{"id":34784,"date":"2025-10-10T14:11:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T14:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/i-tried-buffalo-wings-from-5-major-chain-restaurants-the-winner-had-the-sauciest-chicken-wings\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T14:11:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T14:11:17","slug":"i-tried-buffalo-wings-from-5-major-chain-restaurants-the-winner-had-the-sauciest-chicken-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/i-tried-buffalo-wings-from-5-major-chain-restaurants-the-winner-had-the-sauciest-chicken-wings\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried Buffalo wings from 5 major chain restaurants. The winner had the sauciest chicken wings."},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675c98b1ec3fba82bfa922aa?format=jpeg\" alt=\"wingstop original hot wings\"\/><figcaption>Wingstop original hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Buffalo wings are a game-day favorite, but some chains do them better than others.<\/li>\n<li>I compared Buffalo wings from Applebee&#039;s, Chili&#039;s, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Wingstop.<\/li>\n<li>Wingstop surprised me with its saucy, juicy wings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With football season in full swing, you might be wondering which chain&#039;s Buffalo chicken wings get a touchdown and which are a total miss.<\/p>\n<p>I tried and ranked Buffalo chicken wings from five chain restaurants \u2014 Applebee&#039;s, Chili&#039;s, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Wingstop \u2014 based on taste and value.<\/p>\n<p>All of the wings were slightly different, but I liked the spiciest, sauciest wings the best.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#039;s how the five chain restaurants&#039; Buffalo wings ranked, from my least favorite to my most favorite.<\/p>\n<p>My least favorite Buffalo wings came from TGI Fridays.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1e8252dd0818d1a6aa0f?format=jpeg\" alt=\"tgi fridays buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I ordered an eight-count of bone-in traditional Buffalo wings at the restaurant I visited in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>They cost $12.19, excluding taxes and fees, and came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.<\/p>\n<p>The wings were crispy but a little under-sauced.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1e8e52dd0818d1a6aa1a?format=jpeg\" alt=\"tgi fridays buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Unlike some of the other chains I tried, TGI Fridays also doesn&#039;t appear to make its own Buffalo sauce.<\/p>\n<p>On the menu, it&#039;s advertised as simply Frank&#039;s Red Hot Buffalo. While I do like that brand of sauce, I could easily make the same wings at home, which made it feel less unique.<\/p>\n<p>I also thought they were slightly smaller than some of the other wings I tried.<\/p>\n<p>The meat inside was tender, but the Buffalo flavor just wasn&#039;t there for me.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1e9957df667cc5a5c4b7?format=jpeg\" alt=\"tgi fridays buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though I liked the crispy skin and texture of these chicken wings, as well as the tender meat inside, I thought they were lacking in sauce and flavor.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, I probably wouldn&#039;t order these again.<\/p>\n<p>The next stop I tried was Applebee&#039;s.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1ea552dd0818d1a6aa29?format=jpeg\" alt=\"applebees buffalo chicken wings\"\/><figcaption>Applebee&#039;s Buffalo chicken wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At my local Applebee&#039;s in Brooklyn, an order of nine classic bone-in wings costs $14.29, excluding tax and fees. They came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.<\/p>\n<p>The wings were super crispy and the largest out of all that I tried.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1eb2cf8d1359a2df7ecf?format=jpeg\" alt=\"applebees buffalo chicken wings\"\/><figcaption>Applebee&#039;s Buffalo chicken wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The wings were a rich red-brown color and fried to a crisp.<\/p>\n<p>The wings were juicy, and the sauce had a good buttery flavor.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1ebe52dd0818d1a6aa3b?format=jpeg\" alt=\"applebees buffalo chicken wings\"\/><figcaption>Applebee&#039;s Buffalo chicken wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Buffalo sauce had a nice balance between the heat and the more savory, buttery flavor, resulting in a well-rounded bite. I thought the meat inside was pretty juicy, and I loved the sheer size of these wings.<\/p>\n<p>However, I thought the wings could have been a touch spicier.<\/p>\n<p>Chili&#039;s landed squarely in the middle with its crispy Buffalo wings.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1ed1cf8d1359a2df7ee4?format=jpeg\" alt=\"chilis grill and bar buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At my local Chili&#039;s in New York, an eight-count of bone-in Buffalo wings cost $15.49, excluding tax and fees. They came with two dipping sauces: ranch and blue cheese.<\/p>\n<p>I thought these wings were flavorful and juicy.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1ee057df667cc5a5c4c8?format=jpeg\" alt=\"chilis grill and bar buffalo wing\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I&#039;ve tried these wings before and commented that they could have been slightly saucier and crispier. However, when I tried them this time, I didn&#039;t feel the same \u2014 they were perfectly crispy and almost dripping in sauce.<\/p>\n<p>The wings had a generous amount of meat inside.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1f17cf8d1359a2df7f04?format=jpeg\" alt=\"chilis grill and bar bone-in buffalo wing\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Buffalo sauce had a strong buttery flavor with just the right amount of heat. The chain is also known for its ranch dipping sauce, which I thought paired very nicely with the wings.<\/p>\n<p>Though the wings were smaller, I thought they packed more flavor than the ones from Applebee&#039;s and TGI Fridays.<\/p>\n<p>My second-favorite Buffalo wings came from Buffalo Wild Wings.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1f2652dd0818d1a6aa63?format=jpeg\" alt=\"buffalo wild wings buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The chain&#039;s Buffalo bone-in wings are arguably Buffalo Wild Wings&#039; most famous menu item, so I was eager to see how they would compare to other chain restaurants&#039; wings. I certainly wasn&#039;t disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>A six-count of traditional Buffalo wings cost $15.99, excluding tax and fees, and a side of ranch.<\/p>\n<p>The wings were small length-wise but had a lot of meat on them.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/676062c9cf8d1359a2e02fa0?format=jpeg\" alt=\"buffalo wild wings buffalo chicken wing\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The wings were crispy and had a light coating of Buffalo sauce that covered every part of the wings.<\/p>\n<p>There was a selection of both drumsticks and flats, but I noticed that the drums were particularly meaty.<\/p>\n<p>I loved the flavor of the Buffalo sauce and thought the chicken meat was moist.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/676062e727808b3289cd5a5a?format=jpeg\" alt=\"buffalo wild wings buffalo chicken wing\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The chicken meat inside the wing was moist and tender, and the crispy skin and slightly sweet, just-spicy-enough sauce added a lot of flavor. Overall, these were really solid Buffalo wings.<\/p>\n<p>I also thought these wings were good value for the cost and would definitely order them again.<\/p>\n<p>My favorite wings I tried were from Wingstop.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1f4dcf8d1359a2df7f1b?format=jpeg\" alt=\"wingstop original hot wings\"\/><figcaption>Wingstop original hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I ordered 10 classic bone-in wings for $21.19, excluding tax and fees.<\/p>\n<p>Wingstop doesn&#039;t offer Buffalo sauce on its menu, but it does have its Original Hot sauce, which is the chain&#039;s version of Buffalo. I ordered them with a side of ranch.<\/p>\n<p>While Wingstop also sells boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, its senior director of culinary, Larry Bellah, told Business Insider that bone-in traditional wings remain the chain&#039;s most popular item.<\/p>\n<p>He added that the Original Hot flavor ranks among its top five sauces.<\/p>\n<p>The wings came drenched in the bright-red sauce but were still supremely crispy.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1f5752dd0818d1a6aa8c?format=jpeg\" alt=\"wingstop original hot wings\"\/><figcaption>Wingstop original hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The sticky sauce clung to my fingers as I ate these wings, which were the perfect size: not too big, not too small, and just the right amount of tender chicken meat.<\/p>\n<p>The meat was tender, and the spicy hot sauce blew me away.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/675b1fbb57df667cc5a5c511?format=jpeg\" alt=\"wingstop original hot buffalo wings\"\/><figcaption>Wingstop original hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Erin McDowell\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The sauce had a lot of levels, balancing between a strong vinegar flavor, to buttery, and topped off with a layer of spice that was slightly smoky yet not overpowering.<\/p>\n<p>The Wingstop wings stood out as the spiciest among all the chains I tried. However, the heat didn&#039;t overpower the flavor \u2014 instead, it enhanced it.<\/p>\n<p>Each element, from the crispy seasoned skin to the tangy undertones of the sauce, came through distinctly. These wings balanced bold, spicy flavor with a depth of taste, making them the best chain-restaurant Buffalo wings I tried.<\/p>\n<p>The chain also delivered on value. Even though the wings were the most expensive I tried, the 10-count made each wing come out to around $2.12 per wing, which was slightly cheaper than the cost per wing at Buffalo Wild Wings.<\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on Business Insider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wingstop original hot wings. Erin McDowell\/Business Insider Buffalo wings are a game-day favorite, but some chains do them better than others. I compared Buffalo wings from Applebee&#039;s, Chili&#039;s, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Wingstop. Wingstop surprised me with its saucy, juicy wings. With football season in full swing, you might be wondering which chain&#039;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-34784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}