Buffalo Chicken Wings: You know them, you love them, but where did they come from? This popular snack item can be found at almost every bar and grill in America, and they are often the food of choice for football fans, bar patrons, casual diners, and everyone in between. Even though the recipe for hot wings isn’t as old as some other American staple foods, thousands of restaurants around the world serve them. But where did Buffalo Wings come from? What does a small bar in upstate New York have to do with making them? Let’s look into the history of buffalo chicken wings and find out how they became so popular.
Buffalo chicken is a tasty and exciting dish that has become a mainstay in American cooking. It’s easy to make and has strong, spicy flavors, which is why buffalo chicken has become so popular over the years. But what is buffalo chicken, and how did it come to be? This article will tell you everything you need to know about this famous dish.
A Brief History of Buffalo Chicken
Since the 1960s, buffalo chicken can be traced back to Buffalo, New York. There are a few different stories about who invented the dish, but most people agree that Teressa Bellissimo, owner of the Anchor Bar restaurant, made the buffalo chicken wings.
The story goes that Bellissimo was trying to make a quick snack for her son and his friends one bad night. She deep-fried some chicken wings and then tossed the crispy wings in a spicy sauce made of hot sauce and melted butter. The recipe she made up on the spot was a big hit, and buffalo chicken wings were born!
Soon, the Anchor Bar’s spicy wings became a must-have item on the menu. In the 1970s and 1980s, word spread about this tasty new dish, and soon buffalo chicken was served all over the United States and even in Canada. Wing restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings opened up, and buffalo chicken was on menus all over the country.
The Anatomy of a Buffalo Chicken Dish
So what exactly goes into making traditional buffalo chicken? Here’s a breakdown of the key components:
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Chicken wings – While chicken wings are the OG choice, buffalo chicken can also be made with boneless breasts or tenders. The key is that the chicken gets fried or baked so it’s nice and crispy.
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Hot sauce – Frank’s RedHot is the classic buffalo wing hot sauce, but any vinegary, cayenne pepper-based sauce will do. The sauce provides that signature spicy kick.
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Butter – Melting the butter into the hot sauce gives it a richness and slight sweetness to balance the heat.
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Blue cheese dressing – Served on the side for dipping, the cool and creamy blue cheese pairs perfectly with the spicy wings.
Why Buffalo Chicken is So Darn Delicious
What makes buffalo chicken so addictive? There’s some science behind why the dish tantalizes our taste buds:
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The capsaicin in the hot sauce binds to our pain receptors, giving us that sensation of spicy heat.
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At the same time, the fatty butter triggers a positive reaction, releasing dopamine and endorphins to make us feel good.
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The combination of pain and pleasure keeps us coming back for more of that addictive flavor combo!
The Cultural Significance of an All-American Dish
Beyond just being delicious, buffalo chicken holds a special place in American food culture. The dish brings people together in a number of ways:
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It’s a staple at game day watch parties and a go-to bar food while cheering on your team.
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Annual chicken wing festivals like Wing Bowl and the National Buffalo Wing Festival celebrate the dish.
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Eating challenges and competitions often feature buffalo chicken.
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The city of Buffalo takes pride in buffalo chicken as part of its culinary history.
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Its nostalgic flavor brings people back to childhood and simpler times.
No matter how you enjoy it, buffalo chicken has cemented its status as a comforting, crave-worthy American classic.
Regional Twists Keep This Dish Exciting
Another great thing about buffalo chicken is that it’s so versatile and adaptable. While the original Anchor Bar recipe remains a classic, different regions of the U.S. have put their own spin on the dish over the years:
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Try a Hawaiian twist with grilled chicken and a pineapple-teriyaki glaze.
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Go for some Southern flair with a buffalo chicken sandwich with coleslaw.
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Get creative with sauces – try mixing in flavors like garlic, honey, or chipotle.
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Vegans can swap in cauliflower as a chicken alternative.
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Restaurants offer all kinds of innovative takes on this iconic food.
Making Buffalo Chicken at Home
Want to put together your own buffalo chicken masterpiece? Here are some easy tips:
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Deep fry or bake your chicken until crispy and cooked through. Wings or tenders work great.
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Toss the fried chicken in your buffalo sauce of choice. I like to mix Frank’s RedHot with melted butter.
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Adjust the heat to your tastes by adding more or less hot sauce.
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Serve with classic sides like celery, blue cheese, and ranch dressing.
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Get creative with extra sauces or fun dipping options.
With its fiery kick and upfront flavor, buffalo chicken is bold, comforting, and downright addictive. This history-steeped dish has only grown in popularity over the decades. Next time you’re hosting a party or craving some comfort food, be sure to give this American classic a try. Just beware – you might get hooked!
Once Upon A Time in Buffalo, New Yorkâ¦
In 1964, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York was faced with a problem. The family-owned and operated business had a surplus of chicken wings in their kitchen, and they werenât quite sure what to do with them. Bar owner Teresa Bellissimo had an idea: What if she deep-fried the wings, covered them with hot sauce, and served them with blue cheese dressing? This impromptu recipe would form the foundation of buffalo wings as we know them today, and they quickly exploded in popularity after their inception. Bellissimoâs recipe would soon be called âBuffalo Chicken Wingsâ after the city from which they originated: Buffalo, New York.
How Buffalo Wings Spread Beyond Buffalo
Because of this, buffalo wings would mostly only be available in the state of New York for the next few years. After all, what better way to spend the winter than eating hot and spicy wings? But, as with many other tasty foods, the recipe for buffalo wings was taken to other countries, and soon restaurants all along the East Coast started serving their own hot wings. By the 1990s, wing restaurants could be found all over the country, and several new wing flavors were developed to accommodate the different tastes of each region. Sure, you could still get classic Buffalo wings, but new flavors such as BBQ, teriyaki, and garlic parmesan allowed customers to mix and match their favorites. Â.
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FAQ
What is Buffalo chicken made of?
Buffalo chicken typically refers to chicken wings or boneless chicken pieces that are deep-fried or grilled and then coated in a sauce made primarily of hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot) and butter. It’s often served with celery and blue cheese dressing.
What’s the difference between Buffalo chicken and regular chicken?
Flavor and Sauce Buffalo chicken wings are mildly spicy, unbreaded chicken drums and flats. These chicken pieces retain their skin. They are deep fried and then tossed and coated in a cayenne-based hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot. These orange-hued wings are served with cooling blue cheese dipping sauce and celery.
What flavour is Buffalo chicken?
Three words: tangy, spicy, buttery. The popularity of Buffalo chicken spice just might stem from the fact that it touches on competing tastebuds. Tangy vinegar touches our sour flavor receptors while cayenne adds that spicy tingle of heat. Worcestershire hits all the umami notes and, of course, there’s some salt too.
Does Buffalo chicken contain Buffalo?
They are usually served hot with carrot and celery sticks and either ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing as a dip. In New York, blue cheese dressing is more common. Buffalo wings are named for the city in New York where they were first made, not for the animal.