Original Buffalo Sauce: How To Make Classic Wing Sauce At Home
This original buffalo sauce is the only recipe you need when making classic chicken wings. With just two ingredients and a timeless flavor, this sauce has stood the test of time for good reason.
Love bold, homemade sauces? Try Homemade BBQ sauce, Stone Ground Mustard Sauce, or Teriyaki Marinade next.
Introduction
Buffalo sauce was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY — and just an hour down the road, we’ve been making it the same way ever since. That late-night mix of Frank’s red hot sauce and butter created something timeless, and around here, this simple combination is still considered the original.
There are plenty of versions of “authentic” buffalo sauce online, but in this post, I’m sharing the one that’s true to the region where it all began. If you’re after that bold, tangy heat that defines real buffalo wings, this quick and easy sauce is the one locals have always known and loved.
Why This Recipe Works
- It uses only two ingredients, keeping things simple and authentic.
- It takes just minutes to prepare, making it perfect for last-minute meals.
- It balances heat and richness beautifully, thanks to the butter and hot sauce combo.
- It’s endlessly versatile, great for wings, burgers, dips, and more.
- It stays true to tradition, recreating the original flavor that made buffalo wings famous.
Ingredients For Original Buffalo Sauce
You only need two ingredients to make this classic sauce.
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce: The traditional base for buffalo sauce with balanced heat and tang.
- Butter: Adds richness, smoothness, and tempers the spice.
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations or Substitutions
If you want to veer off the path of the original recipe, you can try the following variations of this recipe.
- Add garlic powder for a subtle boost in flavor.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce for a savory twist.
- Sweeten it slightly with a touch of honey to balance the heat.
- Use ghee or vegan butter if you’re avoiding dairy.
How To Make Original Buffalo Sauce
This sauce is quick and easy to prepare on the stovetop.
- Combine ingredients:
Place hot sauce and butter in a small saucepan.
- Heat gently:
Warm over low heat, stirring continuously, until the butter melts and combines with the sauce.
- Avoid browning:
Do not let the butter brown — remove from heat as soon as the sauce is fully combined.
- Adjust the heat:
Taste the sauce and adjust the heat level by adding more butter to make it milder, or more Frank’s RedHot to make it spicier. Return to heat to melt butter if necessary.
- Serve:
Use immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate for later use.
Recipe FAQs
The exact details of the original buffalo sauce recipe can be hard to pin down — over time, stories tend to shift and recipes get tweaked. But this version is the one still used in nearly every bar and restaurant throughout the region where buffalo sauce was first created. Around here, this is what’s known as the original.
Use less butter for more heat or more butter for a milder sauce.
Yes, keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Gently reheat over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent separation.
That’s normal. Shake it vigorously once it reaches room temperature.
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Serve
Buffalo sauce is most famously used to coat chicken wings, but it’s also delicious used as a substitute for pizza sauce, over eggs, or mixed into dips. Try tossing it with grilled chicken, spreading it on burgers, or using it as a marinade.
It pairs perfectly with celery sticks and a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing. And if you’re into bold burgers or spicy sandwiches, it makes a perfect sauce to tie it all together.
Expert Tips
- Control the heat: Adjust spice by adding more or less hot sauce to taste.
- Storage tip: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Perfect pairing: Ideal for wings, grilled chicken, or drizzling over roasted veggies.
- Shake before using: If the sauce separates, a vigorous shake at room temp brings it back together.
- Reheat gently: Always reheat on low to keep the sauce from breaking.
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Original Buffalo Sauce
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Combine ingredients: Place hot sauce and butter in a small saucepan.
- Heat gently: Warm over low heat, stirring continuously, until the butter melts and combines with the sauce.
- Avoid browning: Be careful not to let the butter brown.
- Serve: Use immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate for later use.
Video
Notes
- Control the heat: Adjust spice by adding more or less hot sauce to taste.
- Storage tip: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Perfect pairing: Ideal for wings, grilled chicken, or drizzling over roasted veggies.
I love buffalo sauce so much! I never even thought to make it myself, but now I’m excited to try 🙂
It’s so easy 😉
This looks so easy!! I’m gonna have to try it!
It takes just a few minutes 😉
Oh, this is definitely one of my favorites! The spicer the better! Love the simplicity of the recipe you shared.
The original sauce really is that simple. It’s pretty great 😉
Great recipe and I loved all the information you added!
Thank you! I hope you try it 😉
“Less butter, more heat. More butter, less heat. Done. Please stop adding cayenne pepper to your buffalo sauce folks. It’s weird.” haha, love the pluck. Worcestshire and garlic are really interesting ideas. We, like normal people, enjoy wings and I can stand the heat but I’m not a big fan of nose running spice so switching things up will be welcome.
It’s so easy to make it mild. The half butter half hot sauce version I make is pretty mild. Give it a try 😉
Oh wow! I never thought to make this! Adding to my try list! Thank you
So welcome! I hope you love it as much as I do 😉
I have hot wings, but I’ve never made my own sauce before, I didn’t realize it would be so easy. I can’t wait to try it!
It really is that easy! Definitely give it a try 😉
I do love a little buffalo sauce! That sauce and those wings are making me hungry!
Wish you were here to have a bite 😉
Really appreciate recounting the history of this great and simple sauce. However, it’s your kitchen. Make it however you want. For some, Frank’s may not be mild or hot enough, may or may not have enough vinegar, etc. Add garlic, honey, even fish sauce or whatever you want. Call it your own special version. I think it’s really weird to say it’s okay to make it milder but not hotter. Get over it. It’s their kitchen. If you can’t take the heat…
It’s clear you’ve put your own twist on the post 😉
For what it’s worth, some of those adjustments that you said ” It’s weird!”, are not at all weird. I grew up with buffalo wings, and just diluting the butter with more sauce, does not make them that much more tangy or hotter – a bit, perhaps.
Add a splash of vinegar and some cayenne, to get more zing and heat. (Or add a drop or two of carolina reaper sauce – doesn’t affect the flavor), to get lip-tingling wings – just like Macri’s Palace in Niagara Falls, NY. Macri’s has been closed for 20+ years, since the passing of the owner, but the memories are still there.
Also, although you didn’t mention it – breaded wings are a no-go. If breaded wings are on the menu, find another place.
It sounds like you have a love for the wings you grew up with. That’s something we have in common. Indeed, where I am from adding things in is ‘weird’. But I surely do appreciate that to many others it is not.
It also sounds like your preferences were highly influenced by this Macri’s Palace you speak of. It’s so great that we humans hold memories of culinary experiences that influence our palates for years to come.
And finally, I agree that breaded wings are not the way to go. Boneless wing bites make me even crazier 😉
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It was a pleasure reading them.
This buffalo sauce is the perfect combination of spicy, tangy, and buttery goodness. It’s so easy to make and adds amazing flavor to wings, sandwiches, and dips. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Be sure to leave a review and let me know how it turned out for you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments — I’m happy to help!
Hey I’m from upstate NY and they definitely make it this way in some places. But most places combine Frank’s hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and melted butter. It started because they would always give you a little thing of celery and a cup of blue cheese dressing with your pizza. People only use blue cheese dressing to dunk their pizza never ranch… At least in upstate. Also this is where the sauce comes from because you would get blue cheese dressing and put hot sauce on your pizza. The original Buffalo sauce was actually just hot sauce. They were the off cuts from a women’s restaurant and she would fry up the wings and give them to her sons. At least so goes to upstate pizza lore. Either way thanks for posting the recipe. Well wishes from New Orleans.
Thanks so much for sharing. Interesting to hear how it goes in upstate NY. It’s not as common to serve this sauce with pizza here. But you can find it used in place of traditional red sauce on a good chicken wing pizza. So tasty. And usually includes a generous amount of blue cheese crumbles on it too.