Buffalo wings are a popular appetizer or snack consisting of deep-fried chicken wings coated in a spicy buffalo sauce. They originated in Buffalo, New York in the 1960s and have since become a staple food item across the United States. Buffalo wings are commonly served with a side of blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. The combination of the spicy wings paired with the cool and creamy blue cheese dressing creates a dynamic flavor profile. The celery provides a crunchy, fresh contrast to cut through the rich flavors. While this classic serving style is ubiquitous, there are many other popular accompaniments for buffalo wings as well.
Blue Cheese Dressing
Blue cheese dressing is considered one of the quintessential dipping sauces for buffalo wings. Its tangy, creamy base contains crumbles of blue cheese that add a robust, salty flavor. The creaminess of the blue cheese tempers the spiciness of the buffalo sauce. It also cools down the mouth after eating piping hot wings fresh from the fryer. Most restaurants and bars will provide cups of blue cheese dressing when serving an order of buffalo wings.
Making blue cheese dressing from scratch is easy. Simply whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Then fold in blue cheese crumbles. The dressing can be prepared ahead of time and chilled until ready to serve alongside hot wings.
Store-bought vs. Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
While homemade blue cheese dressing is delicious, store-bought works perfectly fine for dipping wings. Opt for a high-quality refrigerated brand versus a bottled shelf-stable variety for the best flavor. Popular brands like Ken’s Steakhouse Buttermilk Blue Cheese and Marie’s Blue Cheese dressings are tasty options.
Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing is another cooling, creamy dip for buffalo wings. It has a similar textures to blue cheese but with a milder, herbaceous taste versus pungent blue cheese. The creamy base mixed with onions, garlic, herbs, and spices pairs well with spicy wings. The vegetables add a fresh crunch.
Preparing homemade ranch dressing for wings requires just a few ingredients. Whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried dill, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Chill the dressing for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
Bottled Ranch vs. Homemade Ranch
For ease, opt for quality refrigerated ranch dressings from brands like Hidden Valley or Marzetti versus dry powdered dressing mixes. However, thick, creamy homemade ranch really takes buffalo wings to the next level.
Celery Sticks
Celery stalks are the classic vegetable accompaniment to buffalo wings. Crisp, cool celery provides a refreshing contrast to spicy hot wings. The fibers help cleanse the palate in between bites of wings. Celery’s high water content also helps tame heat and prevent dehydration from eating very spicy food.
For serving with wings, cut washed celery stalks into 3-4 inch sticks. Keep them chilled in ice water until ready to serve to ensure they stay crisp. Have plenty of napkins nearby as buffalo wing sauce loves to cling to the grooves and strings of celery sticks.
Other Fresh Veggies
While celery is traditional, carrots, bell pepper strips, cucumber spears, and radishes also make great vehicles for dipping into buffalo wing sauce. Varying textures and flavors keep each bite interesting.
Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery
For an upscale twist on wings accompaniments, try stuffing hollowed celery stalks with creamy bleu cheese. Simply cut washed celery stalks into 3-4 inch lengths, then use a knife or apple corer to remove the inner strings. Stuff the hollow centers with crumbled bleu cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Chill stuffed celery sticks until ready to serve.
Creamy Bleu Cheese Coleslaw
Cool, crunchy coleslaw provides the perfect crunchy, peppery foil for spicy wings. Boost plain coleslaw by tossing shredded cabbage and carrots with a tangy bleu cheese dressing instead of mayo. The creaminess helps temper heat while the veggies cleanse the palate.
To make bleu cheese coleslaw, whisk together bleu cheese dressing, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with shredded green and red cabbage along with grated carrots. Chill coleslaw for 1-2 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld and cabbage to soften.
Crudités
A veggie platter of raw crudités works fantastically alongside buffalo wings for some crunch and cooling contrast. Try an assortment of veggies like celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, and radishes. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Potato Wedges
Crispy potato wedges complement buffalo wings for a completely indulgent snack or appetizer. Season thick potato wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper then roast them in a hot oven until golden brown. Offer potato wedges with wings for dipping into any leftover buffalo sauce or blue cheese dressing.
Bread
Simple slices of crusty bread or rolls work well for sopping up leftover buffalo wing sauce. The bread absorbs the spicy, buttery sauce for a quick snack or appetizer. For a more filling accompaniment, serve warm baked bread rolls or cornbread with wings.
Garlic Bread
For extra flavor, make garlic bread for serving with wings. Spread slices of French or Italian bread with butter or olive oil mixed with minced garlic. Bake until golden brown then slice and serve. The garlicky flavor and crispy texture pairs perfectly with saucy buffalo wings.
Fries
Crispy fries served alongside buffalo wings make for the ultimate bar food snack. Whether steak fries, waffle fries, or curly fries, hot crunchy potatoes pair deliciously when dunked into leftover buffalo sauce. For extra flavor, toss the fries in seasoning like cajun spice, parmesan cheese, or ranch powder before baking.
Sweet Potato Fries
For a change of pace from regular fries, try oven-baked sweet potato fries with wings. Slice sweet potatoes into fry shapes, toss with oil and seasoning, then bake until crispy. The natural sweetness balances the spicy, tangy flavors of buffalo sauce.
Onion Rings
Onion rings are the ideal accompaniment to serve with saucy, messy wings. The crispy battered rings provide a fun textural contrast to juicy wings. Their mild oniony flavor also helps balance the kick of spicy buffalo sauce. Fry up a batch of homemade onion rings or pick up prepared ones from your local pub or restaurant.
Macaroni and Cheese
For ultimate comfort food, a side of ooey-gooey macaroni and cheese perfectly complements buffalo wings. The rich, creamy pasta helps temper the heat of the spicy wings. To make buffalo mac and cheese, add a dash of hot sauce directly to the cheese sauce for a hint of heat. Top with crispy breadcrumbs or buffalo chicken for next-level flavor.
Dips and Spreads
In addition to dressings and sauces, buffalo wings pair well with a variety of dips and spreads beyond blue cheese. These condiments add flavor and provide a cooling contrast to the spicy wings.
Guacamole
Cool, creamy guacamole makes a delicious dip for wings. The buttery avocado tempers heat while the vegetables and lime juice cleanse the palate. Make chunky guacamole by mashing ripe avocados with onion, tomato, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Serve guacamole chilled with hot wings for dipping.
Hummus
Like guacamole, the creaminess of hummus helps balance spicy wings. Chickpeas provide protein to make it a more substantial accompaniment. Whip up a batch by blending chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings. Garnish with extra olive oil and paprika.
Baba Ghanoush
For a Middle Eastern twist, try baba ghanoush alongside wings. It contains roasted eggplant pureed with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini. The smoky eggplant pairs wonderfully with tangy buffalo sauce.
Tzatziki
Cool, refreshing tzatziki sauce combines creamy Greek yogurt with shredded cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic, and mint. The tangy yogurt-based dip helps temper heat while the veggies provide freshness.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Hot, cheesy spinach artichoke dip is the ultimate indulgent accompaniment for spicy wings. The blend of spinach, artichoke hearts, cheeses, cream, and seasonings bakes up bubbly and delicious. Serve it straight from the oven with piping hot wings.
Coleslaws
No-mayo coleslaws provide a lighter complement to rich buffalo wings. The crisp cool cabbage also cleanses the palate. Try unique flavors like:
- Asian – shredded cabbage, carrots, green onion, cilantro, sesame oil, rice vinegar
- Citrus – cabbage, orange segments, red onion, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice
- Jicama – cabbage, jicama, pineapple, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice
Salads
For a more filling, healthy accompaniment, serve big tossed salads alongside spicy wings. The vegetables, greens, and vinaigrettes help balance heavy fried appetizers. Build a salad bar with assorted fresh greens, toppings like tomatoes, carrots, peppers, cheese, beans, nuts, and crunchy croutons. Offer vinaigrette and creamy dressings on the side.
Potato Salad
Old-fashioned potato salad is a hearty classic pairing for wings. Chilled, creamy potato salad with lots of celery provides crispness to contrast saucy wings. Prepare original mayo-based potato salad or try versions with yogurt or tangy vinaigrettes.
Pasta Salad
For a filling side, pasta salads with vegetables, cheese, and protein make a satisfying accompaniment. Chilled bowtie, rotini, or corkscrew pasta tossed with tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cheddar, ham, and Italian dressing perfectly complements hot spicy wings.
Dips Summary Table
| Dip/Sauce | Ingredients | Flavor Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cheese Dressing | Mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, lemon, garlic, pepper | Creamy, tangy, robust |
| Ranch Dressing | Mayonnaise, buttermilk, herbs, onion, garlic, pepper | Creamy, herbaceous, mild |
| Guacamole | Avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice | Creamy, bright, buttery |
| Hummus | Chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic | Creamy, nutty, lemony |
| Baba Ghanoush | Eggplant, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini | Smoky, rich, tangy |
| Tzatziki | Greek yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, dill | Creamy, herbal, cooling |
Crunchy Sides Summary Table
| Side | Description |
|---|---|
| Celery sticks | Chilled celery sticks provide crunch and cooling |
| Carrot sticks | Crunchy carrots help cleanse palate |
| Bell peppers | Strips of red, yellow, orange peppers add flavor |
| Cucumber spears | Crisp cucumber provides hydration |
| Radishes | Spicy radishes cut through rich flavors |
| Jicama sticks | Mild sweet jicama gives juicy crunch |
| Coleslaw | Cabbage tossed in vinaigrette cools heat |
| Potato wedges | Crispy roasted seasoned potato wedges |
| Fries | French fries, sweet potato fries, or waffle fries |
| Onion rings | Crispy battered and fried onion rings |
Conclusion
Buffalo wings are traditionally accompanied by celery sticks and creamy blue cheese dressing to balance heat. However, the possibilities are endless for tasty pairings. Cool, fresh vegetables provide crunch and relief from spicy sauce. Dips like ranch, guacamole, and spinach artichoke are crowd-pleasing options. Crispy fried sides such as fries and onion rings are indulgent pairings. Salads and slaws add lighter balance with greens and vinaigrettes. Whatever delicious foods you choose to serve alongside, a spread of accompaniments elevates buffalo wings from simple bar snack to full appetizer spread.