This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy
Quick, easy and knock-your-socks-off delicious, these Triple Threat Grilled Ranch Wings will be an instant family favourite! The wings are seasoned to perfection in a homemade Ranch rub, grilled on the Traeger for a hint of smoky flavour, tossed in Side Dish Chipotle Ranch for a bit of spice and served with some creamy Side Dish Classic Ranch for dipping. It’s a match made in heaven and it all happens to be Whole30 and Paleo!

Ingredients You Need for the Ranch Wings
- Chicken Wings: Many wings sold in North America are “split wings”, meaning the drum and flat have been split and the wing tips removed. You can use whole wings as well if that’s what you prefer. Just keep in mind that they may take slightly longer to cook because of the larger size.
- Ranch Seasoning: To season the wings, I slightly altered the homemade Ranch seasoning I use for my Mississippi Pot Roast. The major differences here are that I omitted the nutritional yeast, which I find gets bitter on the grill, and added some dry chile flakes for an extra kick of spice. I also skipped the dry chives because I didn’t have any on hand. The seasoning adds a ton of flavour to the wings and helps get them nice and crispy as they cook on the grill or in the oven. The only word of caution is to avoid cooking the wings over high heat because the spice rub can burn and turn bitter.
- Avocado Oil: Depending on how you prepare the wings, you may or may not need to coat them in avocado oil. If you’re grilling the wings, I definitely recommend tossing them in a small amount of avocado oil just before cooking. This will help prevent the wings from sticking to the grill.
If you’re baking the wings in the oven on a sheet pan with parchment paper or air frying them, then you don’t really need the additional oil. The wings will render a lot of fat as they cook and the parchment paper will help prevent any sticking. - Baking Soda: It’s not absolutely necessary, but adding a small amount of baking soda to your dry rub will raise the pH level in the skin of the chicken wings, resulting in a crispier finished product. This works for both grilled and baked wings, but I find that the addition of baking soda is really only helpful if the wings are seasoned and cooked in a dry rub only. Wet marinades usually defeat the purpose of adding baking soda because depending on what kind of liquids are being used, the moisture will prevent the wings from getting very crispy.
- Side Dish Chipotle Ranch: This is without a doubt my favourite Side Dish dressing. It’s tangy, creamy, super flavourful and has just the right amount of heat from the chipotle pepper. It’s sugar-free, dairy-free, made with very clean and natural ingredients that you can pronounce and is Whole30 Approved. I like to toss the ranch wings in a bit of the Chipotle Ranch as soon as they come off the grill so that they get evenly coated. This sauce is also incredible paired with my Paleo Chicken Tenders.
- Side Dish Classic Ranch: This is Side Dish’s latest arrival and it’s even better than I expected. If you’re a fan of Ranch Dressing, you have to give this one a try! Just like all of the other Side Dish dressings, this one is made with natural and clean ingredients you’ll feel good about feeding to your family. It’s also sugar-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, seed oil-free, and Whole30 Approved. If you can’t order Side Dish Classic Ranch for any reason, serve the wings with my homemade Ranch Dressing.


Other Cooking Methods
You just can’t beat the wood-fired flavour that comes from grilling these wings on a Traeger Grill. They take on a gentle kiss of smoky flavour, get crispy on the outside and stay juicy in the middle. If you don’t have access to a Traeger, you have a couple of different cooking options.
- Air Fryer: You can air fry the wings at 400F for around 25 minutes, flipping halfway. As mentioned above, you don’t necessarily need to coat the wings in oil before air frying them. However, cooking times will depend on the strength of your air fryer, so keep an eye on them and adjust the time and heat accordingly.
- Oven on Sheet Pan: Another option is to roast the Ranch Wings in the oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Line a sheet pan with unbleached parchment paper and spread them into a single layer before roasting them at 425F for around 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
Make sure to use a sheet pan that’s large enough to comfortably fit all of the wings you plan on cooking. Otherwise, they will steam and not get as crispy. You’ll know the wings are ready when the thickest parts reach at least 165F and the outsides are golden brown and crispy. - Sheet Pan + Wire Rack: The other oven-roasted method for cooking chicken wings is to place them on a sheet pan with a wire rack. The theory here is that the rack elevates the wings and allows for hot air to circulate below them. This typically results in a crispier finished product and more even browning because the wings are not making contact with any of the rendered fat.
My main issues with this method are that the chicken wings can sometimes stick to the wire rack, making them a bit harder to flip, and the wire racks are a bit of a pain to clean, which is why I almost always roast my chicken wings on a sheet pan with parchment paper. If you do use the wire rack, be sure to use one that is heat safe (some racks are not safe for heating). When it comes time to cleaning, you can fill the sheet pan with some hot soapy water, flip the wire rack upside down, and soak it in the sheet pan to loosen some of the stuck on bits. - Conventional Grill: If you have a conventional gas or charcoal grill, you can cook the wings over a direct, medium heat and flip them every so often to prevent burning. Avoid grilling the wings over high heat because they are more likely to burn, which will cause the ranch seasoning to taste bitter.

6 Tips For Grilling Wings on a Traeger
- Keep it Clean: It should go without saying that your Traeger should be clean before you start cooking. Not only is it more sanitary, but a clean Traeger will preheat and work so much more efficiently than a dirty one. This is especially true if you haven’t cleaned out the fire pot in a while. So, if you haven’t already, go ahead and watch my Traeger cleaning video.
- Preheat the Grill: I recommend grilling the wings at 450F on the Traeger. This should account for a little bit of heat loss when opening the grill door and, depending on the weather, some ambient temperature loss on a cold day. Traegers work similarly to convection ovens in that they do not use direct heat. For something like chicken wings, which benefit from being cooked at a relatively high temperature, it’s important to let the grill fully preheat. This way, the grill grates have a chance to come to your desired temperature, ensuring a nice and even browning on the chicken wings.
- Let the Grill Do the Work: Try not to unnecessarily open and close the grill door to check on the wings. Every time you do, some of the heat escapes and it takes time to get the grill back up to temperature. By letting the grill do the work, you’ll ensure a more evenly cooked finished product and get much better colour on the wings. If you do need to open the grill door, try to close it as quickly as possible to prevent unnecessary heat loss.
- Flip Once: The same idea goes for flipping the wings, which should ideally be done only once the bottom sides have developed a golden brown crust and are no longer sticking to the grates. If your wings aren’t golden brown or are sticking to the grill when you go to flip them, let them cook another few minutes until they naturally release.
- Cook To Temp and Colour: Unlike chicken breast, which is very lean and can taste dry when cooked above 165F, chicken wings are fatty and covered in skin so they can sometimes benefit from being cooked to between 175F and 180F. This extra buffer of around 10˚F gives you time to build a crispier and more golden brown skin without sacrificing juiciness in the middle. So, if your wings are still looking pale at the 165F mark, don’t worry too much and cook them a bit longer to develop texture.
- The Sauce is Boss: As soon as the wings come off the grill, I immediately toss them in some Side Dish Chipotle Ranch. This takes the ranch wings to another level and completely coats them in an extra blanket of flavour. This stuff isn’t just delicious for a “clean-ingredient” sauce. It blows just about all the competition out of the water. Same goes for their brand new Classic Ranch, which is everything you know and love about Ranch dressing but much healthier, dairy-free, and made with super clean ingredients. You can order Sided Dish dressings online, find them in store using their store finder, or get them on Amazon.



Triple Threat Grilled Ranch Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dry dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dry red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ cup Side Dish Chipotle Ranch dressing
- 1 carrot, cut into sticks, for serving
- 1 celery stalk, cut into sticks, for serving
- 2 tablespoons Side Dish Classic Ranch dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the chicken wings, dry parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, dry dill, salt, chili flakes, black pepper, dry mustard and baking soda. Toss the wings well to coat, spread them into a single layer on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered 1 to 6 hours.
- Preheat your Traeger Grill to 450F. If using a conventional grill, preheat to medium heat. If using the oven, preheat to 425F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the wings with avocado oil and toss to coat. Place the wings onto the lowest grate of the Traeger and cook, flipping halfway, until golden brown and crispy and the thickest part registers at least 165F, around 30 minutes. If using a conventional grill, cook the wings over direct heat until golden brown and crispy and the thickest part registers at least 165F, around 20 minutes total, flipping regularly. If using the oven, cook the wings until golden brown and crispy and the thickest part registers at least 165F, around 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Transfer the wings to a large bowl, pour the Side Dish Chipotle Ranch overtop and toss well to coat. Serve the wings on a platter with the carrot sticks, celery sticks and some Side Dish Classic Ranch for dipping.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
Love your recipes,you get me every time. Looks so delicious,yum!
I’m so hungry right now but have to go buy all I ingredients to get started.