Buffalo Sauce – All You Need to Know | Instacart’s Guide to Groceries

What is Buffalo sauce?

Buffalo sauce is a type of hot sauce that’s different from other types of hot sauces in that it’s made with cayenne pepper and a fat, usually butter. The butter in Buffalo sauce adds a creamy richness, toning down the spiciness.

Colloquially synonymous with fried chicken wings, Buffalo sauce (or a similarly flavored Buffalo spice mix) is now used as a condiment for many foods from pizza to popcorn. 

Some people may be turned off by the name Buffalo sauce, thinking that it’s a sauce made from the animal of the same name. Rest assured, Buffalo sauce does not contain any part of the buffalo animal. Many brands of Buffalo sauce are actually vegan because they use artificial butter flavoring rather than actual butter. 

Where did Buffalo sauce originate from?

Buffalo sauce dates back to 1964 when Teressa Bellissimo first created it at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. While there are several versions about the actual events leading to the sauce’s creation, one version is that Teressa, co-owner of the bar, created Buffalo wings as a late-night snack for her son. She tossed some unbreaded, fried wings in hot sauce, to which she added cayenne pepper and butter. They were such a hit with the family and friends who ate them that Buffalo wings were added to the menu the very next day. 

Eventually, hot sauce manufacturers began making their own versions of Buffalo wing sauce, or Buffalo hot sauce, with various levels of spiciness. Professional and home cooks have used the sauce to flavor other cuts of chicken and add extra zip to recipes that use hot sauce. There are also many copycat recipes that share how to make Buffalo at home. 

How is Buffalo sauce made?

Buffalo sauce is a basic hot sauce made from simmering cayenne peppers until soft and well-cooked. They’re blended and put through a filter to create a smooth sauce. Butter (or another type of fat) is added to this hot sauce, along with some white or apple cider vinegar. Some versions of Buffalo sauce also include garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. 

What should I look for when buying Buffalo sauce?

If you aren’t yet loyal to a specific brand of Buffalo sauce, or if you’ve never tried it, there are a few factors to consider when choosing a Buffalo sauce. The spiciness is a key factor that you should start with. Many brands make their Buffalo sauce in multiple levels of spiciness, which may start with ‘mild,’ progress to ‘medium,’ intensify to ‘hot,’ and end with ‘extra hot’ as the sauce that’s only for the serious spice lovers.

Other factors to consider are price, bottle size, and ingredients. Some brands offer organic Buffalo sauce, and you can also find vegan Buffalo sauce. Vegans can some brands of Wing Sauce without reservation because they don’t contain butter. Thanks to food science, it gets a buttery taste from butter flavoring, not the real thing, while canola oil is used for the fat. 

When you want to have your groceries delivered, you can easily shop for Buffalo sauce via Instacart. After adding a product to your cart, use the “Instructions” option to notify your Instacart shopper about any preferences or specific directions on how to choose the best products. Shop for Buffalo sauce.

How to store Buffalo sauce

Unopened Buffalo sauce generally has a long shelf life which may be as long as four years. Once you open a bottle of sauce, it will stay good for a decent amount of time. The high vinegar content and preservatives in Buffalo sauce allow an open bottle of Buffalo sauce to remain at room temperature for about six months, while a refrigerated one can last for 12 to 24 months.

It’s essential to use a paper towel to wipe off the edge of the jar, leaving it clean and free of sauce that can become contaminated. Seal the lid tightly and store it in the back of the refrigerator since this area is the coldest part of the fridge. After the sauce has been open for a few months, before each use, do a quick check to ensure the sauce hasn’t gone bad. When in doubt, throw it out. 

How to tell if Buffalo sauce is bad

Look to see that there’s no mold growing around the rim of the container, as well as inside the bottle. Then smell it to see whether or not it has a foul odor. Finally, pour some out to check the coloring and (if you sense it’s okay) have a taste. As Buffalo sauce goes bad, it tends to darken in color. For sauce containers where you can’t easily see inside, pouring some out onto a paper towel will help you check for discoloration. 

What can I substitute for Buffalo sauce?

Since Buffalo sauce is simply one version of hot sauce, you can use another hot sauce as a substitute. To achieve the rich, creamy taste of Buffalo sauce, you should use two parts of plain hot sauce to one part butter. Feel free to add other spices like garlic, onion powder, or Worchestershire sauce to get your desired flavor. 

Spice up your shopping with Instacart delivery

Going grocery shopping week after week can get tedious and tiring. Save time by using Instacart to buy chicken wings and Buffalo sauce, produce, meat, and all your favorite foods. You can select in-store pick-up (ready in about two hours) or have your groceries directly to your door. Try it now!

Instacart

Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.