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Frank's vs. Tabasco Buffalo: What's The Best Wing Sauce?

First Posted: 01/31/2012 1:00 pm EST Updated: 01/11/2013 11:59 am EST

You may have noticed that a certain foul-mouthed granny has been ramping up her television commercial appearances for Frank's RedHot as of late. Wonder why?

First of all, the Super Bowl is this weekend, meaning Americans will consume 1.25 billion chicken wings during the big game. But that's not the whole story.

Though Frank's was an ingredient in the original recipe for Buffalo wings back in 1964, there's a new bad boy in town that's fighting for some attention -- Tabasco Buffalo Style. The new flavor from the hot sauce giant has been introduced to the market just in time for the Super Bowl. (Coincidence? We think not.)

The two brands are embroiled in a marketing campaign battle at the moment, making the HuffPost Taste editors wonder which is truly the better wing topper.

We gathered 20 HuffPost editors to conduct a blind taste test. First, we asked each taster to identify which sauce was Frank's and which was Tabasco Buffalo. Then, we asked which was the favorite. And the results (drumroll) ...

85 percent of our tasters were able to correctly identify the two sauces, noting there's a clear distinction in flavor and that they're hardly comparable.

60 percent of our tasters preferred Frank's, whereas 40 percent preferred Tabasco (it was a much closer race than we anticipated!).

Comments about Frank's: "Good tang!" "Tangy from a heavy dose of vinegar." "This is the spicier of the two, and has more of a zing." "Exactly how I imagine Buffalo wings to taste."

Comments about Tabasco Buffalo: "This is spicier and has more body -- a very robust Buffalo sauce." "This definitely has more complexity." "This has a richer, more rounded flavor." "Very peppery."

Note: Our editors found that if you mix the two brands together, it creates an unbeatable combination of deep pepper flavor and tanginess.

Need a little help deciding which type of wings to make this weekend? Check out our Chicken Wings Flowchart.

What's your favorite sauce? Leave us a comment below!

FOLLOW HUFFPOST TASTE

Filed by Kristen Aiken  | 
 
 
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10:19 AM on 02/02/2013
Archie Moore's is by far the BEST wing sauce!
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Hagrid
01:50 PM on 02/06/2012
El Yucateco...habanero sauce. This ain't no foolin' around.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
hsena
05:07 PM on 02/05/2012
i use regular tabasco sauce for my wings. i like spice
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03:38 PM on 02/05/2012
I like Frank's!
03:26 PM on 02/05/2012
No question about it. Franks is probably the most user friendly hot sauce out there. It is not abrasive like tabasco and still sets the bar as to how a buffalo wing should taste. If it were not for the fact that tabasco is a recipe ingredient for bloody marys, you would be hard pressed to sell it otherwise.
06:54 PM on 05/16/2012
tabasco sauce is probably the most popular type of hot sauce, i dont like it myself, but A LOT of people love it, and probably .00001% of people buy it ONLY for bloody mary's, im sure tabasco sauce would be ok without those customers...get real
03:24 PM on 02/05/2012
I love doing shooters of original Tabasco sauce.
03:22 PM on 02/05/2012
One of my favorite mixes is Pico Pica mixed with Habanero sauce from Taco Surf. If you live in So. Calif. look for Taco Surf and go in for the sauce.
03:10 PM on 02/05/2012
Cholula has them all beat!
03:23 PM on 02/05/2012
GREAT SAUCE. I love the little wooden cap.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
joran111
God and science DO coexist!
08:20 PM on 02/05/2012
Used to be my favorite, before I started selling my own!
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Eric Graff
All LIBERAL ALL THE LIBERAL TIME
03:03 PM on 02/05/2012
Ahhhhhhhhhh the pleasure of all the combinations!
02:41 PM on 02/05/2012
wing sauces -- Louisianna Hot Sauce/Archie Moore's Buffalo Style wing sauce
02:12 PM on 02/05/2012
Crystal in the red bottle not the blue bottle.
01:55 PM on 02/05/2012
How about "Tennesse Sunshine" hot sauce. Used it for years...everyone asks after tasting it..... what I use and I tell them....Try it...in the grocery store.
01:47 PM on 02/05/2012
Has anyone tried "PEPPER PLANT'? It is great on anything,eggs.meat. bloody marys,etc. Try it and you will become addicted.
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dwwill
Liberal Free Zone
03:11 PM on 02/05/2012
Agreed. pepperplant.com is where to go for good sauces.
01:40 PM on 02/05/2012
Frank's, of course!
12:50 PM on 02/05/2012
Cholula