Crispy Garlic-Parm Boneless Wings with Buttermilk Ranch

These boneless wings start with hand-trimmed chicken breast, marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce for tenderness and a gentle kick. The secret is the...

4 servings
American Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Nov 16, 2025
10 views

Ingredients

🥩

1.5 lb

boneless skinless chicken breasts

hand-trimmed, cut into 1.5-inch pieces

🥬

0.25 cup

cornstarch

🥛

3 tablespoons

whole milk

🥩

0.5 cup

Parmigiano-Reggiano

freshly grated, plus extra for garnish

🥛

2 tablespoons

buttermilk

for ranch dressing

🥩

2 whole

large eggs

💧

2 tablespoons

Frank's RedHot sauce

🌾

1.5 cups

all-purpose flour

🫒

2 tablespoons

extra-virgin olive oil

for drizzling

🥬

4 cloves

garlic

freshly minced

📦

0.25 cup

mayonnaise

high-quality like Duke's

🥛

1 cup

buttermilk

full-fat for best tenderizing

📦

2 tablespoons

Italian parsley

freshly chopped

🥛

4 tablespoons

unsalted butter

🥬

1 tablespoon

garlic powder

🥬

1 teaspoon

onion powder

🥛

0.5 cup

sour cream

full-fat

🥬

1 teaspoon

freshly ground black pepper

🍎

1 teaspoon

fresh lemon juice

🌶️

2 teaspoons

kosher salt

divided

🌶️

1 teaspoon

smoked paprika

📦

1 tablespoon

fresh dill

chopped

📦

1 tablespoon

fresh chives

snipped

📦

1 teaspoon

baking powder

aluminum-free for clean flavor

Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other

Instructions

Step 1
Combine the buttermilk and Frank's RedHot sauce in a bowl, whisk to incorporate. Add the chicken pieces, ensuring each is submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. The lactic acid in buttermilk tenderizes while the hot sauce seasons deep into the meat.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan and mist with olive oil. Elevating the chicken on a rack allows hot air to circulate, crisping all surfaces without deep-frying.
Step 3
In a shallow dish, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper, and baking powder. Cornstarch and baking powder create micro-blisters for ultimate crunch.
Step 4
In a second dish, beat the eggs with whole milk until homogenous. This egg wash acts as glue for the second flour coating.
Step 5
Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, pressing so the flour adheres to every crevice. Dip in egg wash, then return to flour, pressing again for a craggy, shaggy coating. The double-dredge builds layers that fry up into a shatter-crisp shell.
Step 6
Arrange coated pieces on the prepared rack, leaving space between. Mist tops generously with olive oil. Bake 12 minutes, flip, mist again, and bake 10-15 minutes more until deep golden and an internal thermometer reads 160°F.
Step 7
While the chicken roasts, melt unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds—just until fragrant. Off heat, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and Italian parsley; the residual heat melts the cheese into a glossy sauce without clumping.
Step 8
For the ranch: whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, dill, chives, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Thin with an extra teaspoon of buttermilk if needed. Chill until service.
Step 9
Transfer hot chicken to a warm bowl, pour over the garlic-Parm butter, and toss until every crag is lacquered. Finish with an extra shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano and parsley. Serve immediately with the chilled buttermilk ranch for the hot-cool contrast that defines restaurant-quality wings.

✨Chef's Tips

  • ★Maintain 425°F oven temperature—use an oven thermometer. Below 400°F the crust will absorb oil and turn soggy; above 450°F the cheese can scorch.
  • ★If the flour in your dredging dish becomes wet and clumpy halfway through, swap in fresh seasoned flour. Clumps prevent the second coat from adhering and give uneven browning.
  • ★For make-ahead game day: roast the wings until just shy of golden, cool, then refrigerate on the rack. Reheat at 450°F for 6-8 minutes, toss with freshly warmed garlic-Parm butter just before serving—restaurant-style par-cooking.
  • ★Use genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano, not pre-grated. Its lower moisture and higher glutamate content melts into a silky emulsion and delivers deep umami that pre-grated cheeses can’t match.
boneless wingsgarlic parmesanoven friedbuttermilk ranchgame dayfamily friendly