Buffalo Wild Wings' Poppin' Ranch Is Gimmicky, But Oh So Much Fun

At some point in your life and mine, our mouths have given into the magic that is the explosive candied crystals within a packet of Pop Rocks. Despite the rumor that Mikey from the Life cereal commercials died mixing them with soda, nothing has stopped these fun candies from the 1970s. I'm not sure if any restaurant chain has thought of it before, but the wizards over at Buffalo Wild Wings decided to take the oral excitement of popping candy and flavor it not with sweetness, but savoriness. Wings love being dipped in sauces, and one of the most popular is ranch. If there was any doubt about its hold on eaters, just ask all those tourists who discovered ranch during their World Cup travels in the U.S. and weren't ready to head home without it. Yep, BW3, with help of a Wisconsin company called Popping Fun, went there — and whether America is ready for it or not, here comes Poppin' Ranch.

In a statement, Tristan Meline, Brand President, Buffalo Wild Wings said, "B-Dubs has done something that's never been done before with Poppin' Ranch." He added, "It's an unexpected sensory experience that sounds wild, tastes delicious, and has to be experienced to be believed."

This sounds all well, and perhaps good — but how does it actually sound, and is it any good? The Takeout tore open a lot of packets of Poppin' Ranch to find out where the truth lies. Now all can be revealed in this well seasoned chew and review.

In advance of its release in stores, Buffalo Wild Wings held a release party for its new Poppin' Ranch seasoning in a warm July evening in Manhattan. At the event, there were plenty of packets at the ready, as well as a bevy of Buffalo Wild Wings fare to sample it on — including but not limited to bone-in wings, boneless wings, spicy cauliflower bites, fried pickles, and sliders. There were even martinis served with a rim of the Poppin' Ranch seasoning.

This chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also took into consideration my previous experiences with Buffalo Wild Wings and its products, ranch dressing and seasonings, and my overall impressions of this new Poppin' Ranch seasoning. The ultimate criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, smell, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, value, and ultimately, whether this packet is worth tearing open and either pouring onto your food and/or mouth.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Right off the bat, one could tell there was something special about the flakes hanging out within the packet labeled "Poppin' Ranch" in a bubbly font. With its bright yellow packaging, it almost looked like an offshoot version of Mini Mini Chicles. The package was easy to rip open from one side to the other. I leaned in for a whiff, and it had a rich aroma that ranged from buttermilk to Parmesan cheese. Visually, it looked like granular bread crumbs.

I figured the best way to first experience this ranch-flavored popping candy was unadulterated, and threw a dash of the seasoning directly into my mouth. As soon as it reached my tongue, the fun began. The popping wasn't anything super-intense, but these rocks certainly were dancing around, creating a quiet cacophony of sound that the ears somehow were able to prick up to. On subsequent tastes, I got my teeth involved, which enjoyed the texture and pop of the candy perhaps even more so than my tongue did. Sensory pleasures aside, and most importantly, the ranch flavoring was creamy and super-tasty.

Poppin' Ranch was already working wonders, and I hadn't even yet let it touch a lick of Buffalo Wild Wings' food. For my next move, I poured a generous amount on some honey BBQ wings, and the seasoning's sheer whiteness literally shone a bright light on the chicken's darkened exterior. The wing's sauce also did a solid job of keeping the seasoning in place, and when eaten in unison, the yum and the fun continued in a way I hoped would never end.

Beyond surprisingly versatile Old Bay, Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, or Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel, it's not often I would recommend a seasoning blend to someone. However, I'd like to add Buffalo Wild Wings' Poppin' Ranch to that list. These packets may not be around forever, and may not even be something you want to have seconds of. But it's your civic duty to introduce your mouth to try on a packet (or seven) for size this summer. Come for the curiosity, and stay for the oral amusement, the sizzling sounds, and lovely overall ranch flavoring.

I was having so much pleasure with the seasoning that I poured it on every bite headed my way. It worked as well on bone-in wings as it did on boneless ones, as well as fried cauliflower bites, and even a burger slider. What I soon realized was that one packet was not nearly enough to satisfy my now lofty ranch needs. The only stop sign in my seasoned journey was when I sprinkled Poppin' Ranch on slices of fried pickles. They are divine on their own, but immensely high in salt. Adding more sodium-rich ingredients proved to be a bridge too far.

Not sure why I waited until the end of my taste test to try this, but as I was going out on so many limbs, I covered my wings in not only the Poppin' Ranch but also a healthy amount of actual ranch sauce. This could have been almost too much of a good thing but my taste buds were overloaded in a marvelous way, where ranch hung a perfect 10 in a sand and surf format.

Starting July 20, 2026, Poppin' Ranch will be available at participating nationwide locations of Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars and Buffalo Wild Wings GO locations. The seasoning packets come in one size only, and will be available for a limited time only, while supplies last.

Poppin' Ranch packets are available to order anytime Buffalo Wild Wings is open for business. They can be purchased in-store or in advance for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery through the Buffalo Wild Wings app or website. Each packet costs 99 cents, although prices may vary and could be higher for delivery orders or ones placed through third party sites.

The magic elements that make up Buffalo Wild Wings' Poppin' Ranch include carbonated crystals consisting of sugar, lactose, corn syrup solids, water, carbon dioxide, a ranch seasoning mixing up the talents of buttermilk, maltodextrin, salt, dehydrated garlic and onion, vinegar powder, lactic acid, citric acid, yeast extract, parsley flakes, spices, disodium inosinate and guanylate, and topped off with salt, and hydrogenated coconut oil. It contains the allergen milk.

One packet contains 10 grams of Poppin' Ranch Seasoning. That's good for 35 calories, ½ gram of total fat, 550 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of total sugars including 4 grams of added sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 30 milligrams of calcium. That one packet accounts for 24% of one's daily intake of sodium. Based on the imprinted best by date, this packet should be good to go for at least 16 months — which, in my opinion, means they are worth stocking up on.