This easy homemade Buffalo Sauce comes together in just five minutes using only three simple ingredients. It delivers that classic, tangy flavor and rich, velvety texture. Fast, flavorful, and foolproof, this recipe is about to become your go-to for everything from buffalo wings to dips!
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Buffalo Sauce
My daughter loves the flavor of buffalo sauce just as much as I do. We toss it with air fryer buffalo wings and of course add it to our favorite buffalo chicken dip.
- Flavor: Bold and tangy with a buttery richness and just the right amount of heat.
- Why Make It: Three ingredients and one bowl deliver restaurant-style flavor in five minutes.
- Serving Suggestions: Toss with wings, make a buffalo chicken pizza, drizzle over tacos, or mix into ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for a creamy, spicy dip.
Total Time: 5 minutes Yield: 24 Tablespoons
What is Buffalo Sauce?
There is a difference between buffalo sauce and hot sauce. Hot sauce is basically just hot peppers, salt, and vinegar. Buffalo sauce is hot sauce with added melted butter.
Buffalo sauce is smoother than hot sauce, and I find it to have a way richer flavor. The butter creates a spicy and silky sauce that tastes like restaurant quality, but at home!
Fun fact: if you buy buffalo sauce at the store, it is usually made with oil. Homemade (and often restaurant made) is made with melted butter. That’s why it tastes so darn good!
Ingredient Notes
- Cayenne Hot Sauce: Frank’s Red Hot delivers classic tangy buffalo flavor with a mild-to-moderate heat level. You can substitute another vinegar-based cayenne pepper sauce, but thicker, sweeter, or smoky hot sauces will alter the traditional flavor and texture.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and mellows the heat, creating the signature creamy Buffalo sauce texture. Salted butter adds a little extra flavor, while unsalted butter lets you control the salt level. For the best taste, use real butter, though a plant-based butter works well for a dairy-free version.
How to Make Buffalo Sauce
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool.
- Add the hot sauce and optional garlic powder.
- Whisk the sauce (full recipe below).
- Pour, drizzle, dip, or toss with a favorite recipe.
Buffalo Sauce Success Tips
- Use a Cayenne-Based Hot Sauce: This gives the sauce its recognizable tang and color associated with classic Buffalo sauce.
- To Reduce Separation: Add the hot sauce to warm butter rather than bubbling-hot butter.
- If the Sauce Separates: Whisk it again while gently warming it. An immersion blender can also bring it back together.
- For Wings: Let the cooked wings rest for a minute before tossing. Excess steam can thin the sauce and soften crisp skin.
- To Make a Spread or Dip: Stir a spoonful into ranch, blue cheese dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream, or cream cheese for a quick dip or sandwich spread.
Save That Spicy Sauce
- Refrigerate: Store Buffalo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The butter will firm up when chilled.
- Reheat: Warm the sauce in short microwave intervals or in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk frequently and do not boil.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room for expansion.
Bring on the Buffalo
Did you enjoy this Buffalo Sauce Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)
- ½ cup butter melted
- dash garlic powder optional
Instructions
- Simply combine 2 parts hot sauce to 1 part melted butter.
- Whisk until combined.
- Pour, drizzle, dunk and dip everything in it (like I do).
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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Perfect, basic Buffalo wing sauce that can be modified to personal taste or needs. Add some garlic powder, a touch of liquid smoke, paprika to darken the colour, or cayenne pepper to spice it up; the possibilities are endless. One note… the original sauce was made with margarine, not butter, so if you make it the original way, it is even friendly for lactose-sensitive folk.
Thank you for sharing Robert!
You mentioned Franks Red hot — that used to be my favorite until i tried Texas Pete.
Try it – see if you agree
Thanks for the suggestion, Ronald!
Being from Buffalo, NY I was curious how you were going to make this sauce. It’s exactly the way we make it here in sunny Buffalo, NY!!
thank for the recipe …. I am going to try and add butter to my home hot sauce – red chillies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt – some people like to add vinegar. This is a typical sauce we use as dip for fritters and chicken rice.
I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Saadah!
I’m confused – the recipe says 1/2 c butter and 1 c hot sauce, but then the instructions say to use two parts hot sauce to one part butter. Wouldn’t that mean 1 1/2 c hot sauce to 1/2 c butter? Love following another Albertan (I’m in Calgary)!
NVM – 1 cup IS two parts of 1/2 a cup. Sheesh.
Exactly! Glad that worked out, Sandra :)
Leaving a review in hopes to push this up in search results. I’ve been using this recipe for years. It’s simple and delicious!
Thanks, Fatimah! Glad you enjoy it :)
Where would I find a jar like yours to store my sauce in?
That little jar came from Anthropologie several years ago and to the best of my knowledge, they don’t have it anymore. I don’t see a brand name on the bottle. Sorry I don’t have a better answer.
I love this recipe but I generally have Tapatio hot sauce on hand because of its superior flavor. It is much hotter than Frank’s so I use a 1:1 ratio. It is AMAZING!
Sounds yummy, I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
how long does this sauce last in the fridge? thank you!
If stored in an airtight container it should last several weeks in your refrigerator Kate.
This is my fav buffalo wing recipe! I looooove chicken wings and make them using this sauce ~once a week. It’s so delicious and so easy! tastes just like (if not better) than sauce from restaurants/stores!
So happy to hear that Jane!
Hi Holly! Am I correct in assuming to use salted butter for this recipe? Thanks!
Either would work. I find hot sauce already has plenty of salt so if I have unsalted on hand, I use that.
Hi Holly
I used to make this wing sauce years ago [quite a few years ago{ha ha}] and I also used vinegar –but my problem is that I can’t remember how much of each ingredient I used………
can you help?
I haven’t tried a wing sauce with vinegar. If I come across one, I’ll let you know!
Frank’s hot sauce is made with vinegar which is why it’s a unique hot sauce (other than Tabasco) so if you have Frank’s in your area, no need for the vinegar. Or if you prefer, just add your desired amount…. for the recipe above (if not using Frank’s) 2 tablespoons of vinegar would do the trick! Hope that’s helpful.
Do they have to be room temperature? I made it once before and it was fine but when I go to make it again it was kind of clumpy .. didn’t know what I did …
Butter hardens if it’s cold so if your butter is melted and your hot sauce is in the fridge, it can harden in the sauce. If you heat it on the stove (or microwave) stirring occasionally, it should smooth out just fine.
Hi Penny I live in Australia and would love to have your Buffalo Sauce recipe to make so that I can do your chicken and Buffalo Sauce dip.
Thanks
Enjoy, we love the Buffalo Chicken Dip!
1 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)
½ cup butter melted
dash garlic powder, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Simply combine 2 parts hot sauce to 1 part melted butter.
Whisk until combined.
Pour, drizzle, dunk and dip everything in it (like I do)
Holly,
Is there another sauce that can be used for these wings? I get heartburn from hot sauce.
Wings can be made with any sauce you’d like (my husband even loves just salt and pepper). Some other favorites are honey garlic, teriyaki or barbecue sauce.
Hi Holly,
I live in New Zealand, but follow “Spend With Pennies”, on line and try out your recipes when I have all the ingredients available in our New Zealand grocery supermarkets. I don’t always know what your ingredients are !
What exactly is “hot sauce” in your buffalo sauce recipe? I wqnt to make some buffalo sauce so I can then make your recipe for “Buffalo Chicken Dip”. I look forward to your response. Lindy
Thank you Lindy! :)
Hot sauce it a spicy pepper sauce, I most often use Frank’s Red Hot Original. You can visit Frank’s New Zealand site here and hopefully find it in your area. Enjoy!
Excellent! Such a simple and tasty recipe. Using Franks gives it the classic taste, but making your own hot sauce is easy too and adds some freshness to the buffalo sauce. I love your suggestion to add blue cheese to the sauce itself. Since it doesn’t last long in our fridge due to being consumed so quickly, it’s easy to mix together and stick in the fridge. Thanks!
google hot sauce see what brands r sold in new zealand i’m sure they sell it there…hot sauce made from hot jualenno peppers or chili peppers i watch shortland street i’ll see if damo knows they once made hot pepper spray 2 protect women funny ensued boyd got it in his pants laughs a plenty asian latin&myself others luv hot spicy foods hot sesame oil is great2 luved the recipe i made my taco meat with this 2day its taco night 4me easy peasy thx 4 recipe xoxo :-) :-)