Yum, those amazing buffalo wings drenched in the red sauce is everyone’s favorite for lunches. Well, the flavor comes from the thick sauce poured all over the wings (or wings are drenched in the sauce?). But hey, that buffalo sauce needs to be thick to create the right flavor and aroma. With this being said, if you are struggling with consistency, we have added ways on how to thicken the buffalo sauce. Have a look!
How To Thicken Buffalo Sauce?
1) Starch Slurry
So, the buffalo sauce is ready to be savored but the consistency is thinner than water, well, that’s a bummer. But there is nothing to worry about as long as you have starch lying around. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that starch slurry is the official sauce thickener (maybe). So, take some starch and mix it up with cold water to make a paste.
Once the starch is fully mixed, add it to the sauce and keep mixing the sauce slowly in a low heat setting. After adding the starch slurry, heat the sauce for one minute and take it off. Also, always mix the starch slurry in circular motions. You must not cook the buffalo sauce too much after adding the starch slurry because it leads to a weird texture.
2) Butter & Flour
Okay, so people have been complaining that starch slurry leads to a strange consistency once the buffalo sauce cools off. Well, the safe bet is to opt for the butter and flour mixture. The mixture needs to be created with an equal amount of butter (soft) and flour. You can add this mixture to create a thick consistency. In addition, the curation of butter will help with a smooth and silky texture.
3) Let It Simmer
If the mixtures aren’t working for you, you could try simmering the sauce by taking off the lid for a few minutes. You need to let the sauce simmer to the point where it reduces to half in quantity. Simmering is basically a method to reduce the moisture and liquid content in the sauce. With this being said, you will have better flavor and concentration in the sauce.
Simmering is usually opted for by people who don’t like a hassle. That’s to say because you don’t need to add extra ingredients. Also, during simmering, you need to keep the low flame and keep stirring the sauce constantly, so the sauce doesn’t burn at the bottom. Lastly, simmering will obviously reduce the sauce quantity, so be mindful of the batch that you are cooking.
4) Xanthan Gum
For people who think starch slurry or cornstarch adds a weird taste to the sauce, xanthan gum is the fine choice for you. This gum is actually made from grains and is then fermented. The best thing about xanthan gum is that it works as a stabilizer as well as a thickener. We are saying this because it will thicken up the buffalo sauce without impacting the flavor.
Using xanthan gum is a convenient choice because you get instant results. Also, add the xanthan sauce directly to the sauce because mixing it with water leads to a lumpy texture, hence the lumpy buffalo sauce. So, add it to the buffalo sauce.