Just four ingredients are needed to make a mild buffalo hot sauce that adds some heat to chicken wings or ribs while developing a crispy coating as the meat continues to cook.
COOK + BAKE | Updated January 27, 2026
COOK + BAKE | Updated January 27, 2026
Whether bold or mild, buffalo sauce turns ordinary chicken wings into a much-loved snack.
This particular recipe brings all the flavor of the spicy coating, but with a little less bite. If you’re a fan of the hot buffalo heat, feel free to add more hot sauce than recommended.
The key to this recipe is the layers of sauce that are brushed onto the chicken wings repeatedly not long before they are removed from the oven. Then five minutes under the broiler not only finishes the meat off, but turns the sauce into a crispy skin of flavor.
What you remove from the oven is a chicken wing that is crisp and spicy on the outside while juicy on the inside. An unbeatable combination that can be enjoyed for dinner, snack, or your next Super Bowl or holiday party.
Read on to find out how easy it is to make this restaurant-style chicken wing appetizer that everyone is sure to enjoy!
Why You'll Love These Chicken Wings
Adjust the Heat: This particular recipe is for a mild buffalo sauce, but if you like things really spicy, feel free to add more hot sauce! For a party, you may want to make a couple batches in both mild and hot to satisfy everyone.
Oven Baked: The meat forms a great crispy exterior when placed under the broiler for about five minutes, without the need to fry the chicken in oil.
Make What You Need: The recipe is good for two dozen wings, but you can cut it in half or double/triple the recipe if preparing the chicken for a crowd.
Use It On Wings or Ribs: The sauce recipe was originally used on ribs, but has been adapted here for the wings. The flavor enhances both types of meat and forms that great crispy skin. Just adjust your cooking time and temperature.
What You'll Need
There are only a few ingredients necessary to give your chicken wings (or ribs) a mild buffalo flavor. They are:
- Chicken Wings: Use fresh wings or frozen wings that have been thawed fully.
- Unsalted Butter: If you use salted, you may want to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Hot Sauce: I prefer Frank's Red Hot, Original flavor because it has just the right amount of spice.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt: I prefer Himalayan Pink Salt, but use whatever type you like.
How to Prepare Mild Buffalo Chicken Wings
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lay your wings out in a single layer on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. For crispier wings, lay the wings on top of a rack sitting inside the baking sheet. This allows the air to circulate around the wings resulting in a crisper skin.
STEP 2: Place the pan in the middle of the oven. Cook the wings until they are almost done. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the wing should read 160°-165°F. This will take about 25 to 35 minutes and the juices of the chicken should run clear.
STEP 3: While the wings cook, mix the melted butter, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and salt to create your sauce.
STEP 4: Remove the baking pan from the oven and coat both sides of the wings in hot sauce using a basting brush.
STEP 5: Put the baking sheet back in the middle of the oven for one minute, then remove the pan and brush on more sauce. Do this every minute for five minutes giving a good coating of sauce to the wings.
STEP 6: After five minutes, move the wings to the top oven rack and place under the broiler for another five minutes or until the sauce has formed a crispy coating on the wings.
Serve the wings with some blue cheese or ranch dressing and some celery for a restaurant style appetizer.
Buffalo flavored ribs can be made in the same way with the sauce. Just adjust your cooking time and temperature.
Looking For More Appetizer Recipes?
NOT-SO-SPICY BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP - Sharing the secret to chicken dip with all the flavor, but less heat.
CROCK POT GRAPE JELLY COCKTAIL HOT DOGS - An interesting combination of ingredients combined to flavor one of my favorite appetizers.
BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL
PIZZA INSPIRED CHEESE BALL - All your favorite pizza flavors wrapped in whipped cream cheese.
LOVE THIS RECIPE?
Be sure to join the anderson + grant mailing list to get all the tips, projects, and recipes for making your house feel more like home delivered right to your inbox.
Please click on the image below to share it to Pinterest. Not only can you easily refer back to it, you'll help me spread the word so that others will benefit from the post as well!
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings
A mild buffalo sauce and crispy exterior make these chicken wings irresistable.
PRINT RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- Two dozen chicken wings
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the wings in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. For crispier wings, lay them on a rimmed baking sheet that has been fitted with a rack.
STEP 2: Place the pan in the middle of the oven. Cook the wings until they are almost done, about 25 to 35 minutes and the juices of the chicken run clear.
STEP 3: While the wings are cooking, mix the melted butter, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt to create the sauce.
STEP 4: Coat both sides of the wings with the sauce using a basting brush.
STEP 5: Put the baking sheet back into the oven for one minute, then remove the pan from the oven and brush on more sauce. Do this every minute for five minutes giving a good coating of sauce on the wings.
STEP 6: After the five minutes, move the wings to under the broiler for another five minutes or until the sauce has formed a crispy coating on the wings.
Buffalo-flavored ribs can be done in the same way....just adjust your cooking time and temperature!