Key findings
- 1The original buffalo sauce was 2 ingredients: Frank's RedHot and butter. Commercial bottled versions list many more
- 2Soybean oil replaces butter in most brands because butter would separate and spoil on store shelves
- 3Making buffalo sauce at home (hot sauce + melted butter) takes 30 seconds and uses two ingredients
Why is Buffalo Sauce Level 3 on average?
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 goes well beyond that. A typical bottled label lists cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil (in place of butter), modified food starch (thickener), and less than 2% of: salt, sugar, garlic, xanthan gum, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), and artificial colors. Soybean oil stands in for butter 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. In our analysis, buffalo sauce products average a Processing Score of 7.7, which is Level 3.
How 322 buffalo sauce products break down
Share of products at each processing level, in our analysis.
Buffalo Sauce brand comparison
From least to most processed in our database.
How to read a buffalo sauce label
- 1
Traditional buffalo sauce is just hot sauce + butter, easily made at home with far less processing
- 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
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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, minimal processing, and it 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 made from peppers, vinegar, and salt. Buffalo sauce is Frank's RedHot mixed with butter. Bottled "buffalo sauce" products are a different, more processed product with a longer ingredient list 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.