Ranking McDonald’s 8 Dipping Sauces from Worst to Best

McDonald’s may be losing the fight against inflation, but at least most of the dipping sauces still only cost a couple dimes. The fast food giant is all about the sauce, so much so that its Big Mac sauce is iconic as the burger it’s put on. The burger may have come first, but we all know the restaurant’s secret special sauce is arguably the star. Other burgers and sandwiches often feature different sauces and condiments, but the assortment of dipping sauces are really there to support chicken McNuggets and McDonald’s fries. 

If you order McDonald’s fries, you’ll get a few packets of ketchup tossed in there — but that’s child’s play. The chain officially offers eight different dipping sauces, or seven if you exclude the regional hot mustard, which, thankfully, I could get my hands on. While each dipping sauce has something special to offer your greasy McDonald’s bag, some just can’t compete. I buckled down with some chicken McNuggets, salty fries, and each McDonald’s dipping sauce I could find to rank them from worst to best, based on flavor balance, texture, and versatility. 

Somehow, ketchup doesn’t qualify as a dipping sauce by McDonald’s standards, but honey does. While simple, it’s been on the chain’s menu since 1982. It was one of the four sauces released with the iconic chicken McNuggets, alongside sweet and sour, hot mustard, and barbecue. Honey is the only sauce in McDonald’s lineup that has one ingredient: pure honey. Unlike the other signature sauces with long lists of ingredients crammed onto the tiny label, this honey is additive-free. It’s sweet, of course, but not overwhelmingly so, and it’s pretty light compared to McDonald’s other, bolder sauces.

The honey had a similar consistency to the other dipping sauces, and I was surprised at how well the crispy McNugget paired with the delicate, floral honey. It is rather thin for honey, which would usually dock a point off for me, but in this case, it works to its advantage. The thinner consistency makes for easy dipping and prevents a sticky honey pull. All that being said, I can’t, in good conscience, rank honey above McDonald’s more complex and exclusive sauces. Don’t get me wrong, honey is an underrated dipping sauce that I’ll definitely revisit again, but in my own kitchen. It also happens to be the most expensive of McDonald’s sauces and comes in a noticably smaller plastic container.

Honey mustard sauce, not to be confused with dressing, is a thick, sweet, tangy dipping sauce that’s been adored since ancient Roman times. It was first enjoyed with dozens of recipes and paired with meats like smoked sausage, but today, it’s a chicken tender failsafe. This may come as a shock, but honey mustard didn’t join the list of dipping sauces at McDonald’s until the early 2000s. Right around the time Chicken Select Strips rolled out in 2002, honey mustard started popping up in McDonald’s commercials and menus all over the map. It was marketed as a dip for the crispy tenders along with Buffalo sauce, and hasn’t left the menu since then. Hot, spicy, and saucy are just a few of the words used to describe the two new sauces in a very Y2K 2002 McDonald’s commercial for the white meat tenders. Later, in 2007, the honey mustard Snack Wrap wowed everyone — and the sweet, tangy sauce was the best part.

McDonald’s blends mustard seeds, sugar, vinegar, white wine, and spices to create its tangy honey mustard. Not to discredit McDonald’s, but I typically don’t expect wine to show up on my list of fast food ingredients. Vinegar pulls a lot of weight in creating that zesty flavor, but white wine brings it home. McDonald’s honey mustard has no astringency. Instead, it’s bright and incredibly smooth. It’s a nice, mild honey mustard. I don’t have anything particularly negative to say about it, but it’s just a bit too sweet for the greasy fried food it’s served with. If drizzled on top of something with heat, like the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy, it may balance better, but it’s overkill as is.

McDonald’s barbecue sauce is another one of the early dipping sauces initially intended for the McNuggets. It’s a component of new and limited-time menu options, like the BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder and the Snack Wrap, but I’d say its true purpose is dunking. It’s the perfect match for McNuggets and fries, as its tanginess balances out each greasy bite. With tomato paste as its foundation, it’s no surprise so many folks reach for McDonald’s barbecue sauce to go with their fries.

Barbecue sauces often opt for a sweet or spicy profile, and I was pleased to find McDonald’s leans more toward the spicy side. While it doesn’t offer any actual heat, it lives up to its tangy name. I was expecting a more sugary or even syrupy sauce, but the peppery sauce was a nice respite after tasting McDonald’s sweetened honey mustard. It does have some sweet undertones, but definitely leads with acidity. I don’t want to disrespect die-hard barbecue fans, as I can confidently attest to McDonald’s making an acceptable one, but it’s never been my dip of choice. Every time I do end up with one in my McDonald’s bag, likely by accident, I’m always reminded how tasty it is — but it just doesn’t do as much for me as the higher-ranked options. 

As one of the core four sauces in the 1982 McNugget launch, McDonald’s sweet ‘n sour is one of the most beloved dipping options. These days, it’s less frequently reached for than the other classics, but it’s still a menu mainstay. While it’s rarely my dipping sauce of choice, every now and then I’ll switch it up and dip my nuggets into it. 

The deep orange-colored sauce is definitely sweet, but in less of an artificial way. The first taste is quite fruity, almost apple-like, but the ingredients confirm that apricot and peach make up the sauce. It’s spiced with garlic, onion, and dried chili peppers, which gives it the perfect spicy finish. The fruitiness contrasts surprisingly well with savory bites, and the tang is subtle but present. The Jello-like consistency clings to everything you dip into it — a huge bonus for the optimal fry-to-sauce ratio. I’m not entirely sure if my admiration for McDonald’s sweet ‘n sour sauce is based on taste or purely fueled by nostalgia, but I appreciate it regardless. No other McDonald’s sauce tastes quite like it, and that speaks volumes. 

This is the only OG McNugget sauce from 1982 that is now excluded from the national menu, but it’s still a cult favorite. Hot mustard was sadly eliminated from the national menu in 2015, but luckily for me, it’s still available in NYC. While much of its fandom likely has to do with its elusiveness, it’s also one of McDonald’s most delicious dipping sauces.  

It tastes like a riff on honey mustard, but with a little kick of spice. Despite not containing sugar, it’s definitely sweet, but nothing compared to McDonald’s honey mustard. The sauce combines vinegar, ground mustard seed, turmeric, paprika, and other spices for a strong, stinging heat. Hot mustard is one of the few McDonald’s sauces (along with creamy chili and honey mustard) made with egg yolk, which helps bind the ingredients and produces a rich, well-balanced sauce. It’s more viscous than creamy, but no complaints here.

The world is split into two types of people; ranch people, and everyone else. The dip, dressing, condiment, or however you see it reigns supreme in the U.S and it has ever since the 1950s. In 2024, ranch sales even beat out ketchup in American restaurants. From salads to crudités, ranch plays many roles, but it’s best with fried foods.

I will say that McDonald’s ranch is far from my favorite packaged ranch, and that’s coming from a self-proclaimed ranch connoisseur. I’ve tried and ranked a lot of grocery store ranch dressings, and I’d say McDonald’s buttermilk ranch is probably closest to Kraft or Wish-Bone, but with far less pepper. It has a nice subtle tang, but the other aromatic flavors are stronger, aligning closer with an onion dip. What it lacks in spice, it makes up for with its ultra creamy consistency. It goes to show how delicious ranch is with crispy nuggets and French fries, because even a mid-grade ranch dominates other sauces.

It wasn’t until 2000 that “zesty ranch sauce” was advertised on a crispy chicken sandwich, which likely evolved into the creamy ranch sauce they offer today. Right around the time Chicken Select Strips rolled out in 2002, ranch started popping up in commercials as a dip of choice. It wasn’t heavily advertised, but in 2006, creamy ranch was featured on the Ranch BLT premium chicken sandwich.

I feel like I’m doing a disservice by placing a newcomer so high on this list, but I can’t deny how delicious McDonald’s creamy chili sauce is. Made specifically for the McCrispy Strips, the creamy chili sauce is mainly made of red jalapeño puree, soy sauce, egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar. Some lemon juice helps offset the creaminess while onion, garlic, and other spices give it depth. It’s notably thicker than McDonald’s other sauces, deeming it a true dipping sauce rather than a lighter dressing. It’s more complex than the other sauce options, which tracks given the noticeably longer list of ingredients.

The first taste jumps out at you, with its creamy consistency and slight acidity, but then a little bit of spice appears and lingers. The red chilis, which can be spotted in the bright orange sauce, really come through each bite. There’s a delicate sweetness that perfectly complements the jalapeño peppers, rounded off with a smoky finish. Congratulations, creamy chili McCrispy Strip Dip, you’ve managed to creep up to number two on the list.

The spicy Buffalo sauce is the clear winner. For me, it’s no contest. I dream about McDonald’s creamy Buffalo sauce and half the time I think I’m just using McNuggets as a vessel for the good stuff. I strongly believe that Buffalo and ranch are the truly superior chicken nugget dipping sauces, and McDonald’s Buffalo sauce is the gold standard. 

You can’t miss that opaque, shockingly vibrant orange color, but in case you do, the powerful smell will remind you of what you’re about to consume. Primarily made with cayenne pepper, vinegar, and garlic, it’s a rather simple Buffalo sauce recipe, but it stands out with its creaminess. Most of the Buffalo sauces I’ve tried, which is a fair amount, have a more vinegary profile and are much thinner. While I also adore that style of Buffalo, McDonald’s thick and creamy version is the ultimate dunking sauce.

To rank McDonald’s eight dipping sauces, I started by tasting a standalone drop of each sauce. Then I dunked some chicken McNuggets and french fries into each sauce to see how it complemented popular menu items. To determine the best I considered flavor balance, texture, and versatility. I factored in how the sauces enhanced the food, whether it stood out from store bought options, and if it was a specialized McDonald’s creation.

The top ranked sauces all have a well-balanced taste and were chosen for boldness and depth of flavor. These dipping sauces didn’t only taste good, but they made the food even better. The lower ranking sauces, while still delicious, were generally lacking in complexity. Some were a bit too sweet or had a less appealing consistency.