Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (2024)

Cook Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

5 mins

Servings:

8

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Everyone needs a good Buffalo sauce recipe in their back pocket. Once you try Chef John's tried-and-true Buffalo sauce (inspired by the original recipe from Buffalo, New York), you'll never go back to the bottled stuff.

What Is Buffalo Sauce?

Buffalo sauce and hot sauce are not the same thing. Hot sauce is a spicy blend of cayenne pepper, vinegar, and salt. Buffalo sauce, meanwhile, is hot sauce that's been enhanced with butter and other ingredients. Buffalo sauce is much richer and smoother than regular hot sauce. It's used as a dipping sauce or a condiment. Of course, Buffalo sauce is most commonly associated with chicken wings.

Why Is It Called Buffalo Sauce?

So where does the name come from? It has nothing to do with bison. The spicy sauce was named after its birthplace: Buffalo, New York.

Who Invented Buffalo Sauce?

Teressa Bellissimo, owner of Anchor Bar, invented Buffalo sauce in 1964. At the time, chicken wings were usually thrown out or used to make stock for soup. When Bellissimo's son asked her to prepare a late-night snack for his friends, she deep-fried the wings and tossed them in a buttery hot sauce. Thus, Buffalo wings (and Buffalo sauce) were born.

Is Buffalo Sauce Spicy?

It can be! Buffalo sauce is usually available in mild, medium, and hot options. When you make homemade Buffalo sauce, you have the ability to control the spiciness level — use more cayenne pepper if you like it hot or less if you prefer milder flavors.

50 Delicious Ways to Use Buffalo Sauce

Buffalo Sauce Ingredients

Homemade Buffalo sauce comes together surprisingly quickly with just a few ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make the best Buffalo sauce of your life:

Hot Sauce
A hot, cayenne-pepper sauce (such as Frank's or Crystal) is the spicy base for this classic Buffalo sauce.

Butter
Butter adds a velvety smooth richness. It also balances the flavors of the other ingredients.

Vinegar
White vinegar lends welcome acidity and a pleasant tanginess.

Worcestershire Sauce, Cayenne, and Garlic Powder
Worcestershire sauce deepens the flavor, cayenne pepper turns up the heat, and garlic powder adds a powerful bite.

How to Make Buffalo Sauce

Anyone can make restaurant-worthy Buffalo sauce at home. Seriously — it's as simple as combining all the ingredients in a pot, bringing it to a simmer, and whisking until the sauce is nice and thick. Find the full recipe below for detailed, step-by-step instructions that'll make the process a breeze.

How to Store Buffalo Sauce

Store homemade Buffalo sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You may have to shake up or stir refrigerated Buffalo sauce, as the ingredients have a tendency to separate over time.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"This is a terrific sauce," according to Tim Anderson. "You can mess around with the heat via the cayenne, but I like it as it is. The vinegar and butter really bring balance to it."

"This sauce is perfect," according to Abby215. "So easy to make and exactly what a wing sauce should be — the perfect blend of tangy and spicy. And, if you bake your wings, the butter really helps with the crispiness. Delicious — thanks Chef John!!

"You cannot go wrong with this wing sauce if you make sure to use Frank's as your base," says BARCHAM. "It is easy to adjust the heat level by the amount of butter you add to the mix. I usually add some paprika for a bit of a flavor boost and sometimes a few drops of liquid smoke to finish things off."

Ingredients

  • cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)

  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar

  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • teaspoon garlic powder

  • salt to taste

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (1)

  2. Combine hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk.

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (2)

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (3)

  3. As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (4)

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (5)

  4. Enjoy!

    Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (6)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

104Calories
12g Fat
0g Carbs
0g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe8
Calories104
% Daily Value *
Total Fat12g15%
Saturated Fat7g37%
Cholesterol31mg10%
Sodium576mg25%
Total Carbohydrate0g0%
Dietary Fiber0g0%
Total Sugars0g
Protein0g0%
Vitamin C14mg16%
Calcium5mg0%
Iron0mg1%
Potassium33mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (2024)

FAQs

Do you put buffalo sauce on wings before or after cooking? ›

To get buffalo sauce to stick to wings, it's essential to toss the wings in the sauce immediately after they come out of the fryer or oven while they are still hot. The heat helps the sauce adhere to the wings, creating a flavorful and evenly coated exterior.

How to tone down Frank's red hot sauce? ›

Acidic ingredients such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, wine, tomatoes, and even pineapple will all help to neutralize the pH levels of a spicy oil, and reduce some of that flaming-hot flavor. Add the juice of half a lemon or lime, or a tablespoon or two of wine, vinegar, or tomato sauce, to your over-spiced dish.

What is buffalo sauce made of? ›

In its simplest form, buffalo wing sauce is a just a combination of cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter. My recipe calls for a few additional ingredients to help balance the flavors, but it's still very straightforward. If you keep a bottle of Frank's RedHot in your fridge, you can whip it up anytime!

How do you get sauce to stick to buffalo wings? ›

To Make Sure The Sauce Really Sticks, Coat Chicken Wings In Flour First. When it comes to making the perfect chicken wings, ensuring that you have succulent meat, crispy skin, and superior sauce adherence is imperative.

Is it better to fry or bake buffalo wings? ›

Removing the skin and baking also reduces the fat content which is extremely healthy for seniors and children. Baking keeps the nutrient content of the meat intact making it an utterly healthy cooking process.

Why add butter to hot wing sauce? ›

Butter adds a velvety smooth richness. It also balances the flavors of the other ingredients. White vinegar lends welcome acidity and a pleasant tanginess. Worcestershire sauce deepens the flavor, cayenne pepper turns up the heat, and garlic powder adds a powerful bite.

How do you make Franks wing sauce less spicy? ›

There's an easy solution though - adding dairy products. Dairy has a natural ability to counteract spiciness, so a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of cheese can help tone down the heat. You can also try stirring in things such as butter, cream, or yogurt.

What cancels out hot sauce? ›

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

What's the difference between wing sauce and buffalo sauce? ›

Buffalo sauce is equal parts melted butter and Frank's Red Hot, a vinegar based hot sauce. Everything else is wing sauce.

Is Frank's red hot sauce buffalo sauce? ›

For over 50 years, Frank's RedHot® has been helping operators become the destination for the best buffalo flavor around, delivering The Perfect Blend of Flavor and Heat®. Frank's RedHot® is the #1 brand of hot sauce in America, the brand and flavor profile that keeps your patrons coming back for more.

How to thicken sauce for wings? ›

How to Thicken Sauce With Cornstarch
  1. Combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Stir together until smooth.
  2. Pour into your sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring continually, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
  3. Test the sauce with a spoon.
Jun 20, 2023

Should you let wings cool before adding sauce? ›

Bake at 375˚ until the wings are crisp and brown, about one hour. If you have sauce to put on your wings, do so just before serving to keep them from getting soggy.

How long do wings sit before saucing? ›

The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour. Toss in sauce. Remove from oven allow to rest for 5 minutes before tossing in desired sauce.

What is the most popular dipping sauce for buffalo wings? ›

Best for Buffalo Wings: Blue Cheese Dressing

These saucy, spicy wings— which originated at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York and attained iconic status nationwide—have one dip, and that is blue cheese dressing.

Do you add sauce before or after cooking chicken? ›

Barbecue sauce typically contains sugar that will brown faster than the meat. This can make it difficult to tell when the chicken is done. To ensure you don't pull the chicken off too soon, add the BBQ sauce when you're nearly done cooking the meat.

Can you put hot sauce on wings before baking? ›

While the oven is preheating, whisk together melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip wings into butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Do you put sauce on wings before or after air frying? ›

Add sauce after you air fry.

While your air fryer chicken wings cook, melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, then stir in the hot sauce. When the wings come out of the air fryer, toss in the bowl to coat. This creates crispy chicken wings — and makes the basket much easier to clean.

Do you put barbecue sauce on wings before or after cooking? ›

Pouring the fat from the baking pans and adding the sauce towards the end of the cooking time is the trick.

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