Homemade Buffalo Sauce (3-Ingredients)
I started making buffalo sauce homemade years ago to save money and remove unwanted additives. Now I won’t go back—it’s that good! Mine is made with 3 ingredients: hot sauce, melted butter, and garlic powder. That’s it—no vinegar, and it only takes 5 minutes! I hope this recipe helps you replace store-bought buffalo sauce in your house like it has in ours!
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My favorite way to use this homemade buffalo sauce is to make buffalo chicken dip! The homemade sauce gives it the best flavor. But I also love serving it alongside buttermilk oven-fried chicken tenders for dipping. It’s just as good!
My Inspiration for Making Buffalo Sauce Homemade
My husband, Tyler, and I love buffalo sauce! One of the first things I took my husband to eat when we started dating was homemade buffalo chicken dip, and he fell in love with it. It’s been a shared love of ours ever since.
So years later, I started making my own at home. It’s cheaper to make because you can get multiple batches out of 1 hot sauce bottle and it eliminates any unwanted additives that are found in pre-made buffalo sauce.
I hope my recipe helps you replace store-bought buffalo sauce in your kitchen, like it has in ours!
What is Buffalo Sauce?
Buffalo sauce is a sauce made of hot sauce, butter, and garlic powder. It’s got a mild heat and a super savory flavor!
Who Invented Buffalo Sauce?
Teressa Bellissimo invented buffalo sauce in 1964 at her co-owned Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. She whipped up a peppery sauce to toss leftover wings for her son and his friends as a late-night snack. That’s where it gets its name from its city of origin, Buffalo, New York.
Why We Love This Recipe and Think You Will Too!
- Takes Only 5 Minutes: It’s such a quick recipe to whip up.
- Better Than Frank’s Buffalo Sauce Recipe: This recipe is so easy and simple.
- It’s a Mild Buffalo Sauce Recipe: It’s not too spicy, the heat level is mild.
- Best Buffalo Sauce: In our opinion it’s the best tasting buffalo sauce we’ve had.
- Perfect Chicken Wing Sauce: The consistency of this sauce is perfect for tossing wings in!
How to Adjust the Spice Level of Buffalo Sauce
- For less spice, add 2 more tablespoons of melted butter.
- For more spice, leave out 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
My Tips for Making Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Read the entire recipe before you get started so you know what to expect.
- Follow the recipe exactly how I’ve written it the first time you make it. I’ve developed this and tested it many times to ensure it’s successful. If you want to make adjustments for your own liking please do so after you’ve made it once or twice.
- Use a good butter, not margarine for this recipe. It makes a huge difference!
- If possible, use Frank’s RedHot for the best results and flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
- butter: I like to use salted grass-fed butter but you can use any
- hot sauce: you can use any but I highly recommend Frank’s RedHot
- garlic powder: make sure it’s salt-free
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Make Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
Once melted, add hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until completely combined and no butter residue is around the edges of the pan. It will thicken a little as it cools.
Either remove from heat and let cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge or leave it warming over medium heat for 2-3 more minutes for a warmer sauce that’s ready to use. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
My Favorite Ways to Use Buffalo Sauce
You can use buffalo sauce in so many ways! My husband and I use it on tons of dishes, but here are a few of our favorites:
- To make homemade buffalo chicken dip
- To coat homemade boneless chicken wings
- For dipping oven-fried chicken tenders
- To make buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
Storing Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Store buffalo sauce in a glass, airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 month. It may solidify after chilling. Just scoop the sauce out into a saucepan and warm until the consistency you desire, or sit the jar on the counter for a few hours before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can last up to 1 month in a sealed container in the fridge.
Buffalo sauce is a combination of hot sauce, butter, and garlic. Hot sauce is plain without added ingredients.
The original sauce is cayenne hot sauce and butter.
Frank’s RedHot is the best but Tabasco works great too.
The addition of butter and garlic makes the sauce thicker.
Buffalo sauce has a mild heat. It just depends on the type of hot sauce you used to make it. But it is milder than regular hot sauce.
Add more butter to get a more mild spice level.
More Homemade Sauces To Try
If you’re looking for more easy sauces to make at home, try a few of these:
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Homemade Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- Quick Homemade Marinara Dipping Sauce
- Homemade Chocolate Sauce
- Homemade Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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Recipe
Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp butter (I use grass-fed salted)
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (Frank's RedHot is the best but you can use any)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (salt-free)
Instructions
- Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
- Once melted, add hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until completely combined and no butter residue is around the edges of the pan. It will thicken a little as it cools.
- Either remove from heat and let cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge or leave it warming over medium heat for 2-3 more minutes for a warmer sauce that's ready to use. Enjoy!
Video