Go Back
Easy All-Purpose Buffalo Chicken Marinade Recipe

Easy All-Purpose Buffalo Chicken Marinade Recipe

A bold, tangy, lightly sweet Buffalo marinade for chicken breasts, thighs, tenders, or boneless wings. The balanced mixture adds flavor and helps lean chicken stay juicy without making it mushy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Buffalo Marinade
  • 1/2 cup Cayenne hot sauce, preferably Frank’s RedHot Original
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil or neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Honey or brown sugar
  • 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika or regular paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Chicken and Serving
  • 1 1/2-2 pounds Chicken breasts, thighs, tenders, or boneless wings
  • as needed Ranch or blue-cheese dressing, celery, and extra clean sauce

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Whisk the hot sauce, oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, honey, garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
  2. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the unmixed-with-chicken marinade if you want sauce for brushing or serving. Place the chicken in a sealed bag or covered container, pour in the remaining marinade, and turn or massage the bag until evenly coated.
  3. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, with 2-4 hours being ideal. Turn the chicken once during marinating if convenient, and do not generally exceed 12-24 hours because the acid can soften the outside too much.
  4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the used liquid. Pat the chicken lightly dry so it browns instead of steaming.
  5. Bake boneless breasts or thighs at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, chicken tenders for 12-18 minutes, or wings at 400-425°F for 35-45 minutes. Boneless pieces can also be cooked in a skillet for about 5-7 minutes per side.
  6. Check the thickest portion with an instant-read thermometer and cook until it reaches 165°F. Rest the chicken for about 5 minutes before brushing it with the reserved clean marinade and serving.

Notes

Reserve sauce before it touches raw chicken. Never reuse raw-chicken marinade unless it is brought to a full boil and boiled for several minutes. Frank’s RedHot Original is a classic base, but other hot sauces may require a salt adjustment.