Homemade Buffalo sauce recipes are all too often more complicated than they need to be. There are only a couple of ingredients needed for a classic wing hot sauce. We love spicy food at our house, so there is always a batch in the fridge.
Let me tell you about Uncle Jesse first….
Just scroll all the way to the bottom if you don’t want to hear why John Stamos has anything to do with my buffalo sauce recipe. There is a connection, I swear.
Before I share all I know about buffalo sauce, let me tell you about the time I went on a date with John Stamos, yes, Uncle Jesse from Full House.
I attended a wedding in Buffalo, New York with my husband. It was winter, cold and dreary. We got to the airport for an early flight back to Baltimore, but were a little sad we missed out on going to the famous Anchor Bar. The home of real, iconic Buffalo wings.
Luckily, there is a 24 hour Anchor Bar at the airport. We sat down for some breakfast wings. This is THE place for wings. The place that Buffalo Wings were created and also the namesake.The people that developed wing sauce. No breading, fried and tossed in their “proprietary wing sauce recipe”. I use the term proprietary lightly since everyone now knows it.
There was one other table in the small space, all carrying on and laughing. We sat down and ordered when my husband starting texting me (from across the table). Hey… is that Uncle Jesse?
Me: No… he is too short. John Stamos is much taller and more handsome.
We sat in silence eavesdropping, as one does when they think they might be sitting next to Uncle Jesse. Lo and behold, it WAS him!
I totally Instagram stalked him and he had just posted his own plate of hot wings from the Buffalo Airport Anchor Bar. Uncle Jesse was eating hot wings sitting right next to me! OH. MY. GAWD.
So the version of my story goes, I was on a date with Uncle Jesse. We sat next to each and awkwardly ate buffalo wings. Turns out he was playing a gig at the casino with the Beach Boys, who were also at the table, but less recognizable (at least to me.)
What is in Buffalo Sauce?
So now onto the buffalo sauce recipe… hot wing sauce ingredients are typically a base of white vinegar or butter. Generally speaking, the two are on a continuum; the more butter the more mild, the more vinegar, the spicer. Different types of chile powder are used, but generally it is a basic cayenne pepper.
Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce is only two ingredients: Frank’s Hot Sauce and unsalted butter. The best, and some might say the only, sauce for chicken wings. A simply great recipe with simple ingredients. Of course you can buy some at the grocery store, but why?
But I promise you, when you whip those two ingredients together, magic happens and suddenly you will realize that more isn’t always better. Sometimes the best recipes are keep simple for a reason. Those are the only two ingredients in their classic buffalo wing sauce.
Make It!
- Grab the main ingredients, yes, all two of them and a small saucepan.
- Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce over medium heat until fully combined.
- Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
Commonly Asked Questions
Buffalo sauce has hot sauce in it, so kinda yes but kinda no.
You can certainly make a tasty sauce for wings, but neither will make a true buffalo sauce. Both are a cayenne pepper sauce made with hot peppers, but Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is the most traditional. Diamond Crystal can also be used.
You can! The best way is to put it in an airtight plastic bag, releasing as much air as possible. It should be good for up to 6 months. Check out my tips on freezing food HERE.
Yes, in fact many folks do because it is more stable than real butter. Margarine is made with vegetable oil and doesn’t actually need to be refrigerated. You’ll find people use this in place of butter for many sauces, even movie theater popcorn.
Hot Wing Sauce Variations
Add a little pizazz to your homemade buffalo sauce recipe using these secret ingredients.
- Garlic Buffalo Sauce- add 1 teaspoon granulated garlic and/or 1 fresh garlic clove while whisking.
- Jalapeno Buffalo Sauce– add 1 minced fresh jalapeno while whisking.
- Super Spicy Buffalo Sauce- add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper and/or 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or ground ghost pepper or chili pepper while whisking to up the spice level. You can also add more Frank’s Hot Sauce, changing the ratio.
- BBQ Buffalo– Add 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce while whisking. This is my favorite sauce for wings!
- Buffalo Blue or Buffalo Ranch– add 2-3 tablespoons of blue cheese or ranch dressing to the mix. Pr even real blue cheese crumbles.
- Robust- If you want a super heady sauce, try adding a few dabs of Worcestershire sauce to the mix.
- Old Bay– Add 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning seasoning for a taste of Maryland. This is great on top of Maryland Crab Cakes.
Recipes that Use Buffalo Sauce
This versatile sauce can be used as a dipping sauce, in recipes and for drizzling.
- Crispy Baked Garlic Buffalo Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls
And of course consider chicken tenders, shrimp, cauliflower bites, French fries, avocado toast, chicken tacos or anything else that needs a level of heat.
Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, which together the hot sauce and butter over medium heat until fully incorporated.
- Use on your favorite wings or in your favorite buffalo recipe.
- If you've tried this recipe, make sure to come back, rate it and leave us a comment!
Seriously so easy to make and I liked that I could control the heat. Made a giant batch and put it in the squeeze bottle.
This is so easy peasy homemade sauce! And it’s so tasty too. Literally have it with anything and everything, not just the wings.
OMG! I think I lost a lot not trying to make homemade buffalo sauce. I am going to save my situation by making your recipe. It sounds amazing!