Pizza Hut Mild Wing Sauce Recipe

My love for Pizza Hut’s mild wing sauce is never ending! This tasty, tangy sauce is the perfect topping for chicken wings, adding just the right amount of flavorful heat. Whenever I cook wings for game day or a party, I always whip up a batch of my homemade Pizza Hut mild wing sauce recipe. It’s so quick and easy to make, customizable to your preferred spice level, and infinitely better than anything you can buy in a jar. The vibrant orange color is appetizing, the buttery texture coats each wing perfectly, and the mellow yet fiery flavor profile keeps you coming back for more. In today’s blog post, I’ll share my simple, secret recipe for recreating that classic Pizza Hut mild wing sauce we all crave. I’ve fine-tuned this recipe over the years – now it’s your turn to give it try!

Why I Love This Sauce?

What I love most about Pizza Hut mild wing sauce is that you truly can’t find another sauce like it. Many buffalo wing recipes call for a vinegar-forward hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot or Crystal. While tasty, these tend to have an overpowering acidic bite. Other recipes use Sriracha or chili paste for heat, but these impart more garlic, soy, or miso flavors. Pizza Hut’s signature sauce strikes the perfect balance – it’s buttery, slightly sweet, gently spiced with cayenne and paprika, and so addictingly delicious. This flavor profile is uniquely its own.

How to Pizza Hut Mild Wing Sauce Copycat

Recreating the Pizza Hut wing sauce recipe at home is super simple with common ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup hot pepper sauce (Frank’s RedHot or Louisiana Hot Sauce)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (reduce to 1⁄4 teaspoon for less heat)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons water

You can adjust any of the spices to suit your desired level of heat. For the corn starch slurry, whisk the corn starch and water together until smooth. This will thicken and stabilize the emulsified sauce. Now let’s go over the key kitchen tools you’ll need…

Kitchen Tools Needed

To make this easy pizza hut copycat sauce, you only need a few basic kitchen tools:

• Saucepan – Use a medium sized saucepan to prepare the sauce.
• Whisk – Whisk together the corn starch slurry as well as blend all the sauce ingredients.
• Measuring cups & spoons – Accurately measure out all ingredients.
• Rubber spatula – Great for scraping every last bit of sauce out of the pan.
• Tongs – Helpful for tossing chicken wings in the finished sauce to generously coat them.

That’s all you need! Now let’s get cooking.

Instructions

1. Start by gathering all ingredients and kitchen tools. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it foam and bubble for 1 minute. Next, whisk in the hot sauce, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire, and black pepper. Let simmer for 1 minute, then evaluate the spice level and adjust if needed.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water until smooth with no lumps. Pour the slurry into the saucepan, continuously whisking. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened to your desired consistency.
3. Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce cool slightly. Use immediately to toss with fried chicken wings, coating them generously in the sauce. Or for later use, let cool completely and transfer the sauce to an airtight container. It will keep refrigerated for up to a week; just reheat gently before using. Now who’s ready for some sauce-slathered wings?!

Special Notes

Here are some special tips when making this pizza hut mild wing sauce at home:

• Use whole, peeled garlic cloves instead of garlic powder for a more dynamic, roasted flavor
• Customize the heat level by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper
• For thicker results, increase the corn starch slurry to 3 tablespoons each of corn starch and water
• Garnish cooked wings with chopped scallions and celery for extra flavor and crunch
• Serve wings with ranch or blue cheese dressing to balance the spicy sauce

Recipe Variations

The beauty of this pizza hut mild wing sauce recipe is how versatile it is! While traditional as a saucy coating for fried chicken wings, here are some other delicious ways to use it:

• As a dipping sauce for chicken tenders, strips, or nuggets
• Tossed with crispy oven-baked chicken wings or chicken drumsticks
• Drizzled over a chicken sandwich or wrap
• Served alongside chicken fajitas or quesadillas
• Used as a base for chicken tacos or pizza
• Added to mac & cheese or nachos for a spicy kick
• Stirred into mashed potatoes or fries for an extra flavor punch

Serving Suggestions

These saucy pizza hut style chicken wings pair perfectly with:

• Celery sticks and creamy blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping
• Buttermilk biscuits or corn muffins to sop up the extra sauce
• Crisp potato wedges or french fries
• Cool, creamy coleslaw or broccoli salad
• Chilled lager-style beer or a chilled white wine like Pinot Grigio
• Fresh fruit like watermelon, grapes, or orange slices

Storing and Reheating

Let the sauce cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container such as a mason jar or storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

When ready to reuse, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and gently reheat over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until warmed through. Or for quick microwave reheating, transfer desired portion to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until hot.

For cooked leftover wings sauced with this recipe: store them covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer at 400°F for about 5 minutes, until sizzling hot. The sauce will re-emulsify from the fried wing fat and become creamy once again.

FAQs

How long does the sauce keep in the fridge?

Up to 1 week stored in an airtight container. Reheat before serving.

Can I freeze the sauce?

Yes! Let it cool completely first. Then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep frozen for 2-3 months.

What’s the difference between mild and medium wing sauce?

Mild has less cayenne pepper for lower heat. Medium has double the cayenne pepper for extra kick.

What hot sauce do you recommend?

I like Frank’s RedHot or Louisiana Hot Sauce for their higher vinegar content, which gives a flavor profile closer to Pizza Hut.

What thickens the sauce?

A slurry of corn starch and water helps stabilize and thicken the emulsified sauce nicely.

Can I use garlic instead of garlic powder?

Absolutely! For a punch of roasted garlic flavor, use 2-3 minced cloves instead.

Conclusion

Recreating the crave-able flavor of Pizza Hut’s famous mild buffalo wing sauce is easier than you think with my homemade copycat recipe. By combining butter, hot sauce, savory seasonings, and a cornstarch slurry, you can whip up this top-secret sauce in just 10 minutes flat. Tossed with crispy fried chicken wings fresh from the oven, drizzled over chicken sandwiches, or used as a dip for veggies and more, the possibilities are endless. With my tips for storage and reheating, this versatile mild wing sauce will become your new favorite condiment to always keep stocked in the fridge.

For all my fellow wing lovers out there, now you can satisfy those Pizza Hut cravings anytime the moment strikes. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Let me know how it goes when you give it a try.