Wings are crispy, saucy, and oh so delicious. They’re one of the most classic party foods, which you’ll see served time and time again. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine an event where chicken wings wouldn’t be a good addition.
Their popularity is hardly surprising. Not only do the wings taste fantastic, but they also come in many different flavors and styles, including buffalo wings, garlic and parmesan wings, honey garlic wings, and many more.
With so many flavors, you might be wondering what to serve with wings. Thankfully, there are many exciting sides for wings, including ranch dressing, spinach artichoke dip, veggie platters, salads, fries, and even a whole pizza. These all have different features and work well in different situations.
As you go through these options, you’ll need to think a little about the flavor of your wings and the sides. For example, spicy wings work best with mild and refreshing sides, while savory wings can handle more complex and flavorful sides.
What To Serve With Wings (13 Delicious Sides)
Dips For Your Wings
Ranch Dip
Ranch isn’t just a dressing for salads. It’s also popular as a dip for vegetables and wings, which isn’t surprising, as the combination tastes amazing. This dip is especially good for spicy wings, as it helps to cool and refresh your mouth, while providing an excellent contrast.
This is also easy to prepare, as you can simply buy ranch powder and use this as the base for the dip. You’ll also need some creamy ingredients, like mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, or perhaps buttermilk. You could use ranch dressing as well. However, ranch dressing isn’t as firm as ranch dip, so it isn’t as helpful for chicken wings.
Fried Pickle Ranch Dip
This Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip is much more exciting than regular ranch dip. As well as the ranch flavor, the dip includes dill pickles, pickle juice, herbs, and panko breadcrumbs. The panko breadcrumbs are toasted before being included in the dip, contributing to the fried pickle theme.
While this dip requires more work than regular ranch dip, it’s well worth every bit of effort. In fact, you might not want to go back to regular ranch dip after trying this version.
The recipe suggests adding some of the bread crumbs and chopped pickles on top of the dip. This makes it look more interesting and also means you’d get breadcrumbs and pickles stuck to your chicken wings (making them even more delicious).
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach artichoke dip is a popular choice for parties, as it’s warm, creamy, and comforting. As the name suggests, spinach and artichokes are the star ingredients. There are also creamy additions, including sour cream and cream cheese, plus parmesan for flavor.
The dip tends to be unhealthy, as it’s packed with cheese, cream cheese, and other high fat ingredients. Still, you can make a healthier version by making a few substitutions. For example, Greek yogurt can be used for creaminess, while decreasing the fat content of the dip.
Baked Artichoke Spinach Dip
This Baked Artichoke Spinach Dip takes a traditional approach to the recipe – relying on ingredients like sour cream, mayo, butter, artichokes, and frozen spinach. There are also three types of cheese in the mix, giving the dip a complex cheesy flavor.
The recipe also includes details about variations. For example, you can add in bacon bits or crumbled sausage for extra protein and flavor. The author even suggests stirring in a little guacamole.
The creaminess of the dip would be a natural fit for any flavor of chicken wings. This is also a fantastic way to make your meal even more decadent.
Blue Cheese Dip
Blue cheese dip is most famously served with buffalo wings. This combo may also be the first approach you think about when considering sides for wings.
As with other dips, blue cheese dip provides creaminess and coolness that perfectly contrasts the intensity of your wings. And, while the dip is most often served with buffalo wings, you can just as easily serve it alongside other types of wings.
Now, we can’t talk about blue cheese dip without also mentioning celery sticks. These are a classic pairing with buffalo wings and blue cheese dip, as they provide a refreshing crunchiness that balances the meal out. If you’re not a fan of celery, another crunchy vegetable could do the trick.
Bacon Blue Cheese Dip
This Bacon Blue Cheese Dip takes blue cheese dip one step further and makes it taste truly amazing. This is also a simple dip. You can make it with just a handful of ingredients and no expertise.
Mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sour cream make up the creamy base of the dip. These are complemented by blue cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives, which provide most of the flavors.
If this dip doesn’t do it for you, there’s a list of 11 other cheese dips as part of the recipe. Most of these will be exceptional with wings, so why not try a few of them for yourself?
Tzatziki
Our final dip is tzatziki. This Greek dip uses strained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, herbs, and olive oil as the base ingredients, so it’s an easy one to make for yourself at home. You can also find tzatziki at many stores.
The coolness and creaminess of tzatziki make it an excellent complement to chicken wings. The herbs in the dip help too, as these complement common chicken wing spices.
Tzatziki is an especially good choice if you’re serving baked chicken wings. The combo even gives you a fairly healthy meal, which can’t be said for many of the other pairings on this list.
Vegan Tzatziki
This Vegan Tzatziki recipe gives you the classic flavor of tzatziki without using any animal-based ingredients. The biggest difference is that this recipe relies on vegan yogurt rather than regular Greek yogurt.
While swapping to vegan yogurt changes the flavor and texture of this dip a little, it is still instantly recognizable and is certain to be a hit.
Why vegan tzatziki when discussing a side to go with chicken? For one thing, you might serve this dip with plant-based chicken wings (yes, those do exist). Anyone with lactose intolerance might also want a dairy free dip and vegan tzatziki is an excellent one.
Vegetable-Focused Sides
A Vinegary Salad
Chicken wings tend to be fatty and decadent, so why not balance them with something crisp and healthy? Salads perform both of those functions well. Plus, there are many types to choose from.
Salads with a vinaigrette-based dressing are one of your best choices, as the acidity in the vinegar cuts through some of the fattiness from your wings. You could also look for salads with citrus in the dressing. These will have a similar effect and are often delicious.
Holiday Honeycrisp Salad
This Holiday Honeycrisp Salad is perfect if you want something more complex. In addition to the salad greens, the recipe features honeycrisp apples, pecan halves, blue cheese, and dried fruit (either cranberries or cherries), along with a vinaigrette dressing.
The selection of ingredients gives this salad a more complex texture than normal and some interesting flavors. It would be most appealing if you’re serving your wings as part of a sit-down dinner. Still, even at a party, this salad could go down a treat.
Some Type Of Slaw
Slaws are always fantastic, even more so if you’re serving wings as part of a BBQ. Many versions rely on mayo in their dressing, giving you similar creaminess to the dips we discussed earlier.
Other versions skip the mayo. These ones tend to be vibrant and will cut through any fattiness from your wings.
The trick is to find a good balance between your wings and a salad. For example, a coleslaw that relies on Asian flavors could be fantastic with teriyaki wings. Alternatively, you could turn to a cilantro and lime slaw for something vibrant.
Vietnamese-Inspired Asian Slaw
The vegetable ingredients in this Vietnamese-Inspired Asian Slaw aren’t terribly exciting. Nor do they need to be, as it’s the dressing that makes this recipe stand out.
This dressing follows the style of Nuoc Cham, which is a Vietnamese dipping sauce. The author has tweaked the sauce slightly to create a tangy and sweet dressing, with just a little spice. This beautiful dressing will work well with any combination of slaw vegetables. You could even use it on a regular lettuce-based salad.
Spinach Salad
While lettuce salad can be delicious, sometimes you want something a little heartier or with some more nutrients, like a spinach salad.
As with lettuce salads, there’s plenty of room for variation. Some examples include a spinach salad with bacon and a warm vinaigrette, a strawberry and goat cheese spinach salad, or a chicken Caesar salad that uses spinach instead of romaine lettuce.
The same principles also apply to other types of dark leafy green, including kale. In the end, you can simply choose whichever type of salad you enjoy the most. Or, perhaps experiment with different salads at different times.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
This Strawberry Spinach Salad provides bursts of flavor from the fresh strawberries (you can substitute these for any other type of berry if you don’t have strawberries on hand). There are also some interesting complementary ingredients, including red onions, cooked bacon, feta cheese, and candied walnuts.
All these extra ingredients add to the texture and flavor profile, making the salad much more interesting.
Finally, to bring the whole salad together, there’s a 5-minute poppy seed dressing. This creamy dressing includes mayo, milk, apple cider vinegar, and poppy seeds. It’s exactly what you need for the salad and should also nicely complement your chicken wings.
Veggie Platter
Celery sticks are frequently served with buffalo wings, as they’re refreshing and provide a satisfying crunch. Both features work well with the wings. So… why not extend the idea out to include different types of vegetables and wings?
For a party, you might do this by making a veggie platter with a selection of dips. You’ll be looking for vegetables that work well with dips, like the ones you might serve alongside hummus.
To reduce the amount of work, look for dips that will go well with your chosen vegetables and with chicken wings. Some of the types we discussed earlier will work well, including blue cheese dip and ranch dip.
You can also experiment. Simply look for dip flavors that either complement or contrast the flavors on your chicken wings.
Best Ever Crudité Platter
This Best Ever Crudité Platter is an elaborate vegetable tray that could be a centerpiece at any party. It goes beyond the normal dipping vegetables to include green beans, radishes, and asparagus, all of which make the board more interesting than normal.
Most of the vegetables and dips will easily complement your wings. Even the peanut butter dip could if you’re serving satay wings or something similar.
Besides, you don’t need every single part of the board to complement your wings. Party guests will all vary in which foods they focus on.
Other Sides For Wings
Fries
Now we have the sides that double down on the grease of chicken wings, starting with fries. After all, healthy sides aren’t always the way to go. Sometimes you’ll just want a meal that tastes amazing.
Another cool thing is that fries are so versatile. For example, you can change the shape and make curly fries or you can change the vegetable, turning to sweet potatoes rather than regular potatoes. You can also bake fries rather than deep frying them to make them healthier.
Then there are all the possible seasonings and toppings. You could even go all out here and serve chili cheese fries or loaded fries along with your wings. Why not?
Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Cheese Fries
Aren’t these Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Cheese Fries stunning? They’re also unusual, as the recipe includes fries, bacon, and chicken nuggets. The chicken nuggets are an unusual addition, but one that works well and provides extra protein and flavor.
There’s also plenty of cheese, some chili peppers and garlic, plus ranch dressing. The only catch is that you might need a fork to eat these fries, which is a pain when you’re eating wings. Still, the deliciousness of this recipe is too good to pass up.
Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are another classic party food. They’re generally made using halved jalapenos, which are then stuffed with a creamy filling. Some versions are breaded and fried, while others may be baked instead.
There’s no end to the possible styles and variations. This includes playing around with the flavors of the filling, using different toppings, and thinking about how you cook them. Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are an extremely popular style and can easily be served alongside wings.
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
As the name suggests, these Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are made in the air fryer. This approach makes them fast and easy to prepare, while ensuring they’re delicious and crispy. That said, you can use your oven if you don’t have an air fryer.
The ingredients are typical for jalapeno poppers, including cream cheese, regular cheese, green onions, paprika, and garlic powder. You could easily change some of the spices or experiment with the type of cheese if you’re looking for something a little different.
Onion Rings
Onion rings have similar features to fries, so much so that you might serve onion rings and fries together with your chicken wings. And, like fries, you can make onion rings a bit healthier by baking them instead of frying them.
While onion rings can’t be varied as much as fries, there are still some options. For example, some people use the same ingredients to make onion strings rather than onion rings. These can be fun to eat and somehow taste even better than traditional onion rings.
You can also add herbs and spices into the batter to make the onion rings better. Consider the type of coating as well. You might use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs to make the onion rings lighter. You could even use spiced breadcrumbs or combine breadcrumbs with coconut flakes to create a slight tropical flavor.
Crispy Oven Baked Onion Rings
These Crispy Oven Baked Onion Rings are one of the healthiest versions of onion rings you can make. They’re also unusual in that they’re also gluten free and low carb.
To hit all those dietary goals, the recipe author needed to get creative with how the onion rings are made. They start with a light dry batter that includes arrowroot powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. There’s also a simple wet batter of eggs, mayo, and coconut milk (regular milk will work fine too).
The arrowroot powder is responsible for the crispness of the wings, so you can’t skip this. But, if you don’t have any, cornstarch would work too or perhaps a cornstarch substitute.
Mac And Cheese
Mac and cheese is best when serving chicken wings as part of a sit-down meal. It’s a fantastic choice when the wings are packed with flavor, as the mac and cheese complements the flavor without drowning it out.
If your chicken wings are on the mild side, you can switch things around and make a more flavorful version of mac and cheese. There are plenty of ways to do so, like adding truffle oil and parmesan cheese, adding smoked cheese, or using extra ingredients like bacon.
Easy Mac And Cheese Bites
These Easy Mac and Cheese Bites have similar features to regular mac and cheese, except they’re now in finger food form. This makes them perfect for serving at parties, BBQs, and most events you can imagine.
These bites aren’t as unhealthy as they first seem either. Sure, they’re fried, but this isn’t done through deep frying. An air fryer is used instead, which keeps the extra oil to a minimum.
The recipe is designed to use leftover mac and cheese, so you can make it using your own favorite mac and cheese recipe. Even mac and cheese from the box is likely to do the trick.
Pizza
For some, pairing pizza and wings feels like going overboard, partly because there’s so much grease.
For others, the pairing is a match made in heaven. One benefit is that the wings provide extra protein, making the meal more filling than it would be otherwise (pizza does contain some protein, but many versions focus heavily on carbs and fat).
You can also look for complementary flavors between your pizza and wings. For example, a BBQ chicken pizza can work well with honey BBQ wings. You can also try buffalo wings with buffalo chicken pizza.
Or, for contrast, try serving teriyaki wings with a Hawaiian pizza. The sweetness from the pineapple stands out well against the savory and slightly sweet notes in the teriyaki sauce.
White Mushroom Pizza
Bored of regular pizza? If so, this White Mushroom Pizza could be perfect. Notably, the pizza doesn’t rely on a tomato-based sauce at all. This completely changes the flavor profile and allows the mushrooms to dominate.
The cheese is also interesting, as the pizza uses a combination of fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese. The ricotta provides some interesting savory notes, which work well with the mushrooms and dried herbs in the recipe.
The Best Sides For Specific Wings
Now that we’ve covered the general sides, let’s talk about some specific situations. After all, the best sides will vary depending on the flavor of your wings and the type of event.
What To Serve With Buffalo Wings
Blue cheese dip and celery sticks is the most traditional pairing for buffalo wings. It’s also an exceptional choice, as you’re getting a flavor contrast from the blue cheese, plus plenty of crunch from the celery. Other creamy dips work well just as well, including ranch dressing.
Don’t forget about crunchy sides too, like onion rings, fries, and coleslaw. These all work well with the flavor of buffalo wings, while providing an excellent texture contrast.
What To Serve With Hot Wings
For hot wings, you’re often looking for some type of cooling or creamy dish to balance the heat. Cucumber slices, ranch dressing, or a blue cheese dip are all viable options.
You might serve some type of crunchy side at the same time. Crisp vegetables are a common option here, as are onion rings and other fried sides.
What To Serve With Garlic and Parmesan Wings
Garlic and parmesan wings are less intense than buffalo wings or spicy wings, which changes things a little. Notably, you can pair these wings with bolder sides, such as loaded fries, jalapeno poppers, or flavorful mac and cheese.
This pattern also works for other relatively mild chicken wing flavors. Of course, you can still go with sides like fries, onion rings, or a salad. Those classic options work regardless of the seasoning on your wings.
What To Serve With Wings At A Party
For a party, you’re typically looking for finger foods. After all, guests are likely to be standing and talking, rather than sitting down with a knife and fork.
Also think about the flavor of your wings. These should complement the other ingredients, as guests often won’t be stopping to clean their fingers after each chicken wing. Finger foods like onion rings and mozzarella sticks are great choices, as they’ll work well with most wing seasonings.
What To Serve With Wings At A BBQ
For a BBQ, the classic BBQ sides, like potato salad and coleslaw are a fantastic place to begin. Wings already work well with these, so your menu shouldn’t need any changes. That said, you will need plenty of napkins to help with the mess of chicken wings.
What To Serve With Wings During Dinner
Finally, we have more formal occasions, like when you’re serving wings as part of a sit down dinner. Here you’re often looking for more elegant sides, such as a quinoa salad, garlic parmesan green beans, or perhaps roast vegetables.
What To Serve With Hummus