
The best chicken wings start with the essentials. Before getting into the roundup, here are a few resources to get you started. Plus, we all know good wings start with a good seasoning and a good sauce! I love a Classic Buffalo Sauce, but below you’ll find a wide variety of sauces. And whether you are on team blue cheese, ranch, or team no sauce, that’s okay. I have a strong affinity for good homemade ranch dressing (what can I say, I grew up on the West Coast). Either way, you’re in good hands.
Chicken Wing Seasoning
A great dry rub is the foundation of flavorful wings. This blend works whether you’re smoking, grilling, baking, or air frying, and it’s just as good on wings served naked as it is under a layer of sauce.
Another great option is this lemon pepper seasoning. It’s fresh, bright, zesty, and vibrant, and great if you want a more mellow flavored wing.
Buffalo Sauce and Dips
Buffalo sauce is non-negotiable for classic wing lovers. This homemade version hits the perfect balance of heat, tang, and richness—and it’s versatile enough to use on wings, sliders, dips, and more.
Every great wing spread needs a cooling dip. This homemade ranch is bold, herby, and creamy, making it the perfect pairing for spicy buffalo wings and crispy dry-rubbed wings alike.
Top Tips
- Want to know the secret to perfectly grilled chicken? Cook it to the correct temperature (yes, this goes for wings too!). Explore our comprehensive guide on the ideal chicken temperature.
- Invest in a digital instant read thermometer.
- Buy wings whole to save money, and then cut the chicken wings into flats and drumettes yourself (this is much easier than you may think!).
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The 9 Best Chicken Wing Recipes
These are our go-to tried and true chicken wing recipes—tested, crowd-approved, and perfect for game day. Whether you love crispy smoked wings, straight off the hot grill, classic buffalo-style wings, or a fun variety of different sauces and flavors, there’s something here for everyone.
Buffalo Chicken Recipes to Complete Your Game Day Spread
If wings alone aren’t enough for you (I get it!), or you just want a little variety and can’t get enough of that signature classic buffalo flavor, these buffalo chicken recipes are perfect additions to any game day menu. They’re great for feeding a crowd and let you use that buffalo sauce in even more delicious ways.
Make-Ahead Tips for Stress-Free Game Day Wings
Hosting during the playoffs or game day doesn’t have to be chaotic or stressful! These tips will help you prep wings ahead of time, keep them crispy, and serve everything hot right when kickoff hits.
- For crispiest skin when cooking wings on a grill or smoker, dehydrate the wings in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time.
- Make sauces and dips a day in advance.
- If your wings are done early, keep them in the oven set to 150 degrees to keep them warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to get crispy skin (without frying wings) is to dehydrate the wings. This will remove as much moisture from the skin as possible before cooking.
Pat the raw wings thoroughly with paper towels, then, for best results, place them, uncovered, on a wire rack over a sheet pan in the refrigerator for at least two to four hours (or up to overnight) to allow the air flow to dehydrate the skin further.
You can also toss the wings in corn starch to help get crispy skin, like this recipe for grilled chicken wings with crispy skin.
The best chicken wings are served immediately after cooking (that is, if crispy skin is important to you). But if you need to make them in advance, I get it. Just cook them according to the recipe instructions, then allow them to cool. Store in the fridge, then when you’re ready to reheat, follow these recommendations.
In the Oven – The best way to reheat is in the oven set to 350 degrees. Cook them for 10 minutes, or until hot.
Air Frier – If you have an air frier, this is a great appliance for re-heating wings, as it acts like a convection oven, getting them nice and crispy. Set it to 400 degrees, and cook the wings for up to 8 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
Microwave – I would NOT suggest using the microwave, unless you enjoy the taste of rubbery and sad skin. Just don’t do it.
Planning a Super Bowl party or playoff spread? Bookmark this post, save your favorite wing recipes, and don’t forget to grab the dry rub, buffalo sauce, and ranch dip to build the ultimate game day menu!
Cheers
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About Vindulge
Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbooks — Fire + Wine and Fire + Wine Backyard Pizza — and have been creating content for the IACP-nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.
