A note from Mary: The idea for this low sodium buffalo wings recipe started percolating after that first conversation Chris had with his hospital roommate who couldn’t easily order a low sodium meal from a standard menu. Chris learned he was a long-haul truck driver and had spent most of his life eating cheeseburgers and Cokes at truck stops as his mainstay meal. Knowing that he too would need to change his eating habits, Chris challenged himself to find a way to make his favorite football-watching snack not only LoSo, but also delicious. He originally created this recipe in 2015 and it’s still as delicious as the first time we ate them!
Low Sodium Buffalo Wings and Ranch Dipping Sauce
When I first began my Low Sodium Journey, this was the first recipe I set out to conquer and hack the salt. Buffalo wings were my favorite appetizer when I would go out, or were perfect for Poker Night with the guys, or for the big game. If I could make, eat, and enjoy this dish, I knew I was onto something and I would be able to really own and adapt to this low sodium life. So I really needed a recipe for low sodium Buffalo Wings and Ranch Dipping Sauce.
Breaking It Down
Once I perfected the wings at home, I began to look for low sodium products to help hack out more salt. The McIlhenny’s Original Tabasco Sauce is the mass-produced hot sauce that I found available almost anywhere, with the lowest sodium, at 30 mg. per teaspoon. There are more hot sauces and many flavors beyond buffalo if you want to customize the wings to your own favorite tastes.
The salt is usually found in two places, the wing sauce and the dipping sauce. As a heart transplant survivor, I can’t have blue cheese due to the live mold strains (or pretty much any unpasteurized cheese) due to my suppressed immune system. So I naturally went with Ranch. Please let me know what your favorite wings and dipping sauces are in the comments below. Here is how to make your own Low Sodium Buffalo Wings & Ranch Dipping Sauce:
Low Sodium Buffalo Wings and Ranch Dipping Sauce
Low Sodium Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
- 24 Chicken Wings
- 3 T Unsalted Butter
- 3 T Tabasco Sauce or other Low Sodium Hot Sauce
- 2 T White Vinegar
- Cooking Spray to coat the foil on the roasting pan
Instructions
- Thaw the wings to room temperature and pat them dry with a paper towelto remove any extra moisture
- With cooking shears or a knife, cut off and discard the small tip of each wing.
- Also cut the main wing bone and second wing bone at the joint.
- Line a ¾” deep baking sheet with foil, and spray a light coating of cooking spray.
- Place the wings on the sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven until crisp, about 30-40 minutes.
- Melt the butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat; and whisk in the hot sauce and vinegar.
- Place wings in a large bowl or container that can be covered with a lid, or some foil.
- Pour sauce over the wings, cover the bowl tightly with foil or a lid and shake to coat the wings.
- Remove wings from the sauce and collect the remaining sauce in a bowl for guests who want more sauce.
Nutrition
Hidden Sodium in Ranch Dressing
Hidden salt in Ranch dressing can appear in many places. We are concerned with hacking the salt out of this recipe, so here is where we can do that:
The base of the sauce – Use the lowest sodium versions of the following bases based on your preference; Greek Yogurt, Mayonnaise, Buttermilk, Milk, or Yogurt.
The spices – Many manufacturers do have salt free versions of spices and spice mixes.
Low Sodium Ranch Dipping Sauce
Low Sodium Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt use a brand with fewer than 70g of sodium
- 1 t Dried/Fresh Dill
- 1 T Dried Parsley
- 1/2 t Garlic Powder
- 1 t Dried Minced Onions
- t ¼ Black Pepper ground
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl by hand, or use a small food processor for a smoother consistency.
- Serve in a bowl for dipping.
Nutrition
Thank you SO much! My husband is on a low salt diet to protect his kidney function. It’s so difficult to find anything without salt! He just mentioned that he’d never eat a buffalo wing again, but thanks to you, he will! We look forward to seeing future recipes! (Especially the ones with just a few ingredients, like the wings and sauce!) Thank you, again!
Need recipes..thank you
Thank you so much for the scratch recipe for ranch dressing. Don’t waste your time and money on Mrs Dash’s Ranch Dressing Mix. It tastes nasty! None of the fresh herbs taste of ranch dressing, All you can taste is garlic!
I love you, I love you, I LOVE you!! Thank you so much for sharing.
You are very welcome!
Where do you look to get your nutritional information? When I looks online one serving of baked chicken wings with no sauce comes up with 480mg of sodium, not 52.1
Hi Tom;
I get the information right from the package. You have to check chicken that way. There is not a universal number that you can glean from Google. The reason for that is how chicken is processed. Most Chicken is frozen in saltwater, or injected with saltwater to plump it up for grocery stores. I tend to go with free range and organic chickens (Whole Foods usually has the lowest store bought). I also made friends with local butchers and farmers about sourcing product. It’s so sad we are programmed to think of chicken as healthy, when it is the highest processed protein we eat.
Thank you, this was very helpful.
How long can you keep homemade ranch in frig before going bad?
As the base of the sauce is Greek yogurt the dip should last as long as the expiration date of the yogurt.