I beg of you – please – never buy bottled pre-made buffalo sauce again! This is my mother’s recipe for epic wing sauce – one taste and you’ll never go back to “the other stuff”.
Let’s get sauced! My mom’s famous Buffalo Sauce has converted many a Buffalo wing aficionado. A one-two punch of Frank’s and Texas Pete’s hot sauces gets kicked up a notch with a special blend of seasonings that will make your mouth sing. Mama said knock you out, indeed! With that just-right dose of heat, this tangy sauce is perfect on wings, pulled chicken, buffalo-style veggies, and more.
What’s in buffalo sauce?
My mother’s secret to the best buffalo sauce evah? Not just one, but two hot sauces. Add real good butter and a few seasonings, and we’re definitely cooking up something delicious.
- Frank’s Red Hot AND Texas Petes: in this case, two is definitely better than one. See our list for subs below based on dietary needs.
- Butter: we reach for the really good stuff, like Kerrygold.
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
How to make buffalo sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
- Bring to a simmer. Whisk occasionally, and continue simmering until the butter melts and sauce has thickened slightly.
That’s it! You have zero reasons not to make buffalo sauce from scratch every single time.
What kind of hot sauce should I use?
- Frank’s RedHot is our first choice. It’s that perfect balance of vinegar and heat without being “I need a gallon of water stat” spicy. It’s made from just 5 simple ingredients – aged cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder.
- Texas Pete is a bit more vinegary than Frank’s and also not overly spicy. It does have additives, though, so it’s not appropriate for paleo, Whole30 or keto recipes.
- Crystal Hot Sauce is a great option if your conscientious of additives. With the just 3 food ingredients (aged cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, and salt) it’s perfectly tangy.
- Cholula isn’t a typical choice for wings, but if you like your wings hot and fiery, this one’s for you. Do be aware that this sauce contains xanthan gum.
Dietary modifications
With very few ingredients, homemade wing sauce is very flexible for almost every single dietary need. As written, this recipe is Keto and low carb.
- Make Paleo and Whole30: use ghee in place of butter.
- Make it Vegan and Dairy-Free: use vegan butter.
Tips for making perfect wing sauce
- Do not add more butter to the sauce – both flavor and consistency will suffer.
- In the same spirit, don’t add more hot sauce to the Buffalo sauce recipe if you want more spice. You can always dash a bit more on top of the finished product to taste.
- The majority of bottled hots sauces have a ton of sodium. Double (at least) your water intake to help flush it out.
Recipes for using homemade buffalo sauce
- Instant Pot Buffalo Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
Did you make my mom’s buffalo sauce? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below 
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Mom’s Best Buffalo Sauce
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Small Sauce Pot
- whisk
Ingredients
- ½ c Franks Red Hot
- ½ c Texas Pete’s
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Combine the hot sauces, butter, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until butter melts and sauce thickens, 5 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
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