Classic Buffalo wing sauce mixes cayenne hot sauce with butter.
The standard sauce combines a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce with melted butter. The hot sauce supplies acidity, salt, and heat, while butter softens the sharpness and gives the finished coating a richer texture. The cooked wings are tossed in the mixture so the sauce clings to the crisp skin.
Frank’s RedHot is often associated with the classic American style, although other cayenne sauces can be used. Recipes may also include vinegar, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, or seasonings, but those additions are not essential to the basic formula. The amount of butter helps determine how fiery and rich the sauce tastes.
Several dairy ingredients are commonly confused with butter. Buttermilk is usually used as a marinade or part of a coating, while sour cream and cream cheese belong to creamy dips and specialty sauces. Blue cheese dressing and ranch are traditionally served alongside Buffalo wings, not used as the defining base of the sauce itself.