Frank's RedHot

What it is

A cayenne-pepper hot sauce, vinegary and tangy with a buttery affinity — the original sauce behind Buffalo wings. Bright orange-red, pourable, moderate heat.

How it's made

Aged cayenne peppers are blended with vinegar, salt, and garlic powder into a thin, tangy Louisiana-style sauce — chile-forward but not extreme in heat, designed for flavor and dousing rather than punishment.

Flavor profile

Tangy and cayenne-warm with a savory, slightly garlicky backbone and a "drinkable" medium heat; its relatively low burn and high flavor are why it coats food so well.

Culinary uses

Combined with melted butter to make Buffalo sauce for wings; splashed on eggs, pizza, fried chicken, and snacks; mixed into dips (buffalo chicken dip), dressings, and marinades. Pairs with chicken wings, butter, blue cheese, celery, ranch.

Regional variations

Frank's RedHot (Original) vs. Buffalo (pre-mixed with butter flavor) vs. hotter variants. It sits in the broader American cayenne-sauce category alongside Louisiana-style competitors.

Cultural & historical context

Frank's dates to 1920 and earns its fame from the Buffalo wing: the dish was created in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York — the standard story credits Teressa Bellissimo tossing fried wings in a Frank's-and-butter sauce — and Frank's later embraced its role as the original Buffalo-wing sauce. Buffalo wings became an all-American bar-and-game-day institution, and Frank's rode that to ubiquity.

Reference notes

• Tags: spicy, cayenne, tangy, vegan (sauce itself), gluten-free, pantry-staple
• Related ingredients: cayenne, vinegar, butter, blue cheese, ranch
• Related cuisines: American
• Suggested links: Mexican Hot Sauces; Buffalo wings page; Ranch/blue cheese dressing