Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Homemade Buffalo Sauce, a simple DIY buffalo sauce with an easy secret ingredient that puts this version over the top! This from-scratch sauce is great for chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, and more! You’ll want a jar in your fridge at all times.

You won’t believe how easy it is to make Homemade Buffalo Sauce right in your kitchen in no time. Not a lot of ingredients and this homemade condiment is ready in less than 10 minutes! The best part is you can adjust the ingredients to your personal preference making the sauce more or less spicy. Or change up the flavor all together using some of my suggestions below for additional ingredients or substitutes.

My family LOVES wings! Kind of a good thing and a bad thing. I have been known to just throw some wings on the grill, toss with a sauce like this one or my Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, and call it dinner. Quick and easy, and everyone is happy so a win-win.

I love making homemade condiments and sauces like this Root Beer BBQ Sauce and my very popular Boom Sauce (the best!). They seem to get a lot of traffic so apparently love making condiments and sauces at home too.

For my non-American friends, let me start off by explaining…

What is Buffalo Sauce

Well, it has nothing to do with the animal so let’s start with that. haha! Buffalo sauce is a spicy pepper hot sauce that is generally tossed with chicken wings for Buffalo Wings. Although it has a lot of other great uses.

Ever wonder what buffalo sauce is made of? It generally contains a hot sauce (I prefer Frank’s…), vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and butter (or oil).

Not only great on chicken wings, but Buffalo Sauce is also great mixed into salad dressings, in or on burgers, in sandwiches, on tacos, on shrimp, and a wide range of other food. Once you make Buffalo Sauce from scratch you might not go back to bottled.

Lots of different versions with different ingredients and variations. I have a “secret” ingredient I like to add but more about that in a second.

(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)

Buffalo Sauce Ingredients

• Hot sauce – I like Frank’s. You can use your favorite but results will vary a lot. I wouldn’t recommend something like Tabasco for this particular recipe.
• Unsalted butter – Cut into cubes or thin slices to melt quicker.
• Brown sugar – You could use honey, granulated sugar, or your favorite sweetener. You could also leave it out. It’s just a little sugar so don’t worry, the sauce won’t be super sweet.
• Lemon juice – My secret ingredient! I like using lemon juice instead of vinegar. It gives a little freshness to the sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce – Adds a little depth and flavor.
• Garlic powder – Adds a little flavor.

How to Make Buffalo Sauce

1. COMBINE. Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover slightly.
2. HEAT. Microwave for 30-second intervals until heated through and well combined.

That’s it! Super easy DIY Buffalo Sauce! You can also make in a saucepan if you prefer.

Uses for Homemade Buffalo Sauce

• Add to salad dressings or dips.
• Drizzle on tacos.
• Mix into burger patties or drizzle on top of cooked burgers like these Killer Burgers (just omit the Boom Sauce).
• Toss with chicken wings (like these Grilled Chicken Wings) as a wing sauce.
• Great on shrimp such as fried or grilled shrimp.
• Add a little to meatballs or even meatloaf.
• Use as a marinade for chicken, beef, or pork.

Quick Tips for Best Results

• If you don’t have a lot of time you can mix all the ingredients in a bowl as long as the butter is melted. Heating though, helps everything combine so I do recommend if you have a few minutes to spare.
• You might need to adjust the spiciness to your personal preference. I would say this is mild to medium as-is.
• Be careful what kind of hot sauce you use. Something like Tabasco might be too spicy for this particular recipe.

Homemade Buffalo Sauce FAQ

How should I store Buffalo Sauce?
Any leftover buffalo sauce should be stored covered in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze Buffalo Sauce?
I haven’t tried it, but you probably could. The consistency might be a little off, but I think it would be ok.

How long will Buffalo Sauce last?
It should last quite a while in the refrigerator. At least a week or two, or probably even longer if stored properly.

Substitutions?
Instead of brown sugar, you could use your favorite sweetener such as granulated sugar, honey, or even a sugar substitute. A honey buffalo sauce with a little extra honey would be delicious. You can use your favorite hot sauce but some will definitely work better than others so be careful what brand you choose.

Can I use low-fat ingredients?
You could try a low-fat butter or margarine substitute, but don’t think some would work great and you might be disappointed.

What else can I add to this recipe?
Lots of other great flavors you could try in this recipe such as beer or even mustard. Other great spices to add would be paprika, onion powder, ground chipotle, or cayenne. You could add a little salt and pepper but there is generally a lot of salt in the hot sauce so be careful. A little flavored vinegar might also be great. For a creamy buffalo sauce, you could add a little mayonnaise, sour cream, or even Ranch dressing (like this tasty Homemade Ranch Dressing) for a Buffalo Ranch Sauce.

Can I make this vegan/vegetarian/low carb/gluten-free?
Here are some suggestions, but I can’t guarantee results. Be sure as always to check particular brands and ingredients if you’re following a specific diet or have diet restrictions or allergies.

Vegan – Most Worcestershire contains anchovies, so double-check the brand. Or make your own homemade vegan Worcestershire. Instead of the butter, you could try a vegetable oil or butter substitute.

Vegetarian – Again, check the Worcestershire sauce. It generally contains anchovies. You could omit or try a vegetarian substitute.

Low-Carb – You can try a sugar substitute or omit the sweetener.

Gluten-Free – All the ingredients should be gluten-free just double-check specific brands including the Worcestershire sauce.

Other Homemade Condiment Recipes You May Enjoy

• Pickled Jalapeños (Snappy Gourmet) – Spicy pickled pepper great for tacos, nachos, and other dishes.
• Spicy Pickles (Snappy Gourmet) – Easy refrigerator pickles that require no canning. Ready the next day, so simple!
• Homemade Spicy Mayo (The Frozen Biscuit) – Bet this would be great on sandwiches!
• Spicy Cilantro Pesto (Snappy Gourmet) – Love keeping this in the freezer to add to various dishes.

Hope you enjoy this Homemade Buffalo Sauce. Tell me in the comments what you put it on!

You might also like this Spicy Cranberry Spread that is great on crackers and sandwiches, or this Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning that is great for Taco nights!