The Boldest Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing You'll Ever Taste

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There's something about this sauce that doesn't taste like any other wing sauce.

Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing occupies a specific lane — not quite sweet chili, not quite teriyaki, not quite sriracha. It's its own thing. Tangy, bright, gingery, and with a chili heat that builds slowly and sits in the background of a deeply savory soy-vinegar base.

I cracked this recipe on my second attempt and it's been on every wing night since.

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Quick Answer

Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sauce is made with chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and cornstarch — simmered into a thick, glossy, tangy-sweet chili sauce with a bold umami backbone. It takes 10 minutes and coats wings in the specific sweet-tangy-spicy combination that makes this one of BWW's most distinctive sauces.

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The sauce that makes people who usually order mild change their minds permanently.

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Why This Recipe Works

The umami backbone is what distinguishes Asian Zing from a generic sweet chili sauce.

Chili garlic sauce — specifically Huy Fong Foods chili garlic sauce, not sriracha — provides the correct heat profile. Chunky rather than smooth, with a roasted chili flavor rather than a vinegar-forward one. It's what gives the sauce its textured, complex heat rather than the sharp heat you get from pure hot sauce.

Soy sauce is the depth layer. The savory, fermented note cuts through the sweetness and prevents the sauce from tasting like candy. It also adds a dark color that makes the sauce look more complex and restaurant-quality.

Rice wine vinegar provides brightness and tang without the sharpness of apple cider or white vinegar. It lifts the whole sauce and keeps every other element from tasting flat.

Fresh ginger is essential — not ginger powder. Fresh ginger has a bright, pungent, almost floral quality that ginger powder can't replicate. It's what gives the sauce its specific Asian-inspired character.

Honey adds sweetness that integrates with the ginger and soy better than granulated sugar does — floral and complex rather than flat-sweet.

Sesame oil is the finishing note — added after cooking, it provides a nutty, aromatic quality that instantly signals Asian cuisine to the palate.

Cornstarch slurry is the thickening agent that gives the sauce its glossy, restaurant-quality consistency. Without it the sauce is too loose to coat wings properly.

This is exactly what creates the tangy-sweet-spicy-savory combination that makes BWW Asian Zing impossible to categorize and impossible to stop eating.

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Why You'll Keep Making This

• Works on wings, dumplings, spring rolls, rice bowls, and noodles
• Distinct sweet-tangy-spicy profile unlike any other wing sauce
• Ready in 10 minutes
• Significantly cheaper than BWW delivery
• One batch sauces 2 pounds of wings

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What It Tastes Like

Tangy and bright upfront — the rice wine vinegar and chili garlic sauce hit first with a sharp, complex acidity. Then the sweetness of honey arrives, softening the tang. The ginger adds a warm, aromatic note that runs through the entire profile.

The heat builds gradually — present from the start but not aggressive, building over 10–15 seconds into a persistent warmth that complements rather than overwhelms.

The texture is thick and glossy, coating wings in a layer of deep amber sauce. What lingers is the sesame oil nuttiness and the soy depth — umami-forward and distinctly more complex than most wing sauces.

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Ingredients You'll Need

• 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (Huy Fong brand)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Why These Ingredients Matter

Chili garlic sauce provides the chunky, roasted chili heat. Sriracha is a different texture and flavor — use Huy Fong chili garlic sauce specifically.

Soy sauce is the umami foundation. It adds depth that prevents the sauce from tasting sweet and shallow.

Rice wine vinegar provides the bright, distinctive tang. Do not substitute with apple cider vinegar — the flavor profile is different.

Honey integrates with the ginger and soy better than sugar. The floral quality is important to the final flavor.

Fresh ginger is essential. Pre-ground ginger produces a muted, one-dimensional result compared to the bright, aromatic quality of fresh.

Sesame oil is added after cooking — heat destroys its aromatic quality. Always add off-heat.

Cornstarch + water is the thickening slurry. It creates the glossy, restaurant-quality consistency that coats wings properly.

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How to Make It

Step 1: Combine the base In a small saucepan, combine chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Stir well. Even before heat, the combination of these ingredients smells exactly like the restaurant sauce.

Step 2: Bring to simmer Heat over medium until just beginning to bubble. Reduce to medium-low. The ginger activates and the kitchen starts smelling deeply savory and aromatic.

Step 3: Add the cornstarch slurry Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour into the simmering sauce while stirring constantly. You'll see the sauce thicken almost immediately — that's the cornstarch doing exactly what it should.

Step 4: Simmer briefly Simmer 2–3 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir frequently. This is where everything consolidates — tangy, sweet, spicy, and savory all in one glossy sauce.

Step 5: Finish with sesame oil Remove from heat. Stir in sesame oil. Taste and adjust. The sesame oil added off-heat is what makes this smell and taste exactly like the BWW sauce.

What to Look For

The sauce should coat the back of a spoon in a thick, glossy layer of deep amber. When you drizzle it back into the pot, it should fall in wide, slow ribbons. Thin sauce needs 2 more minutes of simmering.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Adding sesame oil during cooking destroys its aromatic quality — always add off-heat. Using ground ginger instead of fresh produces a muted, less bright sauce. Skipping the cornstarch slurry produces a sauce too thin to coat wings — it runs off and pools at the bottom of the bowl.

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Pro Tips

For extra depth, add a teaspoon of oyster sauce with the other ingredients. It adds a briny, savory complexity that elevates the umami base significantly. For a restaurant-level gloss, strain the finished sauce through a fine mesh strainer before tossing with wings. Double the batch — this sauce disappears faster than any other wing sauce.

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Ingredient Swaps

Tamari can replace soy sauce for a gluten-free version. Agave can replace honey for a vegan option. If chili garlic sauce is unavailable, use 2 tablespoons of sriracha plus 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic — the texture will be different but the flavor is close.

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Make It Your Way

Extra Spicy Asian Zing — add 1 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes with the other ingredients and increase chili garlic sauce by 1 tablespoon.

Asian Zing Noodles — toss cooked noodles with this sauce, sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and shredded chicken. Restaurant-quality dinner in 15 minutes.

Asian Zing Stir Fry Sauce — thin with 2 tablespoons of chicken broth and use as a stir-fry sauce for chicken and vegetables. The ginger and sesame combination is spectacular.

Asian Zing Rice Bowl — drizzle over a bowl of steamed rice, edamame, shredded carrot, and crispy chicken or tofu. One of the best quick weeknight bowls.

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Storage & Meal Prep

Store refrigerated in a sealed glass jar for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring constantly — the cornstarch can cause the sauce to over-thicken when cold and may need a tablespoon of water to loosen. Do not microwave. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.

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Common Questions

Is Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sweet or spicy? Both — it's a balanced sweet-spicy sauce with a prominent tang. The heat is medium — present and building but not aggressive. It's one of the more approachable "hot" sauces on the BWW menu.

What makes Asian Zing different from sweet chili sauce? The soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil give it a savory depth and umami backbone that sweet chili sauce lacks. It's more complex and less candy-sweet than a standard sweet chili sauce.

Can I use this sauce for dipping instead of coating? Yes — serve warm in a ramekin alongside wings rather than tossing. The consistency is perfect for dipping.

Why is my sauce too thick? Too much cornstarch or too long a simmer time. Thin with a tablespoon of warm water and stir over low heat until loosened.

Is this sauce gluten-free? With tamari replacing soy sauce, yes — all other ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Check the chili garlic sauce label as well.

How many wings does this recipe sauce? This batch coats approximately 2 pounds of wings — roughly 18–20 individual wings. Double for a larger crowd.

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The sauce that makes people who usually order mild come back to the spicy side. Make it once and it earns a permanent spot in your fridge.

Save this before you forget it.