What Oil Does Buffalo Wild Wings Use? (And How to Avoid Seed Oils)

Buffalo Wild Wings built its reputation on traditional beef tallow-fried wings, making it a rare bright spot in the fast-casual dining landscape. But here's the catch: while their signature wings still get the tallow treatment, nearly everything else on the menu swims in inflammatory seed oils.

If you're trying to avoid seed oils at Buffalo Wild Wings, you need to know exactly what you're ordering. The difference between a seed oil-free meal and an inflammatory oil bomb often comes down to a single menu choice.

What Oil Does Buffalo Wild Wings Actually Use?

Buffalo Wild Wings uses a combination of oils depending on what they're cooking:

• Beef Shortening (Tallow): Used exclusively for traditional bone-in and boneless wings
• Soybean Oil: Used for all other fried items including fries, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks
• Canola Oil: Found in sauces, dressings, and as a cooking oil for grilled items

This split approach creates a unique situation. Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the few major chains still using beef tallow for their signature item, yet they've filled the rest of their kitchen with seed oils. According to their allergen menu, over 75% of their menu items contain soybean or canola oil in some form.

How Buffalo Wild Wings Cooks Their Food

The cooking methods at Buffalo Wild Wings directly impact your seed oil exposure:

Deep Fryers: Buffalo Wild Wings maintains separate fryer stations. The wing fryers use beef shortening heated to 375°F, while the general fryers for sides use soybean oil at the same temperature. This separation is primarily for flavor consistency rather than health considerations.

Flat-Top Grill: The kitchen uses canola oil spray or liquid canola oil on their flat-top grills for burgers, sandwiches, and grilled chicken. Even items marketed as "grilled" get a coating of seed oil during cooking.

Sauces and Marinades: Nearly all Buffalo Wild Wings sauces contain canola or soybean oil as a primary ingredient. This includes their dry rubs, which often list vegetable oil as a carrier for spices.

Seed Oil Breakdown by Menu Item

Let's examine the seed oil content across Buffalo Wild Wings' menu categories:

Wings (The Good News):

• Traditional bone-in wings: Cooked in beef tallow only
• Boneless wings: Also cooked in beef tallow
• Cauliflower wings: Fried in soybean oil (avoid)

Appetizers and Sides (Heavy Seed Oil Zone):

• French fries: Soybean oil
• Onion rings: Soybean oil plus canola in the batter
• Mozzarella sticks: Soybean oil
• Fried pickles: Soybean oil
• Nachos: Multiple seed oil exposures (chips, cheese sauce, toppings)

Burgers and Sandwiches:

• All burgers: Cooked with canola oil on the flat-top
• Grilled chicken sandwiches: Canola oil during cooking
• Pulled pork: Contains soybean oil in the sauce

Salads (Hidden Seed Oils):

• All salad dressings contain canola or soybean oil
• Crispy chicken toppings are fried in soybean oil
• Even grilled chicken is cooked with canola oil

What to Order to Avoid Seed Oils at Buffalo Wild Wings

Your seed oil-free options at Buffalo Wild Wings are limited but doable:

Safe Choices:

• Traditional or boneless wings (naked or with dry seasoning only)
• Celery and carrots (skip the ranch)
• Side salad with no dressing (bring your own or use lemon)
• Naked tenders if confirmed cooked in tallow at your location

Ordering Hacks:

• Order wings with dry seasoning instead of sauce
• Ask for lemon wedges and salt for your wings
• Request no oil on grilled items (though cross-contamination is likely)
• Bring your own dressing for salads

Absolute Avoids:

• Anything from the fryer except traditional wings
• All sauces and dressings
• Cauliflower wings (double seed oil exposure)
• Any sandwich or burger

How Buffalo Wild Wings Compares (SOS Rating)

Seed Oil Scout rates Buffalo Wild Wings 3.2/5 on their oil quality scale. This moderate rating reflects their unique position: they deserve credit for maintaining beef tallow for wings while most competitors have switched entirely to seed oils, but lose points for the widespread use of soybean and canola oil throughout the rest of their menu.

Compared to other wing chains:

• Wingstop: Uses soybean oil for everything (SOS: 1.8/5)
• Wing Zone: All seed oils (SOS: 1.5/5)
• Local wing shops: Varies widely, some still use tallow (SOS: 2.0-4.5/5)

Buffalo Wild Wings' commitment to beef tallow for their signature item puts them ahead of most chain restaurants, earning them a "Proceed with Caution" label from Seed Oil Scout rather than the "High Alert" designation given to fully seed oil-dependent establishments.

The Bottom Line

Buffalo Wild Wings presents a paradox for the seed oil-conscious diner. They've preserved the traditional method of cooking wings in beef tallow, making them one of the last major chains where you can enjoy wings without seed oil. However, venture beyond the traditional wings, and you're in seed oil territory.

The key to navigating Buffalo Wild Wings successfully is simple: stick to traditional or boneless wings with dry seasonings, skip the sauces, and avoid everything else that goes near a fryer or grill. It's a limited menu, but at least you have options, which is more than most chain restaurants offer.

For those serious about avoiding seed oils, knowledge is power. Knowing that Buffalo Wild Wings still uses beef tallow for wings gives you at least one reliable option when dining out with friends or catching the game.

Want to make better choices at more restaurants? Download Seed Oil Scout to instantly check the oil practices at thousands of restaurants. With real-time updates and detailed breakdowns like this one, you'll never have to wonder what's really in your food. For more chain restaurant breakdowns, check out our analysis of what oil Chick-fil-A uses or Chipotle's oil practices.