Classic buffalo sauce transforms into this thick and spicy Buffalo BBQ Sauce. Slather it on your grilled meats or toss wings for a sweet heat.
Hot sauce lovers, this is for you. Trust me when I tell you the flavors of this Buffalo BBQ sauce are intense and flavorful, with the focus being on your favorite hot sauce.
I’ve always wanted a thicker version to baste on to whole chicken, glaze up some scallops or shrimp, or even stir into an incredible queso dip. The added flavors of molasses, chipotle, and other ingredients add layers of flavor and smoke, rounding this out into an incredible BBQ sauce while letting the hot sauce remain the star. Try this on Smoked Buffalo BBQ Wings!
Why This Recipe Works
Buffalo hot sauce. Because you love buffalo hot sauce, that’s why you want this. Grab your preferred bottle of hot sauce and let’s get going.
Thicker consistency. This has the body of a traditional BBQ sauce, so you can glaze, dip, and stir it into all sorts of things without it being too runny.
Spicy with a little sweetness. Making a well-rounded hot and spicy BBQ sauce takes a few ingredients to balance out the heat. The main flavor is absolutely hot sauce, but there are notes of smoke and sweetness as well.
Easy Peasy. No blenders are required, just dump everything into a saucepan and whisk. It comes together in minutes.
Let’s break down the very simple list of ingredients for this Buffalo BBQ sauce. You are welcome to try this recipe with any hot sauce, however, I do highly recommend sticking with the classic Frank’s RedHot Sauce for this recipe. Not only does this sauce have a perfect amount of heat, but it’s the most familiar to what we recognize as a buffalo sauce flavor profile.
Buffalo BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce – Classic cayenne pepper hot sauce flavor, one of the most familiar choices for buffalo hot sauce.
- Ketchup – This is key, creating the thick body for building a BBQ sauce while adding a little acid and sweetness.
- Dark brown sugar – Using this darker sugar helps to fortify the deep, smoky flavors. If you’re trying to watch the sugar, you can always add less to start and more at the end when tasting.
- Molasses – This thick syrup adds body and roasted depth to the sauce. Make sure you are using unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap molasses.
- Apple cider vinegar – Classic acid to brighten all of the flavors.
- Worcestershire sauce – A small splash of fermented umami adds a little something.
- Chipotle powder – This adds a smoked layer of heat, without competing with the cayenne hot sauce.
- Black pepper – A nice sharp punch, it’s subtle but noticeable.
- Celery salt – Skip traditional salt and use this. The flavor is perfectly paired with buffalo hot sauce.
- Unsalted butter – Whisk in cold butter at the end to create a velvety, rich texture.
How to make this sauce
Let me tell you right now: You do NOT need a blender!
Go ahead, jump up and down. This one is easy and really only has two steps:
STEP 1: Add everything, except butter, to a saucepan. Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat until it starts to simmer and thicken. The main goal is to dissolve the sugars and have the spices bloom together, incorporating them into the sauce. You’ll know when it’s about the right consistency, it should lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Make sure you simmer gently. This homemade BBQ sauce does not need a rolling boil, otherwise, your counter and backsplash will be painted red.
STEP 2: Whisk in cold, unsalted butter. This must be cold butter. It doesn’t need to be from a freezer, but don’t use room temp butter. The slow melt of butter allows the fats to be dispersed throughout the sauce, creating a stable emulsion. Basically, cold butter whisked slowly allows it to melt all throughout the sauce without a greasy separation. The addition of butter into this BBQ sauce is pretty unique, a nod to the classic recipe for buffalo hot sauce.
Ideas for using the buffalo bbq sauce
Smoked Buffalo BBQ Wings are the easiest choice, and you should absolutely make those. Don’t let that be the end of your ideas!
- Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Smoked Chicken Halves
- Buffalo Chicken Queso Dip
- Pork Belly Brussels Sprouts
- Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks
- Buffalo Grilled Scallops or Shrimp
BBQ Sauce Variations
Making homemade BBQ sauce has a huge advantage, which is being able to customize the profile. Read below for tips on how to adjust the flavor based on your preferences:
Make it sweeter: Add more brown sugar after the sauce has simmered for at least 10 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if needed, then continue to simmer, allowing it to dissolve.
Make it tangier: Add apple cider vinegar at the very end. A little goes a long way.
Change the spice level: Ground chipotle is recommended, but if you want it spicier you can add cayenne chile powder or another type of chile you prefer.
More Delicious Sauces You’ll Love
Homemade BBQ sauce is the best! Here’s a list of our BEST homemade barbecue sauces, or choose from a few recommended below:
Buffalo BBQ Sauce
Take your favorite hot sauce and fortify it for the grill with this Buffalo BBQ Sauce. This hot and spicy BBQ sauce belongs on anything and everything.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: About 3 Cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and cold
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except the butter, to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat until the sauce begins to simmer. Using a whisk, stir gently to melt the sugars and spices together. After about 10 minutes at a low simmer, the sauce will thicken.
- Turn off the heat. Whisk in the butter a little at the time, slowly melting it while stirring. This will help the butter emulsify into the sauce so it doesn’t separate.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauces & Salsas
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: BBQ Sauce
Keywords: BBQ sauce, Hot BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, buffalo bbq sauce, wing sauce
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