Brown Sugar Buffalo Wing Sauce

Brown sugar buffalo wing sauce is simple but so flavorful. Just add dark brown sugar to a blend of hot sauce and butter for a tangy, rich sauce for wings and more.

In the summer of 2022, I was fortunate enough to spend two separate weeks in and around Acadia National Park in Maine as an Artist-in-Residence for the park.

My final residency project, Maine Ingredients: Recipes Inspired by Acadia National Park, took inspiration from all I saw, ate, and sensed during my time in Downeast Maine.

And though my project features many typical edible ingredients you’d expect to find in the region—clams and mussels, blueberries, and even kelp—I discovered another food last summer that left a big impression on me.

A Tangy and Saucy Discovery

The Pickled Wrinkle in Birch Harbor* is a restaurant frequented by, well, seemingly everyone living in and passing through the Schoodic peninsula.

It’s conveniently situated at the exit of the main loop road for the Schoodic portion of Acadia National Park, where we lived at the Schoodic Institute during my residency.

And my husband and I took full advantage of its convenience, hospitality, and most excellent food and beverage, eating there twice during our time in Acadia.

Being the bar food aficionados we are, Dan and I were pleased to see many of our favorite snacks on the Pickled Wrinkle menu.

We dug into a basket of buffalo wings, and I was floored by the house-made sauce—so tangy and rich that I couldn’t help but be annoying and ask what was in it.

I was guessing more along the lines of rice vinegar or fresh garlic, but I was way off base. I’m burying the lede here, though you can see it in the title of this post and recipe:

The secret ingredient was nothing more than brown sugar added to the sauce.

Making this Buffalo Wing Sauce at Home

Once we were back home, I played around with the proportions of brown sugar to Frank’s Red Hot and butter.

The brown sugar buffalo wing sauce recipe below reflects what I recollect as the ideal ratio of heat, tanginess, and sweetness.

If you’re a fan of Korean wings with a traditional gochujang- and honey-infused sauce, you’ll love this simple buffalo wing sauce.

The brown sugar gives the sauce a slightly caramelized flavor without being overpoweringly sweet.

And if you want to broil your wings for a minute or so after tossing them in this sauce, you’ll get a more intense sticky caramelization.

Though wings aren’t exactly a Maine ingredient, I’ll always think of the wonderful Pickled Wrinkle and its life-changing brown sugar buffalo wing sauce every time I make this in my own kitchen.

What’s a pickled wrinkle anyway?

It’s a type of carnivorous whelk that’s native to the chilly waters of the Maine coast. You’ll find its shells strewn about the beaches and clinging to rocks in the tidal inlets.

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Brown Sugar Buffalo Wing Sauce

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Brown sugar buffalo wing sauce is simple but so flavorful. This tangy, rich sauce is perfect for traditional or boneless wings, chicken tenders, and more.

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Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (100 grams) Frank's Red Hot
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons (36 grams) dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Add the Frank's Red Hot and unsalted butter to a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk occasionally until the butter melts, then whisk in the brown sugar.
3. Continue to cook, whisking occasionally until the sauce comes to a simmer.
4. Toss the sauce with fresh and crispy buffalo wings or use it any way you want.
   

Notes

This makes enough sauce for about 20 wings, but it's easy to double or halve based on your needs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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