Have you recently made a batch of buffalo sauce at home? You were expecting a thick, rich, and tangy sauce but instead of that, you got some watery, thin liquid that hardly sticks to your wings? Don’t worry about the sauce anymore because I have the solution which you’re looking for! In this article, I’m doing to discuss 3 quick and effective ways to make a thick buffalo sauce recipe with things you already have in your kitchen.
So, how to make a thick buffalo sauce recipe?
To thicken up your buffalo sauce, first, create a cornstarch slurry that contains an equal part of cornstarch and water, then bring your buffalo sauce to a simmer, and mix well in the slurry. A substitute for cornstarch is a roux that contains equal parts of butter and flour. You can use the reduction method as well to make a thick buffalo recipe.
A thick Buffalo Sauce recipe Using Cornstarch:
My most favorite method to thicken the buffalo sauce is by using a cornstarch slurry. A cornstarch slurry contains equal parts of cornstarch and cold water that are mixed so well together.
If you don’t have any cornstarch available, then you can use arrowroot or potato starch as a substitute for cornstarch slurry.
Keep in mind that cornstarch slurry doesn’t freeze well, the sauce will resultantly turn spongey if you try to freeze it. If you want to freeze the sauce, then use arrowroot instead of cornstarch slurry because it isn’t affected by freezing at all.
The quantity of cornstarch slurry depends on the volume of buffalo sauce you want to thicken up. Apply a general rule, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to thicken up each cup of buffalo sauce.
What you’ll need:
- 1 part of cornstarch
- 1 part of cold water
- small bowl
- whisk
- small pan
Instructions:
- Mix both the cornstarch and cold water in a bowl gently.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry until the consistency of the slurry is smooth and no lumps remain in it.
- Add your buffalo sauce to a small pan and expose your sauce to a simmer.
- Whisk your slurry into simmering buffalo sauce until the sauce doesn’t seen visibly thicken and start boiling.
- Don’t cook more than the required needs as excessive heat can break down the starch and your sauce starts thinning again.
When you notice that your sauce is thickened up when you add the slurry. Now let it cool for a few minutes and then enjoy your sauce as you had initially planned.
Thicken Buffalo Sauce Without Cornstarch:
There are multiple ways that you can use to make a thick buffalo sauce recipe that doesn’t require cornstarch. Creating a roux is the best way to use with a pre-made sauce.
You can also use the reduction technique here to make a thick buffalo sauce recipe. The reduction technique is best when you are making the sauce from scratch.
Make a roux:
Making a roux is a fantastic way to get perfect emulsified and thick buffalo sauce at home.
Roux is just the blend of equal parts of flour and fat that is butter here in this recipe.
If you’ve never heard of a roux then here’s how you can make it very easily.
What you’ll need:
- 1 part of the flour
- 1 part of butter
Instructions:
- First, melt the desired quantity of butter in a small saucepan
- Then add the flour to the pan when the butter has melted.
- Whisk both butter and flour together for at least one minute. The whisking process helps to ensure that no flour flavor has remained in the roux.
- When the roux starts looking bubbly and smells cooked and buttery, then instantly turn off the heat.
- Turning off the heat ensures that lumps are less likely to form in the final sauce.
- Slowly add the buffalo sauce into the pan and keep on whisking the buffalo sauce.
- When the roux and buffalo sauce are mixed well together, then turn on the heat on a low flame.
- Continue whisking the sauce until it doesn’t look like you thickened. This process usually takes around 3-5 minutes to prepare.
And there you end up with Perfectly thickened, emulsified, and delicious buffalo sauce at home. The best thing about making a roux to thicken buffalo sauce is that it doesn’t impact the texture of the sauce when it is chilled.
Reduction Technique:
The reduction technique is considered the most classic way of thickening the sauce whilst also intensifying the flavor of buffalo sauce.
Reducing the buffalo sauce is quite a simple process. Simply what you have to do is, bring your buffalo sauce to boil in a pan, and then reduce your sauce to a simmer.
You should pay close attention to the quantity of sauce like how much sauce you started with. I preferred to use a wooden spoon that is dipped in the pan to help visualize the starting line of the reduction technique. You can then dip the same spoon into the pan and compare the markings to know how much the sauce has reduced whilst using the reduction technique.
How To Make Buffalo Sauce Stick?
There are two main factors for not sticking buffalo sauce. The factors involve the sauce that’s too thin and the food items.
As I’ve discussed in the article on how to thicken your buffalo sauce at home while using different ways. Now, let’s talk about how to make your food crispier and sticky.
For chicken wings, the secret is to make sure the skin is enough crispy to hold onto the chicken wings. The reason behind making sticky cheese is, No one likes soft and chewy skin.
To make your chicken wing skin crispy, dry them with a paper towel first and then place them in the refrigerator to uncover for a maximum of at least 12 hours. I usually preferred 24 hours uncovered period. The difference in the texture of the skin happens because of night and day.
Another mistake that most people do is to double-coat the wings in sauce. When once you’ve tossed your wings in the buffalo sauce, wait for a few minutes and toss again.
Thick & Delicious Buffalo Sauce Recipe:
If you haven’t tried the thick buffalo sauce recipe yet, or you want to try something guaranteed to be thick and sticky, then check out my below-given recipe.
You’ll notice that I have used more amount of butter as compared to other buffalo sauce recipes. This helps to give the sauce a very thick and creamy texture.
If you like the spicy sauce, then add some cayenne pepper in the sauce according to your liking preference so you don’t lose the actual kick of the sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1.2 cups of Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 1 cup of cold unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1 dash garlic powder (if you want to add)
- 1 dash cayenne pepper (it is also optional)
Directions:
- Combine all the above-listed ingredients in a pan on medium heat.
- Stir the mixture and whisk until it doesn’t start simmering.
- Continue whisking for a minimum of about 20-30 seconds.
- When once you notice the mixture begins to bubble, immediately remove it from the heat.
- Keep on stirring the mixture for another 30 seconds to ensure a smooth consistency in your sauce.