What hot sauce is traditional for Buffalo wings?

Frank’s RedHot is the hot sauce classically associated with Buffalo wings. Modern Buffalo sauce usually combines a cayenne-pepper hot sauce with melted butter and vinegar, producing the tangy, spicy coating that defines the dish.

Frank’s RedHot became especially prominent in published recipes and restaurant versions of Buffalo wings. The original sauce is relatively mild by hot-sauce standards, which makes it suitable for mixing with butter while preserving the flavor of cayenne peppers and vinegar. Restaurants may adjust the heat with additional peppers or other seasonings.

There is an important historical wrinkle: Frank’s RedHot may not have been the sauce used in the original 1964 Anchor Bar recipe. Similar cayenne sauces can produce a traditional Buffalo flavor, and brands such as Crystal are also used. Nevertheless, Frank’s RedHot is the standard canonical answer for the hot sauce traditionally associated with Buffalo wings.