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What could be better than mixing hot sauce with butter? This delicious, homemade buffalo sauce is flavored with a few spices to make it even more tasty. It’s definitely the secret sauce to making your next batch of wings even more addictive!
What’s in Buffalo Sauce?
Buffalo sauce consists of cayenne pepper hot sauce, melted butter, and seasonings. Cayenne pepper is often added to make the sauce more spicy, but I left it out to keep the sauce more mild. The other seasonings are freshly minced garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Where Buffalo Sauce Comes From
Buffalo sauce does in fact come from Buffalo, New York. Teressa Bellissimo created buffalo sauce in 1964, and coated deep-fried chicken wings in her special sauce to create the first buffalo wings. Anchor Bar, the place where buffalo sauce was invented, is still open today and serves buffalo wings according to Teressa’s secret recipe.
How Buffalo Sauce Got Its Name
Buffalo sauce isn’t named after the American bison as one might expect, but instead is named for Buffalo, New York, the city where it was invented.
Buffalo Wing Sauce vs. Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is just that; hot sauce. Buffalo wing sauce is hot sauce mixed with melted butter and seasonings. The butter adds flavor and cuts some of the spiciness, while the seasonings (salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and vinegar) make the sauce taste even better.
Getting Buffalo Sauce to Stick to Wings
- Boil the sauce. This helps the sauce thicken, which will make it stick better.
- Let the sauce cool. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it’s thickened.
- Add a slurry. If your sauce still isn’t thick enough, make a slurry with cornstarch and water, add to the sauce, and boil until thickened.
Buffalo Sauce: Healthy or Not?
Buffalo sauce isn’t the healthiest condiment out there, so just have it in moderation. Two tablespoons of homemade buffalo sauce contains 85 calories, 9.3g of fat, and 741 mg of sodium. At least it is super low in carbs! For more nutritional information, scroll to the bottom of the recipe card.
Change up your buffalo sauce game!
Looking to add more heat or change up the flavor of your buffalo sauce? Here are some tasty ways to do that.
- Spicy Version. Add crushed red pepper flakes, pureed chipotle peppers, cayenne pepper, or sriracha sauce. You can also add less butter or more vinegar to increase the spiciness.
- Garlic Version. My buffalo sauce already contains a little garlic, but feel free to increase it. You can also try caramelized garlic for a different flavor.
- BBQ Version. Stir in 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce before bringing the sauce to a simmer. I recommend using a vinegar-based BBQ sauce to complement the buffalo sauce the best. You can also add a splash of liquid smoke for another BBQ element.
- Jalapeño Version. Add 1 tablespoon of minced fresh jalalpeño before simmering the sauce. Remove the seeds and membranes of the pepper for a smoother texture.
- Asian Version. Add a dash of teriyaki sauce or soy sauce.
How Long Does Buffalo Sauce Keep?
I’d recommend eating homemade buffalo sauce up within a couple weeks of making it, since it doesn’t contain preservatives like store bought. You can always freeze the sauce for longer storage.
Freezing Buffalo Sauce
Yes, you can freeze buffalo sauce! Simply seal it inside of an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a couple of hours. You’ll want to reheat and re-whisk the sauce before using.
How to Make Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Gather the ingredients. You’ll need Frank’s Red Hot Original hot sauce, butter, garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, sugar, and a little white vinegar.
Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan.
Set over medium heat and whisk constantly until the butter has melted and the sauce is simmering.
Pour the sauce into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally as it cools. This will re-incorporate any butter that separates, ensuring a beautifully smooth and thick sauce as it cools.
Dip some chicken wings into your homemade buffalo sauce, serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing, and you’re all set!
Pro Tips
- Use Frank’s Red Hot Original Hot Sauce. It’s a vinegar based cayenne pepper sauce and has the right amount of heat.
- Want to up the heat? Decrease the butter by 2 tablespoons, add an extra teaspoon of vinegar, and add cayenne pepper to taste.
- Change up the flavor by adding extra garlic, BBQ sauce, minced jalapeños, liquid smoke, or teriyaki sauce.
- Simmer the sauce for 30 seconds or so to help it thicken.
- Whisk the sauce occasionally as it cools to help incorporate the butter and give it a smoother texture.
- Let the sauce cool and thicken before using. This will help it stick to the wings better.
Our Favorite Kitchen Tools for Buffalo Sauce
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce: this not-too-spicy hot sauce is the preferred choice for buffalo sauce.
- Small Saucepan: this heavy-bottomed saucepan is the perfect size for whipping up this sauce.
- Stainless Steel Whisks: these sturdy, rust-resistant whisks will help your sauce get velvety smooth.
- Measuring Spoons: these stainless steel spoons have nice long handles and are easy to clean.
Searching for delicious game day eats? Here’s some delicious ideas.
- Buffalo Chicken Dip: this ultra creamy dip is quick to throw together and tastes amazing!
- Cheesy Sloppy Joe Sliders: moist, flavorful meat sandwiched with tender rolls and gooey cheese.
- Easy Baked Jalapeño Poppers: this creamy, cheesy appetizer is guaranteed to be a hit!
The pleasure of a 5-star review for this buffalo sauce recipe would be greatly appreciated.
Print
Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cup 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Make the best homemade buffalo sauce with this easy recipe. This wing sauce is made from scratch with Frank’s Red Hot sauce, melted butter, garlic, and spices. It will definitely take your wings to the next level!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (160 ml)
- 1/2 cup salted butter (115g)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- Place all the buffalo sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool. Some fat may separate from the sauce as it simmers, but this will re-incorporate into the sauce as it cools.
- Let the buffalo sauce cool to room temperature before using, about 30 minutes. Whisk the sauce occasionally as it cools to mix in any separated butter. The sauce will noticeably thicken and become smooth.
- Coat deep fried or baked wings in the buffalo sauce, and serve any extra sauce on the side. Be sure to have some blue cheese salad dressing and celery sticks ready to enjoy alongside the wings.
- To store leftover buffalo sauce, seal it inside of a mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The butter in the sauce will harden when refrigerated, so you’ll need to microwave the buffalo sauce for about 30 seconds and stir well before using to give it a pourable consistency.
Notes
- Make this recipe perfectly the first time. Check out the step-by-step photos and pro tips before the recipe card.
- The pleasure of a 5-star review for this buffalo sauce recipe would be greatly appreciated.
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- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mild buffalo wing sauce, homemade buffalo sauce
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