Homemade Buffalo Sauce is so easy to make at home using simple pantry ingredients. Tangy, spicy, and so much better than store-bought buffalo wing sauce, this recipe takes just 5 minutes to make and tastes delicious with everything from wings to sliders to vegetables – and everything in between!
Buffalo Wing Sauce
Homemade buffalo sauce is one of the easiest things you can make at home. Tangy, spicy, and super flavorful, it makes eating just about anything (including veggies) way more exciting!
Made with simple ingredients like hot sauce and butter, some of my favorite (and most popular) buffalo recipes include my buffalo chicken dip, buffalo cauliflower, buffalo turkey meatballs, and baked buffalo chicken.
Why is it called “Buffalo Sauce”?
The name, “Buffalo sauce” was named after the location where it was invented – a small family-owned restaurant called Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Invented by Teressa Bellissimo, the owner of the Anchor Bar, this “secret sauce” was originally made with butter, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper.
What’s in Buffalo Sauce?
Buffalo wing sauce can be made with a simple combination of just two ingredients: hot sauce and butter. The only hot sauce I recommend for homemade buffalo sauce is Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Hot Sauce.
Usually made with a ratio of 2 parts hot sauce to 1 part butter, some recipes (like this one) are made with additional ingredients including garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
For a sweeter wing sauce, try adding a little honey or maple syrup.
How to Make Buffalo Sauce
To make homemade buffalo wing sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to low and stir in the hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well to combine. Heat just until the sauce is heated through – avoid boiling.
Alternatively, you can avoid the stovetop altogether and combine the hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl, whisking well to combine. Then melt the butter in the microwave and stir it into the hot sauce mixture.
Tip
The only hot sauce I recommend when making homemade buffalo sauce is Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Hot Sauce.
Ways to Use Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo sauce isn’t just for wings! This tangy, spicy favorite can be used to create countless meals. Here are some of my favorite ways to put a batch of homemade buffalo sauce to good use:
- Make yourself some creamy, cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta! Toss tender pasta with juicy chicken, buffalo sauce, and a creamy cheese sauce for the ultimate comfort food with a spicy kick.
- Quick and easy to make, these simple and delicious Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are perfect for busy weeknights or game day gatherings.
- Enjoy all the flavor of buffalo wings in this light and cozy Healthy Buffalo Chicken Soup, made with tender chicken, vegetables, and a flavorful broth.
- Spicy, crunchy, and loaded with fresh veggies, this Buffalo Chicken Salad is a healthier way to enjoy your favorite bold flavors.
- This Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Recipe is a low-carb favorite! Roasted spaghetti squash is tossed with cheesy buffalo chicken for a guilt-free, flavor-packed meal.
- No deep fryer needed! These crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings are slathered in classic buffalo sauce and are perfect for parties, tailgates, or a fun family dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. This recipe contains just 1 gram of carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar per (1/2 cup) serving.
Buffalo sauce can be very spicy or very mild. How spicy it will be depends the butter to hot sauce ratio (more butter will make it less spicy), or if any additional spices (like cayenne pepper) were added.
To thicken your buffalo sauce you can make a cornstarch slurry with equal parts cornstarch and water or a roux by gently heating and combining equal parts fat (in this case butter) with flour.
Many buffalo sauce recipes are gluten-free. For this particular recipe be sure to check that your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free before adding to your sauce.
Traditionally buffalo sauce is made with butter, so it would not be considered vegan or dairy-free. To make yours vegan, swap regular butter for a plant-based butter alternative and use a vegan Worcestershire sauce (or leave out the Worcestershire sauce).
Storing Leftovers
Fortunately, buffalo sauce is fantastic leftover.
The last time I made homemade buffalo sauce my husband mixed the leftover sauce with leftover angel hair pasta, dumped some blue cheese on top, warmed it in the microwave, and called it lunch.
Keep it stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It thickens quite a bit after cooling due to the butter, but it will thin-out after reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
RECIPE CARD
Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter - melted
- 1 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- salt and black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is nearly melted, stir in the hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil), stirring often.
- Remove from heat and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Gently stir before serving over wings.
Jessica’s Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
iamma be frank putting hot sauce in your hot sauce recipe is cheating
I just made this today to have with chicken wings, and it was one of the most delicious things i’ve eaten in many years. This is definitely going to be a regular meal for me from now on, and I look forward to trying it with other dishes. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world! 🙂
I agree, buffalo sauce is one of those amazingly delicious things 🙂
I tested several recipes and this one is closest to real thing. Still could be a little hotter to my liking so will probably tweak things a bit and see how goes. Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to test and provide the great 5-star feedback, Rob 🙂
As far as chili level, that can be easily scaled up to preference.
Great recipe, but I’d say it’s a hair more than 3 servings- can’t imagine eating a 1/2 cup of this
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. Just the amount of hot.
Thanks for the great rating and feedback, Pam 🙂
Recipe was good, I really liked it ! Your website however is just overloaded with pop up advertising and unwanted video ,adds take up the majority of the space !
Gord, I read all of the introductory material, the ingredient list, and the recipe without a single pop-up or ad. So I was really surprised to read your comment. But then I decided to try an experiment. I turned off my pop-up blocker and Bam! I was hit with all kinds of crap. So, my good man, my advice is to get yourself a good pop-up blocker. It will not only remove the frustration from this website but from most others that you visit as well. There are some sites that will not work with a pop-up blocker turned on, in which case you just need to temporarily disable it. But a good pop-up blocker is a tremendous time and frustration saver. And if you’re using a cell phone it will also save massive amounts of data usage.
Completely agree! It’s a free recipe, the website needs to make revenue somehow!
I like everything until step three. What you need to do find a glass bowl with a lid large enough to fit a batch of wings. gently stir sauce and pour into bowl (how much depends on the size of the batch) replace lid, and holding firmly shake the bejeasus out of it to evenly coat.