Buffalo wing sauce is usually based on what kind of pepper?

Buffalo wing sauce is usually based on cayenne pepper, typically in the form of a vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce.

The classic sauce combines cayenne-style hot sauce with melted butter, creating Buffalo wings’ recognizable balance of heat, tang, richness, and bright red-orange color. Vinegar in the hot sauce supplies acidity, while butter softens the pepper’s sharp heat and helps the sauce cling to fried chicken.

Frank’s RedHot is often associated with the traditional style, although other cayenne-based Louisiana-style hot sauces can be used. Recipes may add garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, or extra cayenne, and restaurants adjust the butter-to-hot-sauce ratio to make mild, medium, or hot versions.

The answer is not simply “chili pepper”: that broad term covers many varieties. Serrano and jalapeño peppers can flavor hot sauces, and black pepper may appear as seasoning, but cayenne is the characteristic pepper base of Buffalo-style sauce. Buffalo wings themselves are generally unbreaded fried wing sections tossed in the sauce.