Saturday, April 17, 2010

Original Buffalo Chicken Wings (Shaken, Not Stirred) – Totally Authentic, Or So I Hear

If you know someone from Buffalo, they know someone who told them the secret ingredients to the Anchor Bar's famous Buffalo chicken wings. I know people from Buffalo. This is my version, as described to me many years ago, over almost as many beers.

Now that we've established it's absolute validity, I should tell you, I'm not a huge fan. Just because a recipe is authentic, doesn’t mean it's a great recipe. Don't get me wrong, I've never turned down plate of Buffalo-style chicken wings, I'm just saying there are about 20 wings sauce recipes I like better (like the ones I've already posted on the blog - see below)

Having said that, people really seem to love these, and I encourage you to give them a try. The wings are always fried in Buffalo, but a really hot oven works just fine.

To see the technique for baking the wings, click this link and watch the famous Clifton Springs Chicken Wings video, or this link which has all three of our previous chicken wing videos. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
2/3 cup Frank's Louisiana hot sauce
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce (like the Sriracha I used)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

73 comments:

Mike said...

Hey Chef, these look really amazing. Definitely going to give them a whirl. I'm from Canada and a bunch of us drive down to Buffalo, a few times a year, just for the chicken wings. We go to a place called Gagster's, maybe you've never heard of it but their wings look a lot like the ones you made there.. this might save us a 2hr trip :P

Eric Yu said...

I like my Buffalo Chicken Wings shaken, not stirred.

Henry said...

I am missing where your related posts are? I want to review all your other chicken wing recipes. I know I can search but ... that's just sooo much more difficult. ;)

Alberto said...

*sigh* what I don't like about the buffalo chicken wings is the 300 pounds of butter...

but they are so good...

specially bbq + horseradish

Chef John said...

i put links in the last paragraph.

Michael R said...

I've been making them like this for years. If you run out of vinegar, lemon juice works just as well. I found that out last weekend.

I think that Franks in some parts of the country still may be referred to as Durkees, or Frank Durkees if I remember correctly.

Mario said...

Hey Chef John, i'm brazilian and i'm never going to find this Frank's Louisiana hot sauce, can you tell me what it is so I can try to find something like that here in Brazil?

Bart said...

Chicken Wings for president!

Chef John said...

its a fairly mild sorta vinegary red pepper sauce. not sure what is equivalent.

Chris K. said...

Thanks for sharing this, Chef!

I gotta admit, I prefer oven-baked chicken wings at home over deep-fried, weird as that sounds. They just turn out better. Easy cleanup and being healthier doesn't hurt either. Better than a poke in the eye, I tell ya.

Is the blue cheese sauce just a bottled dressing, or is there an "authentic" recipe for that too?

Also, as a Western New Yorker, have you ever tried/used Speedie Sauce grill marinade? It's from Binghamton.

Chef John said...

Not a lot of Speedie Sauce experience, do you have a fav recipe?

I'm not above a jar of Nancy's, but here is a recipe for homemade. http://americanfood.about.com/od/saucesdipsanddressings/r/Blue_Cheese_Dre.htm

Jack Parker said...

Sorry for what will be a lengthy comment but this recipe has put me in a quandary!

I cannot lie. I had doubts, Chef. A stick of butter? Extra vinegar? Tabasco and cayenne?

But, I reminded myself of two things: 1) You're a chef, not my doctor, and 2) You've not "stirred" me wrong yet. Armed with pure, fresh butter straight from a local farmer, I dove in.

Remembering that I live where salt and pepper are considered "spicy," I cut this recipe in half and made half exactly as directed. In the other half I used green tabasco sauce (for the sweetness) and, instead of cayenne pepper, I used 1 tsp brown sugar.

Both turned out great. Even all the spicier wings were eaten by the fussy work crowd. They said the "burn" was a small price to pay for the flavor.

The quandary? Now everyone at works expects me to feed them once a week since I've shared six of your dishes now. This is not good... or cheap. It might be cheaper to just give them a copy of your cookbook when it comes out.

Chef John said...

glad it worked out! yes, give them all cookbooks. :-)

Chris K. said...

Thanks for the blue cheese dressing link!

I don't have a favorite recipe for Spiedie Sauce. It's an all-purpose meat marinade. You can use it with practically anything, but I like it best on grilled chicken or shish kebab.

Anonymous said...

Dear CeeJay,

Unortunately I can't get any Frank's Hot Sauce where I live. Is there any way to emulate it? I also can't do your fantastic-looking Sticky Ginger Garlic Chicken Wings because I lack the Frank's Hot Sauce :(

Thanks!
LC

Jack Parker said...

For those who don't have access to Frank's Red Hot Sauce (for which you have my sincere sympathies), here's the very short list of ingredients from the bottle (which are listed in the order of what's most used in it to what's least used): Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt and Garlic Powder.

If you play around with these ingredients, it should be a consistency not much thicker than water, very vinegary, very light garlic, and a darker, dull red color. You may not know what it should taste like, but you may come up with a flavor you like.

Anonymous said...

Thanks JP! I'll try that! T

Raja said...

Thanks Chef.

I have been a fan of yours from the day i have found your site. I love all of your recipes. Couple of days ago i was wondering why chef john has all the recipes but the hot sauce for chicken wings and there you are with the recipe as if you heard me through telepathy. Thank you so much.

So, as i was starting to watch this recipe i was surprised to see you called for franks bottled hot sauce and i thought to my self didn't chef john known for making everything from scratch or may be he was in a hurry.

I just want to let you know chef that there are so many fans in the other part of the world cooking and enjoying you recipe like me who (couldn't get franks bottled hot sauce and) has no choice but to cook everything from scratch.
If you are in a hurry, at least please post a link or type your recipes which you substitute for ready-made stuff. It will be so helpful for your fans like me who live in other parts of the world.

And keep spreading peace and happiness through food.

rosemary said...

Finally! Thanx sooo much! I may have lied when I said I made Clifton wings because I just used some local hot sauce brand. Not sure about the difference that this Frank's sauce would bring, but what I made was super delish! I think using some other brand may not bring the same results but it should be good. I will try JP's recipe for buffalo wings. Also googling for proportions.

Unknown said...

Great recipe! In my house we like to use the same process and ingredients with 1 exception - we use drumsticks! It's a great alternative and if you're a buffalo freak like me it gives you 1 more option consume the tasty sauce!

Nick D said...

Very similar to the recipe I always turn to from America's Test Kitchen. I found I like a bit of sweetness from a spoonful of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar in place of the white variety.

Though the Clifton Springs wings were quite good so maybe I will try the "vanilla" version of these.

Vinny said...

Can't wait to try.

Buffalo Wings said...

It looks really good and simple.

Mike said...

Hey Chef, how bout a blue cheese dip recipe to go with these? :P

Anonymous said...

This sauce is great! Try it over buttermilk fried chicken wings! mmm

Anonymous said...

Hi Chef John

I don't have Frank's Louisiana hot sauce. what can i use as alternative ? We have Tabasco sauce and Sriracha and other brand that are less spicy. thank you

Anonymous said...

Used to go to a dive bar in Tempe, AZ back when I was at ASU (early 80's) and they used the Franks and butter but also added 2/3's of a packet of dried Italian Seasoning to the mix (guess it replaces the vinegar.) Fry wings and drain. Then dip into sauce with seasonings. Bake at about 325 for 12 minutes or so. Still use it today. Next time will use a shot of Tobasco and/or cayenne to up the heat. Excellent article and thanks!

Maria said...

Thanks Chef John for posting this recipe. I made it along with the Clifton Springs wings recipe and they were PERFECT!!! I posted them on my blog...Chef Mommy.
Thanks again!!

Craig said...

John,
Tonight made 1 lb Buffalo and 1 lb ginger/garlic. Absolutely the best home-made wings ever!

Great site! Great recipes!

Emily said...

Hi Chef John!

I am 8 months pregnant and can not stop eating these wings! They have been my number one craving. The sauce always turns out perfect, but the one thing I have yet to perfect is a crispy skin. Is there a trick to getting it crispy in the oven?

My favorite thing about this recipe is all the butter. I am trying to follow the Weston Price Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Moms, which recommends 4 Tbs of butter daily. Thanks for helping get in all of that healthy goodness!

Chef John said...

They never really get super crispy in the oven like frying, but try a little more flour and oil, before the high heat roast. thanks!

Alex said...

I made this, and it was delicious. I have tried other ratios of franks to butter, such as 2:1 and 3:1 but it was never quite as good as this. If you want it spicier, just use 3:2 ratio with extra cayenne and Tabasco. I deep fried on 375 for 12 minutes and they were crispy. I think the flour + hot sauce = soggy mess.

Anonymous said...

JUANITE SAID ilove buffalo wings thanks for this recipe because last time i made it it did not come out to good but it was good

Anonymous said...

Just made this today and it was super delicious! I have tried all of your chicken wing recipes and i have yet to be disappointed =D

Rachel said...

I love this! I'm from buffalo and moved to texas so it tastes a lot like home!

Nicolas Gaviola said...

Chef John,

You seriously made my day. I've been looking to make Buffalo Chicken ever since I left the US for Europe and now, finally, my taste buds are reconciled with their childhood delight.

Amazing, Merci Beaucoup!
Nico

Anonymous said...

I was looking for a hot-wing recipe similar to what I might find in a bar here in Alberta, this was not it.

I may try a variation minus the butter. The butter made it too greasy for my taste and it separated from the hot sauce.

The vinegar made this sauce smell stronger than it was, however the smell of the vinegar was not pleasant.

Thank you for posting the recipe and giving me some ideas, thanks to this, I will definitely try making hot-wings again with some experimentation.

Anonymous said...

My sister and I made this for dinner last week and they were the best hot wings I ever tasted they are better then the one they sell at my local restaurant name Alondra Hot Wings.

Annie said...

ok... I'm in Australia and I don't think we have this louisiana hot sauce.. any substitute ?

Alaman said...

To make crispier wings in the oven: Hit them with some salt about an hour before hand, then dry them off completely with paper towels and cook at higher heat 425 - 450 degrees. Pour the grease off halfway through cooking so they don't sit in fat and get soggy. The mini brine procedure allows them to stand up to heat w/out drying out and the skin gets crispy.

Tom said...

Hi,

We have just finished a post basically reviewing the Original Buffalo Wings at Anchor Bar and we would like to share it with our members here.

http://2bearbear.com/travel/the-origin-of-the-original-buffalo-wings-anchor-bar-buffalo-new-york/

Enjoy the post!

Tom,
2bearbear.com

Dave said...

Chef John, let me say the wings I just made following your Clifton Springs cooking method and this Buffalo Sauce are the BEST I'VE EVER HAD! Now I love wings and eat them quite often out but have never attempted to make them until now. WOW! I picked up 5 LBS of meaty wings and they came out amazing! I did use flour AND potato flakes for extra crunch. I'll never look at restaurant wings or box wing shops the same!

Thanks for all of the amazing recipe's, my family and friends wonder how I turned into a gourmet chef. It's because I found FoodWishes.com!!

Anonymous said...

This is my firt time making buffalo wings, and i would like to bake them, i am no sure if i am supposed to put any seasoning on it before hand since i am coating them with sauce afterward.

Chef John said...

It's okay to season the wings also!

Anonymous said...

Hello Chef John, i live in australia and i wanted to make this but i cant find the Frank's Louisiana hot sauce. Can i sub it with anything?

Chef John said...

Just another hot sauce. Not sure what u have.

Anonymous said...

I think you can order Franks online.

Anonymous said...

what should i season them with? since there are alot of spices in the sauce?

Anonymous said...

In Australia, Frank's hot sauce can be bought from David Jones.

Anonymous said...

what can i do to make the sauce a little thicker? mine came out runny, i would like to use it for a dipping sauce also..

Tommy said...

Hi, Chef. Should I need to do something on the chicken wings before doing the mixture with sources?

Thanks.

Tommy said...

Hi Chef,

Should I do something on the wings first before doing the mixture with the source?

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hey Chef,

What should i season the wings with before frying them?

sherri said...

I have been loving all of your recipes!! Is there a way to print them without getting all the comments?

Chef John said...

No, sorry

Bushy said...

Hey Chef, I've made your buffalo sauce about four or five times now. Each time, it separates. I've followed the recipe to the letter. I'm assuming that it's not supposed to separate. Any suggestions?

Chef John said...

Yes, it separates! It a temporary emulsion. So mix well, and immediately mix with wings.

Unknown said...

You can buy Franks in Australia. Try Ebay and Try AmericanFoods.com.au

Patrick said...

"sherri said...

I have been loving all your recipes!! Is there a way to print them without getting all the comments?"

Yes.

Try cutting and pasting just what you want.

Create a Word doc or similar and Print

Unknown said...

I live in regional Australia so there are no stores that stock Frank's anywhere near me. I also didn't have time to order Frank's online, because I woke up this morning and decided today was the day to make Buffalo wings. Going on a tip from YouTube, I instead bought Cholula hot sauce in a 150ml bottle (which approximates 2/3 c.). I've just finished mixing up the wing sauce and it tastes almost precisely like it would with Frank's! I think the Cholula has a slightly smokier flavour, but the heat and richness and basic taste are essentially the same. I'll probably order some Frank's to have on hand for next time, though, just because that's what I grew up with.

So there you go Aussies (or expats living Down Under), if you can't get your hands on Frank's you can try Cholula with confidence.

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John

All the recipes that you have posted on your website are amazing,
I am a person who has never cooked before so when I decided to stay home and become a housewife I had no idea how to cook but when I found your recipes on All recipes website I decided to start cooking dinner for my family.

I am so happy that the first time I decided to follow one of your recipes my family enjoyed the food. Since then I feel as if I have a personal culinary teacher right by my side on my screen guiding me. I still constantly follow your recipes as I cook often for my family and they continue enjoying your recipes.

Thank you for all the delicious recipes.

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John

All the recipes that you have posted on your website are amazing,
I am a person who has never cooked before so when I decided to stay home and become a housewife I had no idea how to cook but when I found your recipes on Allrecipes website I decided to start cooking dinner for my family.

I am so happy that the first time I decided to follow one of your recipes my family enjoyed the food. Since then I feel as if I have a personal culinary teacher right by my side on my screen guiding me. I still constantly follow your recipes as I cook often for my family and they continue enjoying your recipes.

Thank you for all the delicious recipes.

Chef John said...

Thank you!!

♥xJERBEARx♥ said...

Do I still put hot sauce, salt, and black pepper on my wings, before putting them in the oven? I also assume that you don't need the flour either.

Unknown said...

Can you put the remaining sauce in the fridge and heat it up the next day?

Unknown said...

How come my sauce never sticks to the dang wings?

rain.drop said...

Totally amazing. There's no Frank's Red Hot Sauce in my country, so I used hot sriracha sauce. Thank you!

Unknown said...

So I'm still confused on which part we follow to bake the wings. Do we coat them in flour before putting them in the oven, or do we just put the wings in the oven for 30 minutes each side?

Chef John said...

Both methods work, that's up to you. The flour gives it a little extra crustiness, but adds a step. Great both ways.

Beatrice Lawson said...

Just amazing. Another winner, Chef! Used your basic naked wing recipe and it all came together beautifully. I also made the blue cheese dip to go with it (I think you called it a dressing but it worked great for us.) yum!

Unknown said...

Can you use chipotle hotsauce instead of Fanks?

Unknown said...

hi I love your videos on youtube I was wondering if there was anyway you could do a video on how to make a mild buffalo wing sause thanks I realy love your videos chef john even the chicken wing ones ( sorry not a good speller )

Unknown said...

hi chef john I love all your videos thank you for them the one you did one the buffalo wing sause is good but is there anyway to make it mild at all