How spicy is Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sauce?

Buffalo Wild Wings rates Asian Zing as 'medium' on their heat scale — it's spicier than Honey BBQ or Teriyaki but noticeably milder than Traditional Buffalo, Hot BBQ, or Blazin'. The heat comes primarily from the chili garlic sauce (sambal oelek), and it builds gradually with each wing rather than hitting immediately. The sweetness from the honey and sweet chili sauce tempers the heat significantly, making it approachable for people who find straight buffalo sauce too sharp.

What is the key ingredient in Asian Zing sauce?

Sweet chili sauce (Mae Ploy brand is the most commonly recommended) is the foundation — it provides sweetness, mild heat, and the characteristic glossy texture. The chili garlic sauce (sambal oelek) adds the sharper, more intense heat layer on top. Sesame oil ties the flavor profile together with its nutty aromatic note and is the ingredient that makes Asian Zing taste distinctly 'Asian-style' rather than generic sweet-and-spicy.

How do you make Asian Zing sauce thicker or thinner?

To thicken: add more cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water) and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. The sauce also thickens as it cools. To thin: add 1-2 tablespoons of rice vinegar or water and heat briefly. For wing-tossing, you want it thick enough to coat and cling without dripping off; for a dipping sauce, a slightly thinner consistency is better.

What other dishes work well with Asian Zing sauce beyond wings?

Asian Zing works as a glaze for baked salmon (brush on the last 5 minutes of cooking), a stir-fry sauce for chicken and vegetables over rice, a dipping sauce for egg rolls and dumplings, a marinade for grilled shrimp skewers, and a dressing for Asian-style slaw. Because it's already balanced (sweet, salty, acidic, spicy), it can be used straight from the jar on almost any protein without adjusting.

Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce

Name: Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (Mae Ploy or similar); 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (sambal oelek); 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Asian Zing is the most popular non-buffalo sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings, and for good reason. It hits every flavor note — sweet from honey and chili sauce, savory from soy sauce, tangy from rice vinegar, and spicy from chili garlic paste. The sesame oil ties it all together with a nutty, aromatic finish. It’s the wing sauce for people who want something beyond buffalo.

An order of wings at BWW costs $15-20 depending on size. Making the sauce at home costs about $3 and yields enough for several batches of wings.

Why Make It at Home?

Beyond the cost savings, homemade Asian Zing sauce lets you adjust the heat level. The restaurant version has a fixed spice level that some people find too mild and others find too hot. At home, you add chili garlic sauce to your preference. You can also use it on more than just wings — it’s excellent on grilled chicken, stir-fried vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for egg rolls.

Tips & Variations

Sweet chili sauce is the base. Mae Ploy brand (in the green cap) is the most widely available and works perfectly. It provides the sweet-spicy foundation that defines Asian Zing.
Adjust the heat with sambal oelek. Start with 1 tablespoon for mild heat and add more to taste. Sambal oelek is pure chili garlic paste without sugar, so it adds heat without changing the sweetness.
Use it as a marinade. Marinate chicken thighs in this sauce for 2-4 hours before grilling. The sugars caramelize on the grill and create an incredible glaze.
Double the batch. This sauce keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge and the flavor actually improves after a day. Make extra and keep it on hand.

Buffalo Wild Wings is a trademark of its owner, used here only to describe the dish this recipe recreates. This is an independent copycat written in our own words — Copycat Spices is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings.

Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce

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