Easy Homemade Buffalo Sauce

This easy buffalo sauce recipe requires only 5 simple ingredients and 5 minutes to make. It’s a delicious spicy kick you can add to wings, chicken tenders, shrimp, pizza, fries, or sandwiches!

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2018 and has been republished with all new photos and updated recipe instructions.

My son uses buffalo sauce on everything. My dad was the same. So I’ve spent a lot of time around the stuff and a few years ago I set out to make my own buffalo sauce.

While you can certainly purchase a store-bought sauce from your local grocery store, it often includes oil instead of butter plus additional ingredients like a thickening agent. The original recipe calls for butter and it’s an essential ingredient so it’s a real shame to omit it! It’s what balances the heat of the hot sauce and it also gives us a velvety texture. Trust me, this easy recipe will have you making this tasty sauce yourself.

This is the best buffalo sauce for crispy wings or chicken tenders. They’re a must for game day! But there are so many more ways to enjoy this spicy sauce too. Slather it on a healthy turkey burger or ground chicken burger. Drizzle it over easy roasted broccoli, air fryer diced potatoes, or a salad with ranch dressing. And it’s the perfect dip for air fryer frozen french fries.

Craving more buffalo flavored dishes? Try my buffalo chicken dip or baked chicken wings. You’ll also love my buffalo ranch chicken casserole.

What is Buffalo Sauce?

Buffalo sauce gets its name from Buffalo, New York where buffalo chicken wings were invented in the 1960s.

The base of this sauce is hot sauce and butter. Many store-bought buffalo sauces use oil and a thickening agent instead of butter which is one reason why homemade is best!

What’s the Difference Between Hot Sauce and Buffalo Sauce?

Hot sauce is an ingredient in buffalo sauce, but buffalo sauce has a richer flavor and tends to be thicker. The key difference is the addition of melted butter (or ghee).

Easy Homemade Buffalo Sauce Ingredients:

• Frank’s Hot Sauce: Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce is a cayenne pepper hot sauce that’s quite spicy! It’s the only hot sauce I use to make buffalo sauce. It’s just the right texture. The butter and vinegar will balance out the spiciness to give you the perfect balance of flavors.
• Butter or ghee: Butter adds a richness to the buffalo sauce. You can use salted or unsalted butter. Vegan butter also works.
• Apple cider vinegar: You can substitute white vinegar if you prefer.
• Minced garlic: You can mince your own fresh garlic or use a jarred variety.
• Ground cayenne pepper: A little cayenne pepper amplifies the cayenne flavor in the hot sauce.

How to Make Easy Homemade Buffalo Sauce

I prefer preparing this simple sauce on the stovetop. Just add all the ingredients to a small saucepan or pot and simmer on medium heat until ghee (or butter) is melted and everything is warmed.

In a rush? You can skip the cooking! I’ve done it a few times and it’s no problem at all. Just melt the ghee (or butter) in the microwave. Then stir everything together! So if you find yourself in a hurry and don’t need it hot, you’re welcome to do without the cooking part entirely.

How to Reduce the Spiciness of Buffalo Sauce

If you’d like to reduce the heat level of this buffalo sauce simply add honey a little at a time until you’re happy with the flavor. It’s so good in there!

What Hot Sauce is Best When Making Buffalo Sauce?

I personally recommend sticking to Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce. It is my favorite hot sauce for this recipe.

Can This Buffalo Sauce Be Whole30 Compliant?

Yes, use ghee instead of butter.

Can This Buffalo Sauce Be Dairy Free and Vegan?

Yes, use a vegan butter instead of ghee or regular butter.

How to Serve Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Obviously this is the best buffalo wing sauce, but there are so many other ways to enjoy this.

• Serve as a dipping sauce for chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, or air fryer frozen french fries.
• Slather on a burger like my healthy turkey burger or chicken burger.
• Drizzle it over air fryer diced potatoes, roasted potatoes, or roasted broccoli.
• Add it to a salad with ranch dressing.

How to Store Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container or airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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