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Is there anything at Chick-fil-A that’s more iconic than its signature chicken items? Surprisingly, yes. It’s a very small menu item, too. Yet, it still causes serious discord within the Chick-fil-A fandom. It’s the company’s selection of dipping sauces. If you’re a Chick-fil-A stan then you know and probably participate in the dipping sauce drama. But if you’re new to the dipping sauce lore, here’s a quick recap. Chick-fil-A offers eight sauces, which include honey roasted barbecue, honey mustard, garden herb ranch, barbecue, zesty, buffalo, sweet and spicy sriracha, Polynesian, and Chick-fil-A sauce. However, there are many opinions on which is the absolute best. Although each sauce is delicious in its own way, fans believe only one should be deemed the best. And they aren’t wrong. Of all the sauces, there’s one that deserves the title of best Chick-fil-A sauce, and it’s the beloved sauce that’s named after the restaurant.
The Chick-fil-A sauce is the most well-rounded sauce the fast food chain has. Hence, it was ranked the best Chick-fil-A sauce by the Tasting Table staff. After an extensive dipping contest, our team found that this sauce is the most versatile option. Thanks to its unique flavor, which features notes of sweet tanginess and subtle smokiness, this sauce pairs perfectly with everything from the best chicken sandwich on the Chick-fil-A menu to the iconic waffle fries. Plus, it won’t overpower any element of your meal. Instead, its distinctive flavor enhances and complements the existing flavors within the chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and fries. It also has the perfect consistency for dipping and spreading, with the latter being an important factor for the edibility of sandwiches. Even if this sauce isn’t your top choice, there’s no denying how delicious it is.
Why is Chick-fil-A sauce simply the best?
This sauce has been a treasured member of Chick-fil-A’s menu for decades. But, do you know exactly how old Chick-fil-A’s namesake sauce is? Despite it being introduced in 2006, this beloved sauce was originally created in 1983. It was created by accident at a location in Virginia. The original version featured a combination of honey mustard dressing and barbecue sauce and was an instant success. Although today’s iteration isn’t quite the same, it still has the charm and enticing flavor of the original.
So, what exactly is in Chick-fil-A’s sauce? The current version is a fusion of honey mustard, barbecue, and ranch sauce. The signature smokiness of the sauce comes from the hickory smoke flavor used in the barbecue sauce, while the undeniable tanginess comes from the vinegar used in all three sauces. Some other notable ingredients that make this sauce so exceptional are the happy marriage between spices, onion, garlic, lemon juice concentrate, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and egg yolks. Even though each ingredient is needed to make a specific sauce, all these elements surprisingly work together to create a sauce with a memorable flavor explosion. None of the three sauces are battling to be seen or heard.
You know Chick-fil-A sauce is top-tier because it’s readily available for purchase at major grocery stores. You can either purchase a 16-ounce or 24-ounce bottle for less than $6 at places like Walmart and Target. And it comes in a squeezable container, so you can easily drizzle it all over your Chick-fil-A order or homemade burgers and fries.
