Is Buffalo Sauce Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
Buffalo sauce is Level 3 — highly processed. Traditional buffalo sauce is a simple mixture of hot sauce and butter, but commercial bottled versions add modified food starch, xanthan gum, soybean oil, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate, and artificial colors to create a shelf-stable product.
Key Findings
- •The original buffalo sauce was 2 ingredients: Frank's RedHot and butter. Commercial bottled versions contain 10-15 ingredients
- •Soybean oil replaces butter in most brands because butter would separate and spoil on store shelves
- •Making buffalo sauce at home (hot sauce + melted butter) takes 30 seconds and is Level 1-2
Why Is Buffalo Sauce Level 3?
The original buffalo wing sauce, created at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York in 1964, was reportedly Frank's RedHot mixed with butter — a 2-ingredient sauce. Modern commercial bottled buffalo sauce has evolved significantly. Brands like Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce contain cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil (replacing butter for cost and shelf stability), modified food starch (thickener), contains less than 2% of: salt, sugar, garlic, xanthan gum, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), and artificial colors. The butter is replaced by soybean oil because butter would solidify when refrigerated and go rancid at room temperature. Modified food starch and xanthan gum create the pourable viscosity that a simple hot-sauce-and-butter mixture would not maintain in a bottle.
Buffalo Sauce Processing Level Distribution
How 1,000 buffalo sauce products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 20.4 · Average nutrition score: 2.9/10
Buffalo Sauce Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed buffalo sauce products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gourmet Buffalo Wing Sauce, Gourmet Buffalo | Space Aliens | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 3.5 | 5 |
| Chicken Wing Sauce, Chicken Wing | Beano's | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 3.5 | 5 |
| Chicken Wing Sauce, Chicken Wing | Beano's | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 3.5 | 5 |
| Authentic Buffalo Style Chicken Wing Sauce | Wing It | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Authentic Buffalo Style Chicken Wing Sauce | Wing It | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Buffalo Wing Sauce | Jake's Grillin | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 7 |
| Buffalo Sauce Avocado Oil, Buffalo Sauce | Primal Kitchen | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Authentic Buffalo Style Chicken Wing Sauce, Buffalo Style Chicken | Wing It | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Wing Sauce | Steve's Paleogoods | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Buffalo Sauce, Buffalo | Primal Kitchen | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
How to Read Buffalo Sauce Labels
- 1
Traditional buffalo sauce is just hot sauce + butter — easily made at home at Level 1-2
- 2
Soybean oil in commercial versions replaces butter for cost and shelf stability
- 3
Modified food starch and xanthan gum create the thick, pourable texture
- 4
Sodium benzoate is a preservative that extends shelf life from days to months
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make buffalo sauce at home?
Mix hot sauce (like Frank's RedHot) with melted butter in a roughly 2:1 ratio. That is it — 2 ingredients, Level 1-2, takes 30 seconds. This is the original recipe from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY.
Is Frank's RedHot the same as buffalo sauce?
Frank's RedHot is a hot sauce (peppers, vinegar, salt — Level 1-2). Buffalo sauce is Frank's RedHot mixed with butter. Bottled "buffalo sauce" products are a different, more processed product with 10-15 ingredients replacing the simple original.
Why do commercial buffalo sauces have so many ingredients?
Shelf stability. A simple hot-sauce-and-butter mixture would separate, solidify when cold, and spoil within days. Commercial versions replace butter with soybean oil, add modified starch for consistency, and include preservatives for months of shelf life.