Classic Buffalo Chicken Wings
Buffalo chicken wings are the ultimate crowd-pleaser. They’re spicy, tangy, crispy, and just messy enough to feel like a party.
Whether you’re hosting game day, hanging out with friends, or just craving a bold snack, these wings deliver big flavor without a lot of fuss. You can bake them, fry them, or air-fry them—whatever works for your kitchen.
The real star here is the sauce. A mix of hot sauce and butter delivers that classic Buffalo kick, while a side of cool ranch or blue cheese dressing helps balance everything out.
I love serving these wings with celery and carrot sticks for that extra crunch. And don’t worry—if you’ve never made wings at home, I’ve got you covered with simple, step-by-step instructions.
This recipe doesn’t require any fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Just grab some wings, heat up your oven (or oil), and get ready to coat them in the best Buffalo sauce you’ve ever tasted.
Once you see how easy it is to make them at home, you might skip the takeout forever. These wings are perfect for sharing, but don’t be surprised if they disappear fast.
Let’s get into it—you’re just a few steps away from wing perfection.
Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe
Equipment
- Deep Skillet or Deep Fryer
Ingredients
For the Wings
For the Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbled
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- The only real prep work is to preheat the oil in a deep skillet or deep-fat fryer if you own one. You want the oil to get to about 375° F.
- While the oil is heating, chop off the tips of each chicken wing and throw them away. Then cut each wing in half at the joint. You will get a "drummette" and a "double-bone"
- Season the bunch with salt and pepper. This is a good time to preheat the oven to 350°F.
- If you are going to make your own Blue Cheese dressing, chop the garlic, onion and parsley while you are waiting for the oil to heat up.
- Fry the wings in the oil until they are golden. Be careful when working around hot oil. The splatter hurts. You will want to move them around while they are frying so not to stick to the pan. Don't try to fry them all at once. Do them in batches. They should take about 7 minutes for each batch to fry.
- Remove them to a plate covered with a couple of layers of paper towels to drain the oil. Then place them in a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat.
- Add the hot sauce and vinegar. How much hot sauce you add depends on how hot you like your wings and the heat of the sauce. There is no way I can tell you how much to add. It is a personal preference. Always start with less and add more if it isn't hot enough. For 2 tablespoons of butter, I would start with 2 tablespoons of hot sauce for mild and go from there. A 2 to 1 ration of hot sauce to butter is HOT, a 3 to 1 ratio is EXTREME in my opinion. But let your taste buds be the judge.
- Add the sauce to the wings in the bowl and toss together with kitchen tongs. Here's where I differ from the original recipe. Remove the wings from the bowl with the tongs and place them on a baking pan. You can line the pan with foil to help with clean up. Just don't crowd the wings or they will steam rather than bake. Bake the wings for about 15 minutes.
How to make the Blue Cheese dressing
- In a small bowl, add all the ingredients together. Gently stir together until well mixed. At this point you can put cover and put the bowl in the refrigerator until the wings are ready. If you like to serve your wings with cold blue cheese dressing, make ahead of time and chill.
- If you want to get fancy, spread the wings and celery out on a platter with the bowl of blue cheese dressing in the center.
Accidental Invention
The story behind Buffalo chicken wings starts in Buffalo, New York, in 1964. The most widely accepted origin traces back to the Anchor Bar, owned by Teressa and Frank Bellissimo.
One night, their son Dominic came in with friends looking for a late-night snack. To feed them quickly, Teressa deep-fried some leftover chicken wings—at the time, wings were typically used for stock or discarded—and tossed them in a simple sauce made of Frank’s RedHot and butter.
She served them with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing, both of which were leftovers from the kitchen. The wings were a hit.
What started as a spur-of-the-moment creation soon became a menu item, and then a national obsession. Over the years, Buffalo wings spread across the country, becoming a staple at bars, parties, sports events, and Super Bowl Sundays.
Though other bars have claimed to invent them, the Anchor Bar holds the most substantial claim, and the name “Buffalo wings” honors their birthplace. What began as a humble bar snack is now a cultural icon, with endless variations, heat levels, and dipping sauces.
From accidental invention to culinary legend, Buffalo wings prove that sometimes the best dishes are the ones you make on the fly.
Blue Cheese Dressing
The original blue cheese dressing served with the first Buffalo wings at the Anchor Bar was a simple, homemade version—creamy, tangy, and loaded with chunks of real blue cheese. While the exact original recipe wasn’t published in detail, classic versions from that era typically used ingredients that were easy to keep on hand in a restaurant kitchen.
Here’s a close approximation of how Teressa and Frank likely made their blue cheese dressing:
Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream buttermilk for a thinner version
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 ounces crumbled blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, ½ cup sour cream (or buttermilk), 1 tablespoon white vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Stir in the blue cheese, mashing some chunks to infuse the dressing while leaving others whole for texture.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Notes
Other Sauces That Work Well With Wings
| Sauce | Description | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Ranch Dressing | Creamy blend of buttermilk, herbs, and garlic. | Cools the heat and adds herby contrast to spicy wings. |
| Honey Mustard | Sweet and tangy sauce made with honey and yellow or Dijon mustard. | Balances the heat with sweetness and a sharp tang. |
| BBQ Sauce | Smoky, sweet, and savory tomato-based sauce. | Brings a sweet-smoky twist to the spice of Buffalo wings. |
| Blue Cheese Dressing | Rich and tangy sauce with chunks of blue cheese. | Classic pairing that adds coolness and sharp flavor. |
| Garlic Parmesan Sauce | Creamy sauce with roasted garlic and grated Parmesan cheese. | Adds savory richness and umami to spicy wings. |
| Chipotle Aioli | Spicy, smoky mayonnaise-based sauce with chipotle peppers. | Enhances the smoky flavor and adds creamy heat. |
| Sriracha Mayo Sauce | A simple blend of mayonnaise and Sriracha chili sauce. | Offers extra heat with a smooth, tangy base. |
| Yogurt Sauce | Cool and fresh sauce made with plain yogurt, dill, and lemon. | Light and refreshing contrast to hot wings. |
8 Responses
Suites me,easy to make and wonderful for my big family.
THANKS!!
I need simple already at home ingridients. Would just plain viniger work or is it manditory for white wine?
What hot sauce did you use?
The original recipe uses Durkee’s Franks Original Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce and I can’t remember what hot sauce I used but I think any will do.
This puts me on a whole new level in my friendship circle. We all love spur JUST for buffalo wings and blue cheese souce and now we only need to go as far as my own kitchen to make it. Thanx for who ever posted this, was easy to read and easy to make…
awesome!!
Very easy to make. Thanks
WRONG!!! This recipe started at the Iron Horse Cafe in Buffalo and they only used Tabasco sauce and butter for coating the deep fried wings.