Spicy Garlic Buffalo Sauce (Buffalo Wild Wings Copycat)

I love buffalo sauce, and the spicy garlic sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, there isn't one close by, and I was desperate to make my own. All I knew about making buffalo sauce was what everyone seems to know; it's just hot sauce and butter. And you know what? I never got it to come out anything like Buffalo Wild Wings (or any other restaurant buffalo sauce I had). After a lot of internet digging, I finally found the secret. Egg yolk! In fact, this recipe doesn't even use butter (although you could). This took about 20 minutes to make, and it comes out so close to the real thing I can't tell the difference!

What You'll Need

You probably have most of this already in your house, but I linked to Amazon if you don't have a local grocer.

• Frank's Red Hot (or any cayenne based hot sauce, but Frank's was the closest match to the original)
  
• Vegetable Oil
  
• Sugar
  
• Garlic Powder
  
• Black Pepper
  
• Cayenne Pepper
  
• Worcestershire Sauce
  
• Flour
• 1 Large Egg (or 2 small eggs)
• Pot
• Funnel (optional)

Step 1: Mix Ingredients

Mix the following in a pot:

1. 1 cup of Frank's Red Hot
2. 1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I can't believe it's not butter!)
3. 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
4. 1 Teaspoon of Sugar
5. 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
6. 1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
7. 1/2 Teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce

My guess is they substitute butter for vegetable oil because it's easier to store and keep, but you can use butter if you'd like.

Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer while you prepare the next step.

Step 2: Step 2: Whisk Egg Yolk and Flour

This is the secret ingredient. If you've ever tried making buffalo sauce the traditional way, you've probably noticed the oil separates. The egg yolk serves as an emulsifier.

I recommend using one large egg, or two small eggs. If at the end you notice the oil separating, you can always add more egg, but not too much. The more egg yolk you use, the thicker the sauce will become.

Start by separating the yolk from the whites (which you won't need) and add two teaspoons of water. Whisk for two minutes until you notice the color turns a pale yellow.

Next whisk in two teaspoons of flour or corn starch.

Step 3: Add Sauce to Egg Mixture

Remove the sauce from the burner and stir. You'll notice the oil has likely already separated.

Next, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture while stirring. It will start turn into that familiar delicious orange.

Step 4: Step 4: Bottle the Sauce

I had already dipped into the Frank's earlier, so when I made this batch it finished off the bottle. I ended up just reusing the bottle, but a mason jar would also work. I also used a funnel from my homebrewing setup, which made pouring the sauce much easier.

Step 5: Step 5: Devour!

This did not last the afternoon. It came out perfect, medium heat and tangy, and the garlic is wonderfully balanced. I love the consistency and thickness, tastes just like the real thing!

Thanks for reading!