I posted some Baked Chicken Wings earlier this week, so it’s only natural that I teach you how to make your own buffalo wing sauce as well! Buffalo sauce is an incredibly addictive, spicy, tangy, and rich sauce that is an absolute must-have for your chicken wings. And the best part? It’s so easy. Just four simple ingredients and about five minutes, and you’re ready for dipping and drizzling the buffalo sauce over your favorite foods.
What is Buffalo Sauce?
If you’re not from the U.S. you’re probably asking yourself how someone made a sauce out of a buffalo, but don’t worry, the name actually comes from Buffalo, New York, where this sauce is said to have originated. It’s an incredibly tasty mix of cayenne hot sauce and butter. This simple combination of ingredients hits four of the major flavor elements (salt, fat, acid, and heat), making it incredibly delicious and almost downright addictive.
Sometimes, depending on the recipe, other ingredients are added for even more flavor. For my recipe below, I kept the sauce fairly simple with just a little garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce for a little more dimension.
What Kind of Hot Sauce to Use
Buffalo sauce is traditionally made with Frank’s Original Redhot Sauce, which is a vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce. That being said, I’ve made buffalo sauce with other brands of cayenne hot sauce and they were equally as delicious, so if you want to cut costs a bit you can always go with a different brand. Just make sure it’s a vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce.
Customize Your Buffalo Sauce
One reason I love this Buffalo sauce recipe is that it is customizable. By simply adding one or two more ingredients you can really change the direction of the sauce. Here are some ideas:
- Honey or brown sugar to make a sweet-spicy sauce
- Smoked paprika for a smokier flavor
- Ranch seasoning for a garlic-herb infused buffalo sauce
- Roasted garlic for an extra garlicky kick
- Cayenne pepper for an extra hot buffalo sauce
How to Use Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo sauce isn’t just for chicken wings! You can use this tasty sauce on plenty of other types of foods. It’s great for dipping, drizzling, or even using as a dressing. Here are some other foods that taste great when blessed with a little buffalo sauce:
- Scrambled eggs
- Chicken salad
- Nachos
- Egg salad
- Pizza
- Hot dogs
- Burgers
- Tacos
- Mac and cheese
- Meatballs
- Wrap sandwiches
- Baked potatoes
Easy Buffalo Sauce
Servings 6 makes ¾ cupIngredients
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.40)
- 1/2 cup Frank's Redhot Sauce ($1.26)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepot over medium heat, then add the remaining ingredients (hot sauce, Worcestershire, garlic powder).
- Whisk the ingredients together and heat through. Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to use.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
Video
How to Make Buffalo Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup Frank’s Redhot Sauce, ½ tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.
Whisk the ingredients together and heat through.
Use the finished sauce for dipping or drizzling over your favorite foods (baked chicken wings pictured above).
This spicy, tangy, rich sauce instantly transforms wings into an insanely addictive snack.
I made this to go with my homemade chicken nuggets. It was a tad to spicy for my husband and I, but just a tad. I added another pat of butter, and that did the trick. So good!!! Can it be frozen to last a bit longer? Thank you for posting the recipe.
You should be able to freeze it! The butter might separate a bit when you reheat it but it should come back together with a good whisking.
What would the recipe be for more than 3/4 cup
Where you see the serving size, you can change that number to fit your needs! So if you’d like to double it, you can change the 6 to 12 and it will change the ingredient amounts for you! You should be able to at least double it with no problems.
How can I substitute the butter?
I don’t suggest replacing the butter in this recipe. It’s one of the main ingredients and substituting it will change both the flavor and consistency of the sauce.
Can I use Sriracha instead of Frank’s hot sauce?
You could, but the flavor will be totally different. :)
How long can the sauce be stored in the fridge?
Probably about a week.