Maple Brown Butter Hot Sauce

Turn up the heat with a touch of sweet. A gourmet twist on Buffalo-style hot sauce that’s perfect for grilled meats, wings, veggies, and more.

or read on for step-by-step instructions with photos

How do you make brown butter?

It’s actually quite simple and is perfect for enhancing the flavor of sauces, pasta dishes, baked goods, and more.

To make brown butter follow these simple steps: 

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.

3. Be careful not to let it burn as it can go from brown to burnt very quickly.

4. Once browned, transfer it to a heatproof bowl to cool.

I wrote a whole article about Brown Butter: A Complete Guide if you want to go more in-depth. It includes commonly asked questions, a step-by-step guide with photos, alternate microwave instructions, and recipe ideas for using brown butter. 

Once you’ve made your brown butter the rest of this recipe is super simple, as you only need to combine a few ingredients. We had this sauce with some grilled meats and veggies, but you can put it on whatever you like.

It’s especially delicious on wings or fried chicken.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

• 1 stick salted butter (or unsalted butter*)

• ½ cup hot sauce

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

• *salt to taste, if using unsalted butter

Equipment

• Pot & burner or microwave - to brown the butter

• Bowl - to mix the ingredients

Makes: 1 cup (250 ml)

Prep: 5 min  Cook: 5 min

How to make it

Step 1

Brown the butter.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally until it becomes golden brown and nutty, then quickly transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool. Keep a close eye to avoid burning.

Alternatively, make it in the microwave.

Step 2

Mix in the other ingredients.

Once the brown butter has cooled to room temperature, add the hot sauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Mix well until homogenous and slightly thickened.

Taste to adjust with more vinegar, maple, hot sauce, or salt if unsalted butter was used.

Depending on which hot sauce you use and its inherent acidity, you might need more or less of the other ingredients, so play around with it.

Some good hot sauce choices for this recipe would be Sriracha, Cholula, or Valentina.

Step 3

Serve. 

Serve with your favorite proteins, veggies, sandwiches, and more.

My tips

• If it solidifies - since this sauce has butter as a major component, it could solidify after being stored in the fridge. If this happens, simply pull it out to temper at room temperature or microwave it for a few seconds, then stir.

• Use in place of buffalo sauce - this sauce is really delicious on wings. To make it punchier, leave out the maple syrup, and add more vinegar.

• Watch the butter carefully - I can’t stress enough how easy it is to burn brown butter, so keep a close eye when browning your butter.

Substitutions

• Brown butter - regular melted butter could be used for a milder flavor. If using unsalted butter, make sure to add a pinch of salt.

• Something sweet - substitute maple syrup with honey, brown sugar,  or agave nectar.

• Acid - apple cider vinegar adds a distinct flavor, but you can substitute it with white vinegar, lemon, or lime juice. 

• Aromatics - in addition to the sauce ingredients use aromatics to customize and enhance the flavor of your sauce. Some ideas are garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mustard, or thyme.

Storage

• Stored in an airtight container, this sauce will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

• Freeze for up to 3 months.

Dietary Notes: Gluten-free, Egg-free, Vegetarian, Low-carb

That’s it, enjoy!

Give this sauce a try at your next barbecue!

If you want to get even more saucy, try my easy roasted jalapeno aioli - another tasty option for grilled meats and veggies.

We had a lot of fun alternating between these two sauces.

Summary

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Maple Brown Butter Buffalo Sauce Recipe

Spice things up with a sweet kick! This gourmet hot sauce is perfect for game days and summer barbecues.

Makes: 1 cup (250 ml)

Prep: 5 min  Cook: 5 min

Ingredients

• 1 stick salted butter (or unsalted butter*)

• ½ cup hot sauce (such as Sriracha, Cholula, or Valentina)

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

• *salt to taste, if using unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Brown butter. Melt butter over medium heat, swirling until it turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Be careful to avoid burning.

   Click here to see my microwave instructions for browning butter.

2. Combine ingredients. When the brown butter reaches room temperature, mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with more vinegar, maple, hot sauce, or salt if needed.

3. Serve. Enjoy with wings, barbecue meats, veggies, and more.

Top Tips

• If the sauce solidifies, simply let it sit at room temperature or microwave it briefly to soften it up. Stir to recombine.

• Make sure to watch the browning of the butter closely to prevent burning.

• Experiment with different aromatics to customize your sauce. Options include garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mustard, or thyme.

What dishes or snacks would you pair this hot sauce with, aside from wings? Let me know in the comments!

Enjoy!