consistency How Do I Thicken Buffalo Wing Sauce?

[Freewheeler]

Greetings,
 
I am making authentic buffalo wing sauce - Frank's and butter with some added vinegar, but I find that it's too watery and runny - it doesn't really stick to the meat. It's more like drenching the meat.
 
I would prefer to thicken the sauce without adding other sauces or foods that might change the authentic buffalo wing taste - like adding ketchup/tomato paste for example.
 
Is it just a matter of keeping on the stove longer to reduce? Typically I just heat it up, stir and mix it with the wings - so how long would I need to simmer to thicken it generally speaking?
 
I have added some photos below just so you can see what I am talking about and the kind of thickness consistency I am looking for. If anyone has any specific recipes for a thicker buffalo wing sauce, that would be great as well.
 
Thank you very much.
 
FW
 

 

[CAPCOM]

I would leave it on the stove under low heat and reduce it.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Well, looks TOO thick to me. Looks like a paste, not sauce.
 
Pic 1. Looks perfect
Pic 2. Too pasty

 

[Freewheeler]

Well, looks TOO thick to me. Looks like a paste, not sauce.
 
Pic 1. Looks perfect
Pic 2. Too pasty

 
Pic 1 is Duffs Wings and it is a thicker sauce.
 
When I make sauce - it looks more like soup with chicken wings. Sort of like this and not sticking as well to the wings:
 

 
I want something more like this:
 

 
Thanks for responding - I appreciate any assistance with this.
 
FW

 

[sirex]

 
Pic 1 is Duffs Wings and it is a thicker sauce.
 
When I make sauce - it looks more like soup with chicken wings. Sort of like this and not sticking as well to the wings:
 

 
I want something more like this:
 

 
Thanks for responding - I appreciate any assistance with this.
 
FW

That 2nd pic is a promo pic. Always gonna look good.

As it was said, to get thicker sauce from what you are describing I would just reduce it on the stovetop.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Buffalo wing sauce is thin, NOT thick.
 
Your sauce is fine, it's probably your wings that are not right. They are probably flaccid, or you're not applying the sauce properly.
 
First of all the wings need to be super crispy/crunchy. You need to fry them right. Then place them in a large metal bowl, sauce them, and toss them by shaking the bowl. The thin sauce will cling to the hot crispy wings.
 
Again, buffalo sauce is NOT thick. 

 

[Freewheeler]

That 2nd pic is a promo pic. Always gonna look good.

As it was said, to get thicker sauce from what you are describing I would just reduce it on the stovetop.

 
I was thinking the same thing after a posted that promo pic.
 
Let me just say that I get take out from Duffs often and it is indeed a thick sauce - when I say thick I don't mean like thick paste, but it is NOT watery or thin. More like Sriracha Cock Sauce. I always ask for extra saucy, so there is some of the thicker sauce remaining in the take out container after I put the wings in a bowl. It is not a runny sauce.
 
So something more like this as opposed to the soup above.
 
You can tell the Duffs Sauce here is thicker:
 

 

[laynlow]

Since you like Duff's so much why not just buy their sauce?   I'm not sure if the stores sell it but it's for sale on line:
 
http://buffaloinabox.com/products/duff-s-famous-wings-hot-sauce-1-gal-jug?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=839910773&gclid=CIr0gLS468QCFbLm7Aodyh0AUw
 
Nothing in the ingredients list is a thicken agent, so they must just cook it down to thicken it up.
 
Ingredients: Cayenne pepper, vinegar, water, salt, garlic,potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate as preservatives, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.

 

[Freewheeler]

Since you like Duff's so much why not just buy their sauce?   I'm not sure if the stores sell it but it's for sale on line:
 
http://buffaloinabox.com/products/duff-s-famous-wings-hot-sauce-1-gal-jug?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=839910773&gclid=CIr0gLS468QCFbLm7Aodyh0AUw
 
Nothing in the ingredients list is a thicken agent, so they must just cook it down to thicken it up.
 
Ingredients: Cayenne pepper, vinegar, water, salt, garlic,potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate as preservatives, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.

 
I tried it - it's not the same. Bottled sauces from ANY restaurant are never as good as what you are being served in the restaurant. Probably because if they gave you the exact recipe - other restaurants would be able to serve your secret sauce and that wouldn't be good for your restaurant.
 
I am wondering if they thicken the sauce with cornstarch.

 

[Elvis Has Left The Forum]

I would leave it on the stove under low heat and reduce it.

 
 

As it was said, to get thicker sauce from what you are describing I would just reduce it on the stovetop.

 
As CAPCOM and sirex said, If you want it thicker, just simmer it on the stovetop in a large sauce pan without a cover..
You could use cornstarch, but it will really make a paste then....
 
 

Buffalo wing sauce is thin, NOT thick.

 
However, THP is correct... Authentic Buffalo Sauce is NOT thick...
 
That being said, if you want to develop your own creation, then I would suggest the following...
Reduce as others have suggested.... Then put your sauce in a large stainless bowl with your crisp hot wings, then swirl and flip them... Take them out and serve... If you want them to be a little less runny, you could also place them on a cookie sheet in a hot oven for a couple of minutes to "bake on" the sauce or put them on a hot grill... However,  baking or grilling CAN reduce the crispness of the wings if not done correctly...
Some of the more experienced "Throwdown Chefs" here on THP can always correct my suggestions...
 
Different strokes for different folks...
Happy cooking!!!

 

[Freewheeler]

 
 
 
As CAPCOM and sirex said, If you want it thicker, just simmer it on the stovetop in a large sauce pan without a cover..
You could use cornstarch, but it will really make a paste then....
 
 
 
However, THP is correct... Authentic Buffalo Sauce is NOT thick...
 
That being said, if you want to develop your own creation, then I would suggest the following...
Reduce as others have suggested.... Then put your sauce in a large stainless bowl with your crisp hot wings, then swirl and flip them... Take them out and serve... If you want them to be a little less runny, you could also place them on a cookie sheet in a hot oven for a couple of minutes to "bake on" the sauce or put them on a hot grill... However,  baking or grilling CAN reduce the crispness of the wings if not done correctly...
Some of the more experienced "Throwdown Chefs" here on THP can always correct my suggestions...
 
Different strokes for different folks...
Happy cooking!!!

 
Thanks - I will try that.
 
Maybe I am causing the problem as well since I add a little vinegar to the Franks and butter, because I like a really strong vinegar taste. Would just adding a little vinegar make it runny or watery to such a great degree? 
 
Typically how long should I simmer for - is there something specific by looking at the sauce to know "it's done".
 
If you were to guess, would you say that this sauce probably has cornstarch added to it and that if this is my goal - simmering will not achieve this and I will need to use a bit of cornstarch?
 
Thank you very much.
 
FW
 

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

If you want Frank's thicker, Frank's + butter + hot pepper powder, put on low and stir often for 30 + mins. That is the traditional way we do hot wings and I eat just a few wings a year We do have several bottled wing sauces that are amazing and one thanks to the boss!

 

[mikeg]

Addition of a small quantity of lecithin (from the health food store) in the last minute of simmering might help. I use it in salad dressings, as it makes the runnier oil/vinegar mixes adhere to the lettuce leaves enough to flavor them, even if they weren't completely dry when tossed.

Caution, it tends to foam up while simmering -- you may want a whisk, and (in fact) that's probably the best implement to dissolve it, as it is a bit treacly when it melts.

Also, you only want a trace amount -- i'd guess at a maximum of 1 teaspoon per cup of sauce, or it absorbs flavors and cloys your sense of taste. Start with a test-batch of , say, 1-2 cups of sauce in a small pan, and add 1 level teaspoon of granules. Test see if the sauce sticks better on a sample. Then reduce lecithin content if it impacts on flavor (too much of it diminishes some of the taste of the food the way thickeners can kill the taste of gravy).

Disclaimer: I'm a lousy cook. I only discovered this because i was trying to find food items that i could "hide" or "conceal" healthfood store products in -- that shtick tactic of blending it into a salad dressing mostly works... the tastes of olive and sesame oil easily mask the faintly lard-like taint of lecithin easily, for example.

This might be particularly helpful for your version's inclusion of extra vinegar, since it's a natural emulsifying agent.

Lecithin should also make this dish more easily digestible for folk who have a slight-to-moderate difficulty with deep-fried foods.

 

[Elvis Has Left The Forum]

 
Thanks - I will try that.
 
Maybe I am causing the problem as well since I add a little vinegar to the Franks and butter, because I like a really strong vinegar taste. Would just adding a little vinegar make it runny or watery to such a great degree? 
 
Typically how long should I simmer for - is there something specific by looking at the sauce to know "it's done".
 
If you were to guess, would you say that this sauce probably has cornstarch added to it and that if this is my goal - simmering will not achieve this and I will need to use a bit of cornstarch?

 
Actually, you can add all the vinegar you like and if you simmer it long enough and on low heat, you can reduce it to the point you can stand a spoon in it...    Chefs add all types of liquids to their creations and then reduce them to remove the excess liquids while retaining most all of the flavors of what they added...
 
There really isn't any specific time that you should simmer something, as it is a matter of how thick you want it... Just keep the heat as low as possible to maintain a simmer and simmer until you get the consistency that you want... Stirring with a whisk will also help to keep it from burning and to some extent help the liquids evaporate...
 
 

Disclaimer: I'm a lousy cook.

 
I think I am lousy too brother....
Sounds like you do pretty good, if you have been experimenting this much...
I have never used lecithin, so I will have to defer to your knowledge on it's use...
 
 
 
As far as cornstarch is concerned, it will thicken anything you add it to... But in my limited use of it, a little can go a long way especially if you try to reduce also... Many, if not most, grocery store sauces and pastes have some form of starch added, I have just seldom found a need to use it... Also, I try not to add anything to my cooking that I don't want to take a chance of that flavor interfering with the flavors I am trying to create...
 
Come on THP members, there are a whole lot better cooks on here than I am... From some of the creations I have seen here, you guys have to be trained chefs!!!
 
I'm just an old man that has learned by failing a lot........

 

[Hybrid Mode 01]

     I think THP nailed it. I don't think the problem you're having is necessarily the product of thin sauce. When you fry your wings, the goal is to achieve a crispy layer with lots of surface area. All those nooks and crannies adsorb the Buffalo sauce and hold it.
     If that still doesn't cut it, just dump in some cayenne or de arbol powder to thicken it. Or reduce some more. But I think if you can manage to get a really gnarly, bumpy surface on your wings, your sauce will stick just fine. 

 

[frydad4]

Reduce the vinegar by 3/4 until it is just a clear and potent vinegar gel.
Add a dollop of that reduction to your butter and franks blend, and it will thicken it up perfectly.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
nope.
A stick of unsalted butter, franks, a bit of worcestershire, garlic powder, fresh jalapeno, black pepper. Throw it all in a pot and reduce. I add additional fresh garlic too, but the powder absorbs some of the liquid I think and gives me a better consistency. Pre-cook to 90% done. Toss in some of the sauce. Grill on high heat. Throw in a bowl and toss with remaining sauce.
Boom.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

nope.
A stick of unsalted butter, franks, a bit of worcestershire, garlic powder, fresh jalapeno, black pepper. Throw it all in a pot and reduce. I add additional fresh garlic too, but the powder absorbs some of the liquid I think and gives me a better consistency. Pre-cook to 90% done. Toss in some of the sauce. Grill on high heat. Throw in a bowl and toss with remaining sauce.
Boom.

That right there is good wings ju ju

 

[oldsalty]

Buffalo wing sauce is thin, NOT thick.
 
Your sauce is fine, it's probably your wings that are not right. They are probably flaccid, or you're not applying the sauce properly.
 
First of all the wings need to be super crispy/crunchy. You need to fry them right. Then place them in a large metal bowl, sauce them, and toss them by shaking the bowl. The thin sauce will cling to the hot crispy wings.
 
Again, buffalo sauce is NOT thick.

You said FLACCID.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Flaccid wings!!! Slippery wings!!! Goopy wings!!! No place on my plate! LOL.

 

[Freewheeler]

 
Actually, you can add all the vinegar you like and if you simmer it long enough and on low heat, you can reduce it to the point you can stand a spoon in it...    Chefs add all types of liquids to their creations and then reduce them to remove the excess liquids while retaining most all of the flavors of what they added...
 
There really isn't any specific time that you should simmer something, as it is a matter of how thick you want it... Just keep the heat as low as possible to maintain a simmer and simmer until you get the consistency that you want... Stirring with a whisk will also help to keep it from burning and to some extent help the liquids evaporate...
 
 
 
I think I am lousy too brother....
Sounds like you do pretty good, if you have been experimenting this much...
I have never used lecithin, so I will have to defer to your knowledge on it's use...
 
 
 
As far as cornstarch is concerned, it will thicken anything you add it to... But in my limited use of it, a little can go a long way especially if you try to reduce also... Many, if not most, grocery store sauces and pastes have some form of starch added, I have just seldom found a need to use it... Also, I try not to add anything to my cooking that I don't want to take a chance of that flavor interfering with the flavors I am trying to create...
 
Come on THP members, there are a whole lot better cooks on here than I am... From some of the creations I have seen here, you guys have to be trained chefs!!!
 
I'm just an old man that has learned by failing a lot........

 
I am really new to this whole cooking thing - so I really didn't know about reducing and that Franks and vinegar could be thickened if you simmer. In addition, I thought the sauce could be "burned". I remember cooking canned soup one time and I was on the phone and sort of forgot about it and it was boiling even on low heat and it tasted burnt if that makes sense at all.  
 
But thanks for all your help. I will let you know what happens and if the sauce thickens through simmering.
 
Is it better to increase spice through dry spices as opposed to adding sauces to Frank's? For example, I know some people who had tabasco to Franks to give it more of a kick. Even sriracha cock sauce.

Reduce the vinegar by 3/4 until it is just a clear and potent vinegar gel.
Add a dollop of that reduction to your butter and franks blend, and it will thicken it up perfectly.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
nope.
A stick of unsalted butter, franks, a bit of worcestershire, garlic powder, fresh jalapeno, black pepper. Throw it all in a pot and reduce. I add additional fresh garlic too, but the powder absorbs some of the liquid I think and gives me a better consistency. Pre-cook to 90% done. Toss in some of the sauce. Grill on high heat. Throw in a bowl and toss with remaining sauce.
Boom.

 
I had no clue that vinegar could turn into a gel. How long would that take?
 
Would it not do the same if mixed together with butter and Franks from the start?
 
Thanks!