Planning food for a group is always more stressful than it needs to be — too little and people leave hungry, too much and you’re stuck with leftovers nobody wants. Buffalo Wild Wings solves that problem with a catering and party menu built specifically for game days, office lunches, and get-togethers, with tray sizes that scale cleanly as your headcount grows.

Here’s what you need to know before you place an order.

How Much Should You Order?

The simplest rule of thumb: plan for about 10 wings per person if wings are the main event. That means:

  • A 50-wing tray comfortably feeds around 5 people
  • A 100-wing tray feeds around 10 people
  • A 150-wing tray feeds around 15 people

That said, this ratio assumes wings are the centerpiece of the meal. If you’re pairing wings with sides, appetizers, or other mains, you can usually stretch the count a little further per person.

Bone-In vs. Boneless: Which to Order for a Group

Traditional (bone-in) wings are the classic choice for game-day catering they hold up well on a shared tray and feel like the “real” wing experience most guests expect.

Boneless wings work better for office settings or grab-and-go situations, since they’re easier to eat one-handed without making a mess at a desk.

One detail worth knowing: boneless wings are breaded and therefore contain gluten, while traditional bone-in wings are naturally gluten-free before sauce is added. If you have guests with dietary restrictions, this distinction matters when you’re building the order.

Vegetarian-Friendly Option: Cauliflower Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings also offers cauliflower wings as a vegetarian-friendly alternative, available in the same tray-style format as chicken wings  including a 50-piece tray option alongside smaller and larger sizes. One important caveat cauliflower wings are cooked in beef shortening, so they aren’t strictly vegetarian for guests who avoid animal-derived cooking fats. Worth checking with the restaurant directly if a guest has that specific restriction.

Sauces and Dry Rubs for Catering Orders

Catering trays let you choose sauces and dry rubs just like a dine-in order, which makes it easy to cover a range of tastes across a group. A practical approach for mixed crowds:

  • One mild option (Honey BBQ or Parmesan Garlic) for guests who don’t want heat
  • One medium option (Medium sauce or Caribbean Jerk) as the safe middle ground
  • One hot option (Hot or Nashville Hot) for the spice-seekers in the group

Dips like bleu cheese and ranch typically come standard with wing orders, so you don’t need to order those separately.

Beyond Wings: Rounding Out the Order

A catering order doesn’t have to stop at wings. Popular additions for group orders include:

  • Appetizer platters: mozzarella sticks, chips and guacamole, pretzel knots, and cheese curds all travel well and are easy to share
  • Sides in bulk: French fries and potato wedges are common picks for filling out a spread
  • Desserts: items like chocolate fudge cake or New York-style cheesecake give the order a finishing touch for longer events.

Tips for a Smooth Catering Order

Order ahead: Large trays take time to prepare, especially around peak game-day windows, so placing your order a day in advance (or at least several hours ahead) helps avoid delays.

Mix wing types if your group is split: Ordering both bone-in and boneless in smaller quantities usually satisfies more people than committing to one style for the whole tray.

Confirm pricing with your local restaurant: Catering prices can vary by location, so it’s worth a quick call or checking your nearest restaurant’s ordering platform before finalizing numbers for a large group.

Ask about dietary needs upfront: Between gluten in boneless wings and beef shortening in cauliflower wings, it’s worth checking with the restaurant if anyone in your group has specific restrictions.

FAQs

Based on the standard 10-wings-per-person guideline, a 100-wing tray is a good fit for a group of about 10 people.

They’re a plant-based alternative to chicken wings, but they’re cooked in beef shortening, so they may not fit strict vegetarian requirements.

Yes, boneless wings are breaded and generally contain gluten, while traditional bone-in wings do not until sauce is added.

Yes, catering trays typically let you choose your sauces and dry rubs, making it easy to cover a range of spice preferences across a group.

Conclusion

Buffalo Wild Wings’ catering and party menu takes most of the guesswork out of feeding a crowd  the 10-wings-per-person rule makes sizing simple, the sauce selection covers a wide range of tastes, and the option to add sides, appetizers, and desserts means one order can realistically cover an entire event. A little planning around dietary needs and lead time is really all it takes to get it right.