Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (2024)

Learn how to make buffalo sauce! Rich, spicy, and tangy, this easy homemade version rivals any store-bought wing sauce I've tried.

Jump to recipe

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (1)

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (2)

Let’s talk buffalo sauce! This famous wing sauce is rich, tangy, and spicy. I recently tested out a homemade version for this buffalo cauliflower recipe, and I love the bold flavor so much that I’ve been using it in other ways too. As a dip for sweet potato fries or air fryer French fries, slathered on a black bean burger… If you love punchy flavors and lots of heat, then I think you’ll go nuts for this buffalo sauce recipe.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What is buffalo sauce, anyway?

I’ll start by saying that it has nothing to do with the animal. Buffalo sauce gets its name from its city of origin, Buffalo, New York, where Teressa Bellissimo is said to have invented buffalo chicken wings at the Anchor Bar in 1964.

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!

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (3)

Buffalo Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

  • Cayenne pepper hot sauce – Which basically just means Frank’s RedHot. It’s super spicy and tangy!
  • Butter – For richness and buttery flavor. Vegan butter works too!
  • Honey – Its sweetness balances the sharp hot sauce, and it makes the buffalo sauce thick and glossy. Swap in 1 tablespoon agave if you’re vegan.
  • Garlic powder – For savory, umami flavor.
  • And paprika – It adds earthy, peppery complexity.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and place it in a medium bowl. Add the hot sauce, honey, garlic powder, and paprika, and stir to combine. That’s it!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (4)

How to Use Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Of course, this homemade buffalo sauce is fantastic on buffalo wings, cauliflower or otherwise. Serve them with a side of vegan ranch dressing (or blue cheese dressing, if that’s more your thing) for an insanely delicious appetizer or snack.

Not in a wing mood? There are other ways to use this tasty sauce!

The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, so you’ll have plenty of time to experiment with it. Let me know your favorite ways to use it in the comments!

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (5)

More Favorite Sauce Recipes

If you love this homemade buffalo sauce recipe, try one of these tasty sauces next:

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (6)

Buffalo Sauce

rate this recipe:

4.70 from 23 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves 8

Save RecipePrint Recipe

Skip the store-bought buffalo sauce, and learn how to make your own instead! This homemade buffalo sauce is spicy, tangy, and SO easy to make. Find our favorite ways to use it in the post above.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted*
  • tablespoons honey*
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the hot sauce, melted butter, honey, garlic powder, and paprika. Season to taste.

Notes

*To make vegan buffalo sauce, replace the butter with vegan butter. Substitute 1 tablespoon agave nectar for the honey.

Homemade Buffalo Sauce - Love and Lemons (2024)

FAQs

How is buffalo sauce made from scratch? ›

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.

Why do you put butter in buffalo sauce? ›

melted butter– salted butter is my preference, but unsalted works, too. Using butter in buffalo sauce adds a creaminess that you can't get from hot sauce alone. It's the combination of the spicy hot sauce AND the fat in the butter that makes the sauce thick enough to cover the food, too.

Why is buffalo sauce so vinegary? ›

Vinegar acts as a preservative in hot sauce. It is acid enough not to need refrigeration. Plus, many people like the combination of spicy and sour flavors.

What was the original buffalo sauce made of? ›

The original buffalo wing sauce contained melted butter, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper. This differentiates it from other hot sauces like Tabasco, which is made mainly with peppers and vinegar. Buffalo sauce isn't short on the heat though, which is why it's never far from cooling agents.

What is Frank's buffalo sauce made of? ›

Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Natural Butter Type Flavor and Garlic Powder.

What is buffalo sauce made of Chick Fil A? ›

Water, cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil, salt, egg yolk, xanthan gum, dehydrated garlic, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives, propylene glycol alginate, whey protein concentrate, natural flavor, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor, annatto and turmeric added for ...

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.

What is the difference between wing sauce and buffalo sauce? ›

It's the stuff you toss wings with right after cooking them. You can buy wing sauce or make your own. The most typical one is Buffalo sauce. It's essentially a combination of hot sauce (the stuff we already talked about) mixed with melted butter or butter flavorings.

Does homemade buffalo sauce go bad? ›

That said, most commercially-made hot sauces will last for at least 2 years after the manufacturing date—and often much longer than that. Homemade hot sauces, on the other hand, will usually only last for 6 months to 1 year. Typically, hot sauce will last for 1-2 years when stored properly.

What is the best vinegar for homemade hot sauce? ›

What is the best vinegar for hot sauce? Vinegar adds a tangy flavor, and it also adds acidity to the hot sauce—making it have a much longer shelf life. You can use either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar here. I prefer the slight fruity flavor of apple cider!

How do you cut the vinegar taste in buffalo sauce? ›

  1. If you have added too much vinegar to your recipe, don't panic. There are some simple ways to balance the acidity and save your dish. ...
  2. - Add some sugar or honey to the dish. ...
  3. - Add some baking soda to the dish. ...
  4. - Add some dairy products to the dish. ...
  5. - Add some herbs or spices to the dish.
Jul 22, 2021

What does Buffalo sauce contain? ›

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!

Does Buffalo sauce have buffalo meat? ›

Some people may be turned off by the name Buffalo sauce, thinking that it's a sauce made from the animal of the same name. Rest assured, Buffalo sauce does not contain any part of the buffalo animal. Many brands of Buffalo sauce are actually vegan because they use artificial butter flavoring rather than actual butter.

Why is Buffalo sauce so delicious? ›

One of the main reasons buffalo stands out from other types of hot sauce is because of its distinct flavour profile. As mentioned above, buffalo sauce is known for being quite creamy, tangy, and salty, whilst also having a sharpness to it.

Why is Buffalo sauce so addictive? ›

Basically, when you eat hot sauce, the pain receptors in the mouth are triggered, and they tell your brain that you're in pain. The brain, not understanding that your mouth isn't literally on fire, sends endorphins to counteract the perceived pain.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ouida Strosin DO

Last Updated:

Views: 6321

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ouida Strosin DO

Birthday: 1995-04-27

Address: Suite 927 930 Kilback Radial, Candidaville, TN 87795

Phone: +8561498978366

Job: Legacy Manufacturing Specialist

Hobby: Singing, Mountain biking, Water sports, Water sports, Taxidermy, Polo, Pet

Introduction: My name is Ouida Strosin DO, I am a precious, combative, spotless, modern, spotless, beautiful, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.