What ingredients are in Buffalo Wild Wings sauce?

November 9, 2025 •

4 min read

With over two dozen signature sauces and dry rubs available, the ingredients in Buffalo Wild Wings sauce vary dramatically across their extensive menu. The flavor profiles range from tangy and mild to intensely sweet and fiery hot, all crafted from different combinations of peppers, spices, and proprietary blends.

Quick Summary

A detailed breakdown of key components in popular Buffalo Wild Wings sauces. This covers core ingredients common across many flavors and highlights specific elements that define each unique profile.

Key Points

Core Ingredients: Many B-Dubs sauces share a base of cayenne pepper, vinegar, soybean oil, and spices.
Medium Buffalo Sauce: This classic flavor includes egg yolk for a rich, creamy texture and uses tamarind for a complex tang.
Heat Variations: The intensity of the sauce's heat is controlled by the type and quantity of peppers used, from standard cayenne to super-hot scorpion peppers.
Sweet & Spicy: Sauces like Mango Habanero balance intense pepper heat with sweet elements like mango juice concentrate.
Allergen Awareness: Several sauces contain common allergens like egg (in Buffalo sauces) and milk (in Parmesan Garlic), so it's essential to check labels.
Flavor Additives: Thickeners like xanthan gum, sweeteners like corn syrup, and preservatives are common additions to achieve desired consistency and flavor.

The Foundational Ingredients in B-Dubs Sauces

While each Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs) sauce has a unique identity, many share a common foundation. This base typically includes a combination of cayenne pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil, and a mix of spices, which creates the classic, tangy Buffalo flavor. The variations come from how these core components are augmented with other ingredients, such as different peppers, cheeses, or fruit concentrates, to produce distinct heat levels and flavor experiences.

Common Ingredients in Buffalo Wild Wings Sauces

Water: The primary liquid base for most sauces.
Cayenne Red Pepper: Provides the signature heat and red color for classic Buffalo-style sauces.
Distilled Vinegar: Adds a crucial tangy acidity that balances the heat.
Soybean Oil: A common base ingredient that helps bind and smooth the sauce's texture.
Salt: A flavor enhancer present in virtually every sauce.
Dehydrated Garlic & Onion: Contribute savory, aromatic depth to the flavor profile.
Modified Corn Starch & Xanthan Gum: These are thickening agents that give the sauces their desired consistency.
Corn Syrup & Sugar: Sweeteners used in many of the flavor varieties, especially the milder or sweeter ones.
Natural and Artificial Flavors: Used to develop and maintain the sauces' specific flavor profiles.
Tamarind: An ingredient used to provide a complex, tangy flavor, often found in traditional buffalo sauces.

Specific Sauce Ingredient Breakdown

Medium Buffalo Sauce

This classic sauce is known for its balanced, comfortable heat. Its core ingredients are cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil, and salt, but it also contains egg yolk for a richer texture and flavor. The inclusion of dehydrated garlic, onion, and spices further enhances its classic appeal.

Parmesan Garlic Sauce

For those who prefer savory over spicy, the Parmesan Garlic sauce is a creamy alternative. Its ingredients list reflects its rich flavor profile, featuring soybean oil, water, distilled vinegar, and real Parmesan cheese. It is loaded with both fresh and dehydrated garlic, shallots, and a blend of Italian herbs and spices to create its signature rich and savory taste.

Mango Habanero Sauce

This sauce delivers a potent combination of sweet and fiery heat. The ingredient list highlights its duality, with habanero peppers providing the significant spice and mango juice concentrate delivering the sweetness. Other elements like high fructose corn syrup and sugar round out the fruity, bold flavor.

Blazin'® Knockout Sauce

For the ultimate heat challenge, the Blazin'® Knockout sauce is the top contender. This fiery concoction is made with a mix of nine different peppers, including the formidable scorpion pepper. The sauce balances its extreme spice with tangy notes of vinegar and savory garlic and onion, though the heat is the undisputed main event.

Spicy Garlic Sauce

Bridging the gap between the classic Buffalo and the Parmesan Garlic, the Spicy Garlic sauce offers a satisfying kick with a heavy dose of garlic. It contains cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, and garlic in both dehydrated and fresh forms, along with other spices. Egg yolk is also included to give it a smooth, creamy texture.

A Comparison of Key Buffalo Wild Wings Sauces


Sauce	Heat Level	Primary Flavors	Key Differentiating Ingredients
Medium Buffalo	Medium	Classic Buffalo, Tangy	Egg Yolk, Cayenne Pepper, Tamarind
Parmesan Garlic	None	Creamy, Savory, Italian Herbs	Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, Italian Herbs
Mango Habanero	Extra Hot	Sweet, Fruity, Intense Heat	Mango Juice Concentrate, Habanero Peppers
Blazin'® Knockout	Knockout (Extreme)	Fiery, Peppery	Scorpion Peppers, Carolina Reaper
Spicy Garlic	Medium-Hot	Spicy, Garlicky	Cayenne Pepper, Garlic, Egg Yolk

Navigating Allergens and Preservatives

It is important to note that many Buffalo Wild Wings sauces contain common allergens. For example, the Medium Buffalo and Spicy Garlic sauces list egg yolk as an ingredient. The Parmesan Garlic sauce, as expected, contains milk due to the cheese. The Mango Habanero and Caribbean Jerk sauces contain soybean oil. The use of preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, along with flavor protectors like Calcium Disodium EDTA, ensures product freshness and consistency. For those with food sensitivities, it is crucial to review the allergen information available from the restaurant or on the product label.

Conclusion

From the classic cayenne base of the Medium sauce to the sweet, fiery blend of the Mango Habanero, the ingredients in Buffalo Wild Wings sauce are carefully crafted to create a wide variety of memorable flavors. The next time you find yourself craving your favorite wing flavor, a quick check of the ingredient list will provide valuable insight into the flavors and heat that make each sauce unique. For the most current and comprehensive information, consult the official Buffalo Wild Wings nutritional information found on their website.

Buffalo Wild Wings Sauces & Flavors

Frequently Asked Questions

The base of the traditional Buffalo Wild Wings sauces, like Mild, Medium, and Hot, is a blend of cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, soybean oil, and spices.

While homemade classic buffalo wing sauce often uses butter, the bottled and in-restaurant versions at Buffalo Wild Wings generally use soybean oil and sometimes egg yolk to achieve a creamy texture without actual butter.

The Mango Habanero sauce gets its sweet and fiery flavor from a combination of habanero peppers and mango juice concentrate, alongside corn syrups and other spices.

The intense heat of the Blazin'® Knockout sauce comes from a blend of nine different peppers, including the potent scorpion pepper, which is one of the world's hottest chili peppers.

Some sauces may be gluten-free, but others contain ingredients that may be a concern. It is best to check the restaurant's allergen guide or the specific product label, as formulations can change.

Yes, many of Buffalo Wild Wings' popular sauces are available for purchase in bottled form at various grocery stores and online retailers.

The addition of egg yolk to certain sauces, such as the Medium and Spicy Garlic, helps create a smoother, richer, and creamier texture for a better flavor experience.