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How To Order Vegan at Buffalo Wild Wings

Feb 20, 2025 (Updated May 13, 2025) By: Michelle Cehn

What are the Buffalo Wild Wings vegan options? Is the vegetarian burger vegan? Are the fries vegan? We answer all of your plant-based questions and give the best tips on ordering from the menu!

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It’s frustrating to visit Buffalo Wild Wings and realize most of the menu isn’t vegan-friendly. The wings, sauces, and all the fried foods contain animal products, making it tricky to find a meal. But don’t worry—there are still a few Buffalo Wild Wings vegan options if you know what to order. With some adjustments and careful choices, you can enjoy a visit without going hungry.

While the menu items are severely limited, there’s still hope for the future. And, if you bring a few vegan condiments or extras with you, there is some chance at satiety. Some sides, sauces, and even a few custom orders can work with a little creativity. You’ll need to double-check ingredients and make special requests, but it’s possible to put together a satisfying plate.

This guide will help you navigate the menu and find the best vegan-friendly choices at Buffalo Wild Wings. A question we hear on a regular basis is, “Are the fries vegan?” The answer, in this case, is a firm and final no. Why not? Keep reading and we’ll explain.

vegan at buffalo wild wings restaurant and menu guide graphic

Table of Contents

How to Navigate the Buffalo Wild Wings Vegan Menu

In order to keep things simple, let’s just start with the basics. If you follow our lead, you can leave this restaurant without being too ravenous. Here’s what we suggest:

Beverage – Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find something dairy-free to quench your thirst.
Appetizer – Choose from a boat of everything pretzel knots (ask for no sauce) or carrots and celery sticks with guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, or sauce of your choice.
Main Meal – Consider the black bean burger (ask for no cheese or ranch) or the grilled chicken wrap without the chicken, cheese, or sour cream and served on a challah bun. You’ll come away with grilled tortillas with pico de gallo and sauce or seasoning. Ask for additional veggies to bulk it up.
Side Dish – Garden salad or white rice will help to round out your meal with a bit more fiber and fullness.
Dessert – Mandarin oranges are a sweet, satisfying option.

NOTE: Keep in mind that ALL the fried foods at Buffalo Wild Wings are not vegan-friendly. Make sure to swap out the fries for a different side.

On a background of parchment paper, three everything seasoned bagel bites are arranged next to each other. — Everything Pretzel Knots

Vegan Buffalo Wild Wings Options

With both “buffalo” and “wings” in the restaurant’s title, you can pretty much guarantee that the menu offerings will be very low or pretty much no. But, before we give up altogether, there are still some options on the menu that are vegan-friendly. Here’s what’s available:

Carrots
Celery Sticks
Everything Pretzel Knots (no beer cheese or honey mustard)
Garden Side Salad (no cheese or croutons)
Guacamole
Mandarin Oranges
Southwest Black Bean Burger (no cheese or ranch)
White Rice (only available at select locations)

Nine white paper containers holding carrots and celery arranged in sets of three across on a wooden table. — Carrots and Celery at Buffalo Wild Wings

Vegan-Friendly Side Sauces and Seasonings

While the wings might win some people over, we’re more interested in the Buffalo Wild Wings vegan sauces and seasonings. If there’s only a few ways to fill up on food, we need to favor the flavor factor. Here are the vegan options:

Avocado Smash
Blazin’ Knockout Sauce
Carribean Jerk Sauce
Dry Rubs (all are vegan-friendly except buffalo)
Hot Sauce (not mild or medium, which contain egg for some reason)
Jammin’ Jalapeno
Ketchup
Mango Habanero Sauce
Marinara
Mustard
Nashville Hot
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Sweet BBQ Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Wild Sauce
Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

If you’d like to make your own vegan dipping sauce at home (perhaps to bring with you?), this dairy-free buffalo chicken dip is out-of-this-world delicious!

A small white bowl filled with diced tomatoes, jalapenos, white onion, and cilantro on a white and off white background. — Pico de Gallo at Buffalo Wild Wings

Beverages

All of the typical fountain drinks are vegan. Here’s what they offer:

Aquafina Water
Bubly Sparkling Water
Coffee
Fresh Brewed Lipton Ice Tea
Mug Root Beer
Pepsi Fountain Drinks
Sweet Tea
Tropicana Lemonade & Pink Lemonade

NOTE: Buffalo Wild Wings also serves alcoholic beverages and spirits. Please check our guide to vegan alcohol and Barnivore to find out which options are vegan-friendly.

A short, clear glass filled with pale pink hibiscus margarita and topped with salt on the rim and a slice of lime. — Hibiscus Margarita from Buffalo Wild Wings

What’s Not Vegan at Buffalo Wild Wings?

We’ll sum in it in five simple words: If it’s fried, forget it. Such a huge bummer (and that’s us being patient and polite about it)! Nothing is spared for our sensitive minds and stomachs.

All fried foods; including fries, tots, tortilla chips, wedges, pickles, onion rings, etc. are not vegan-friendly. Not only are they cross-contaminated in shared fryers, but they also use beef fat for frying all of their foods.

Bring Your Own Add-Ons

Bringing your own add-ons can make a simple meal at Buffalo Wild Wings much better. A small container of vegan dressing, seasoning, or even plant-based cheese can add flavor to plain salads and sides. With a little preparation, you can turn a limited menu into a more satisfying meal:

Vegan Ranch or Dill Dressing – A creamy, plant-based dressing can make a plain salad or veggie sticks way more exciting. Pack a small container of your favorite vegan dressing for that classic wing-night flavor.
Spicy Hot Sauce – If you love heat, bring your own vegan-friendly hot sauce to drizzle over the black bean burger or salad. Many Buffalo Wild Wings sauces contain dairy or honey, so having your own guarantees bold, spicy flavor.
Nutritional Yeast – This cheesy, savory sprinkle adds a punch of flavor to any salads, or even veggies. It’s a simple way to boost taste without needing dairy-based toppings.
Avocado Slices – A few slices of creamy avocado can make a basic side salad way more filling. Just bring it in a small container and mix it in for extra texture and flavor.
Roasted Chickpeas – For a protein-packed crunch, bring some crunchy roasted chickpeas to sprinkle over your salad. They add a satisfying texture and a bit of extra flavor to an otherwise simple meal.
Vegan Parmesan or Cheddar Shreds – A sprinkle of dairy-free cheese can take your fries or salad to the next level. Pack a small portion of vegan parmesan or plant-based cheese slices (or shreds) to add that extra cheesy goodness.
Fries From Home – If you feel motivated, bake a batch of homemade fries and bring a handful with you. Wrap in parchment paper and stick them in your bag until ready to eat with the rest of your BWW meal.

FAQs

Are the Buffalo Wild Wings Chips and Salsa vegan?

So sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the corn tortilla chips are fried in beef fat.

Are the fried pickles at Buffalo Wild Wings vegan?

No. We’re sorry to say that nothing fried at Buffalo Wild Wings is vegan-friendly because of the animal-based fat used in their deep fryers. (Psst…you can also make these homemade fried olives at home and bring them along with you!)

Are the Asian Zing Cauliflower Wings vegan?

Take a chance and request that the cauliflower wings be baked instead of fried in beef fat. That way, they would be vegan-friendly. The only problem is that some Buffalo Wild Wings locations may not honor this request. If you’re feeling brave, give it a try! We’ve heard that they’re pretty tasty.

Is the vegetarian black bean burger at Buffalo Wild Wings vegan?

Yes! Their veggie black bean burger used to contain both dairy and eggs but, luckily, their replacement (Morningstar Black Bean Burger) is vegan-friendly.

Are the cauliflower wings vegan at Buffalo Wild Wings?

This one is debatable. Some locations, but not all, will bake your wings instead of deep frying them, if you ask. Also make sure to request no ranch dressing. Best to call before visiting or ordering to make sure. If they can bake them and skip the dressing, then yes, the cauliflower wings will be vegan! Otherwise they’re a no-go. Or, you can make vegan buffalo cauliflower wings at home!

Helpful Hints When Ordering Vegan at Buffalo Wild Wings

Browse the Buffalo Wild Wings menu before ordering.
If ordering Buffalo Wild Wings online or through a delivery service, make sure you clearly specify any substitutions you would like. If you’re worried that your request may not be honored (or seen by the server at Buffalo Wild Wings), it might be a better idea to go there directly to order.
Check out their Nutrition Guide and Allergen & Preparation page to make sure that you are purchasing a vegan-friendly item. The menu items offered at Buffalo Wild Wings don’t seem to change very often, but you may want to double check before you visit.
Be careful when new and exciting seasonal products are offered at Buffalo Wild Wings. Double-check the allergens and ingredients to make sure the item is vegan before purchasing.

Creating a Kinder and More Accessible Buffalo Wild Wings

Although we might give a thumbs-down to Buffalo Wild Wings for their lack of vegan-friendly food, we’ll still keep hoping! While it’s not the healthiest vegan fast food option, people with plant-based preferences might want to visit with their friends sometimes. It would be worthwhile to join in with other restaurants in making cruelty-free menu changes. In the meantime, we can always write to, call, or contact the managers of any location to make our requests.

What are your favorite items on the Buffalo Wild Wings vegan menu? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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At the time of this article, the foods mentioned above are vegan. Restaurants regularly update their menus and add or take away items, so please keep this in mind when ordering your food. There may be new items that are vegan at Buffalo Wild Wings and not listed or items listed here as vegan, which are no longer vegan. Take care to double-check.