Let’s be real – chicken nuggets are amazing, but the dipping sauce? That’s where the real magic happens! I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect nugget-sauce combo since forever, and today I’m gonna share what I’ve discovered about the most popular dipping sauces that make those crispy little chicken chunks sing. Whether you’re team McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, or homemade nuggets all the way, I’ve got you covered with the saucy details!
The Undisputed Champion: Honey Mustard
After reviewing tons of data and polls from major fast food chains, one sauce stands tall above the rest – honey mustard takes the crown as the most popular dipping sauce for chicken nuggets! According to customer surveys, a whopping 53% of people chose honey mustard as their absolute favorite nugget companion. It’s also the best-selling sauce at Chick-fil-A, which says a lot!
But why is honey mustard such a hit? There’s a few key reasons
- Perfect flavor balance: The sweetness from honey combined with the tanginess of mustard creates this amazing sweet-sour profile that complements the salty, savory taste of chicken nuggets
- Smooth, creamy texture: Good honey mustard has this luxurious consistency that coats each nugget perfectly
- Universal appeal: It’s familiar enough for kids but sophisticated enough for adults
- Versatility: Works great with nuggets, fries, tenders, and sandwiches too!
The Chick-fil-A version is particularly beloved for being thicker than other chains’ honey mustard and having a stronger honey flavor. It’s a bit syrupy, which means some dripping, but the taste is worth it! Their honey mustard has about 50 calories per tablespoon, with most calories coming from honey and sugar.
The Strong Contenders: Other Popular Nugget Sauces
While honey mustard might wear the crown, there are several other dipping sauces that have earned their place in the chicken nugget hall of fame
BBQ Sauce (20% popularity)
Coming in second place is barbecue sauce, with about 20% of nugget fans claiming it as their favorite. The sweet, tangy, and slightly smoky flavor makes it a reliable choice. McDonald’s Tangy BBQ sauce delivers on what a good BBQ sauce should be – sweet with a hint of smokiness. It’s consistently one of the top-selling sauces across most fast food chains.
Ranch (15% popularity)
Ranch dressing claims the third spot with 15% of chicken nugget lovers preferring this creamy, herbaceous option. The cool, creamy texture offers a nice contrast to hot, crispy nuggets. However, when specifically looking at Chick-fil-A’s Garden Herb Ranch, it ranked lower in taste tests due to its overly sour buttermilk flavor and lack of herb punch. With 140 calories per serving, it’s also one of the higher-calorie options.
Sweet and Sour Sauce (12% popularity)
About 12% of nugget fans prefer the fruity, tangy flavor of sweet and sour sauce. McDonald’s Sweet ‘N Sour sauce was one of their original four sauces when McNuggets launched in 1982, making it a nostalgic choice for many. However, in recent taste tests, some found it overly sweet, comparing it to applesauce due to its apricot and peach puree base.
Ketchup (10% popularity)
The classic tomato ketchup claims 10% of the vote. Simple, reliable, and always available, ketchup is arguably the world’s most popular dipping sauce in general. It’s a safe bet for picky eaters and kids, though more adventurous nugget eaters might find it a bit boring.
Other Notable Mentions (8% combined)
The remaining 8% of nugget enthusiasts prefer other sauces like:
- Buffalo sauce – adds a spicy kick (ranked #1 in McDonald’s sauce taste test)
- Chick-fil-A sauce – a cross between smoky BBQ and creamy honey mustard
- Polynesian sauce – Chick-fil-A’s unique sweet and sour option
- Pure honey – simple and sweet
- Spicy sauces like sriracha or chipotle crema
Fast Food Chain Favorites
Each major fast food chain has their own special sauces that customers love. Let’s check out some standouts:
McDonald’s Best Sauces (Ranked)
In a comprehensive taste test of all seven McDonald’s dipping sauces, here’s how they ranked from best to worst:
- Spicy Buffalo – Zingy with vibrant color and perfect consistency
- Honey Mustard – Sweet, mustardy, tangy, and savory
- Tangy BBQ – Sweet with a hint of smokiness
- Creamy Ranch – Sweeter than expected but decent
- Hot Mustard – Not very “hot” but decent mustard flavor
- Honey – Pure honey that makes nuggets taste like dessert
- Sweet ‘N Sour – Too sweet, fruity, and lacking sourness
Chick-fil-A Fan Favorites
Chick-fil-A offers several unique sauces that have developed cult followings:
- Chick-fil-A Sauce – Their signature sauce is a perfect blend of smoky barbecue and creamy honey mustard
- Polynesian Sauce – A unique sweet and sour option with sugar as the top ingredient (110 calories per serving)
- Honey Mustard – Thicker and honey-forward compared to other chains
- Garden Herb Ranch – Not as popular due to its sour buttermilk taste and weak herb flavor
Make Your Own Amazing Dipping Sauces!
Sometimes the best way to get the perfect sauce is to make it yourself! Here’s an easy homemade honey mustard recipe that’ll knock your socks off:
Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth
- Season with salt and pepper to your liking
- Let it sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend together
- Serve with hot chicken nuggets for dipping
- Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
The best part about making your own is you can adjust the honey-to-mustard ratio to get exactly the sweetness level you prefer!
Other Awesome Homemade Sauce Ideas
If you’re feeling adventurous, here are some other fantastic sauce recipes to try with your nuggets:
Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Just combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stir well, and enjoy!
Bang Bang Sauce
This creamy, spicy sauce adds a tangy, sweet kick to your nuggets and is super simple to make with mayo and chili sauce.
Lemon Pepper Sauce
For something different, try a bright, zesty lemon pepper sauce that cuts through the richness of fried nuggets.
Cilantro Lime Crema
Ready in just 5 minutes, this tangy Mexican-inspired sauce adds a fresh zing to your nugget game.
Pro Tips for Serving Chicken Nuggets with Sauce
Want to level up your nugget dipping experience? Here’s how:
- Have your sauces ready BEFORE your nuggets are done cooking so they can be dipped immediately while hot
- Provide enough sauce! About 2-3 tablespoons per 4-6 nuggets is a good rule of thumb
- Use individual ramekins or small bowls for each person’s sauce for easier dipping
- For kids, serve sauces on the side to prevent over-dipping disasters (we’ve all been there!)
- When reheating leftover nuggets and sauce, do it separately to keep the right texture
- Shake off excess sauce after dipping to prevent soggy nuggets (nobody likes a soggy nugget!)
- Offer a variety of sauces and let everyone pick their favorite – sauce tasting party, anyone?
Mix It Up: Sauce Combos You Gotta Try
Sometimes one sauce just isn’t enough! Here are some sauce combos that’ll blow your mind:
- Honey mustard + BBQ = sweet, tangy heaven
- Ranch + buffalo = cool and spicy perfection
- Sweet and sour + a dash of hot sauce = sweet heat delight
- Ketchup + mayo = quick “special sauce”
Final Thoughts: It’s All About Personal Preference
While honey mustard might be the statistical winner, the best sauce is ultimately whatever makes YOUR taste buds happy! Some people love the classics, while others prefer more adventurous flavors.
Me personally? I’m a honey mustard girl through and through, but I won’t say no to a good BBQ sauce either. My hubby is team buffalo all the way, and my kids are divided between sweet and sour and plain ketchup. We sometimes end up with like 5 different sauces on the table for one bag of nuggets – but that’s half the fun!
What’s your go-to nugget sauce? Have you tried making your own? I’d love to hear your thoughts and favorite combinations in the comments below!
Now if you’ll excuse me, all this sauce talk has made me hungry. I think it’s time for a nugget run!
FAQ: Your Burning Nugget Sauce Questions Answered
Q: What sauce is best with chicken nuggets?
A: While honey mustard is statistically most popular, the “best” sauce is subjective! Try BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, Dijon, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce to find your personal favorite.
Q: What is the most popular McNugget sauce?
A: Sweet ‘n sour sauce is one of McDonald’s most beloved options, being one of the original four sauces from the 1982 McNugget launch. However, in recent taste tests, Buffalo sauce and Honey Mustard ranked higher.
Q: What are the best dips for chicken nuggets beyond the classics?
A: Beyond the classics, try creamy sriracha sauce, sweet chili sauce, cilantro lime crema, Alabama white BBQ sauce, or Peruvian green sauce (Aji Verde) for exciting new flavors!
Q: How can I make chicken nuggets taste better?
A: The secret to better-tasting nuggets is all in the dipping sauce! Experiment with different sauces or make your own at home for a flavor upgrade. Don’t be afraid to mix sauces together for unique flavor combinations.
Six Delicious Dipping Sauces for Chicken TendersA variety of delicious sauces designed for dipping. All are simple and easy to make and require little, if no, cooking. There is something here for every taste!
- 1/2 cup (110g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup (30ml white wine vinegar
- 1/2 TBS spicy brown mustard (I used a grainy Dijon)
- 1/2 TBS creamy horseradish sauce
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Restaurant Ranch Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (55g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (30g) dairy sour cream
- 1/2 tsp dried dillweed
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried chives
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60ml to 80ml) buttermilk (or regular milk)
Honey Mustard Sauce:
- 1/2 cup (110g) of good quality mayonnaise
- 2 TBS prepared American Mustard
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS liquid honey
Bang Bang Sauce:
- 1/2 cup (110g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (61g) sweet chili sauce
- 1 to 2 TBS Sriracha Sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Spicy Honey Chipotle Sauce:
- 1/3 cup (73g) good quality mayonnaise
- 2 TBS your favorite BBQ Sauce
- 1 1/2 TBS runny honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp Santa Fe Chipotle Honey Spice (you can buy here)
- 1/2 tsp Maple Pepper (you can buy here) (optional but nice)
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup (64g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (61g) tomato ketchup
- 3 TBS white vinegar
- 2 TBS soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 1/2 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
- 2 TBS cold water
- few drops red food coloring (optional)
- The only sauce which needs cooking is the Sweet and Sour Sauce. To make this place the pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and chili flakes in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk well together.
- Bring just to a simmer. Whisk together the cornstarch (corn flour) and the cold water. Slowly whisk this into the ingredients in the saucepan.
- Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the food coloring if using.
- For all of the other sauces, simply whisk all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
- Store in the refrigerator in a covered container until ready to use. It is good to let the sauces chill for at least half an hour or so for the flavors to fully develop.
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Last month when I was with my sister to The Running Man, I picked up a box of Tempura Chicken Tenders. This is the closest thing we have to a Costco here in the Valley and my sister and I take a trip up to it about once a month or so. We hardly ever get into the city which is were our nearest Costco is.
In fact, since I moved back here in 2020, we have never been to the Costco in the city at all. We get pretty much everything we might want at either The Running Man or the Cambridge Convenience store in Cambridge. You can order things from Costco and the CCS will drive into the city and pick them up. They go in once a week. There is a $2 surcharge per item.
Anyways I had picked up this box of Chicken Tenders in a Tempura Batter. I decided to cook some of them today and thought it would be fun to make an assortment of sauces to enjoy with them. Of course I did not eat all of the sauces. (That would have been way too much.) I did enjoy a tiny bit of each however in minute quantities.
I made a Sweet & Sour, a Alabama White BBQ Sauce, a Spicy Honey Chipotle Sauce, Restaurant Ranch, Honey Mustard and Bang Bang Sauce. Some of them were new to me.
I have of course had the ranch, and the sweet and sour in the past. The Honey mustard was something I was also quite familiar with. The other three were something new and I have to say I enjoyed all of them.
- 1/2 cup (110g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (61g) sweet chili sauce
- 1 to 2 TBS Sriracha Sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup (64g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (61g) tomato ketchup
- 3 TBS white vinegar
- 2 TBS soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 1/2 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
- 2 TBS cold water
- few drops red food coloring (optional)
I use Hellmans mayonnaise for all of the sauces requiring mayonnaise and Heinz Ketchup for all of the ketchup requirements. I used Franks Sweet Chili Sauce. You can find rice wine vinegar in the oriental food section of most shops. Same with the soy sauce. I did use a few drops of red food coloring in the sweet and sour sauce.
- 1/3 cup (73g) good quality mayonnaise
- 2 TBS your favorite BBQ Sauce
- 1 1/2 TBS runny honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp Santa Fe Chipotle Honey Spice (you can buy here)
- 1/2 tsp Maple Pepper (you can buy here) (optional but nice)
- 1/2 cup (110g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup (30ml white wine vinegar
- 1/2 TBS spicy brown mustard (I used a grainy Dijon)
- 1/2 TBS creamy horseradish sauce
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
I used French Maille Dijon Mustard and I used Greek Honey. I did not have Spicy Brown Mustard as they dont have that here where I live, but the Grainy Dijon worked well. I didnt have any BBQ sauce so I kind of fudged together my own using ketchup, etc. The Santa Fe Chipotle Honey Spice is really nice. It has a smoky spicy flavor. I used regular creamed horseradish sauce. I love that stuff and could eat it with a spoon. I threw a bit of the Maple Pepper spice that I had gotten at the farmers market the other week just to use it and it worked
- 1/2 cup (110g) of good quality mayonnaise
- 2 TBS prepared American Mustard
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS liquid honey
- 1/4 cup (55g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (30g) dairy sour cream
- 1/2 tsp dried dillweed
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried chives
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60ml to 80ml) buttermilk (or regular milk)
I used Frenchs American Mustard. It is this mustard which gives a lovely color to the sauce. Again, Greek honey and French Dijon. This was an excellent Ranch dressing. You could use fresh herbs if you had them, but dried work very well. I liked that you didnt have to use buttermilk if you didnt have access to it, but if you do, do use it as it adds a nice tang!
I adapted all of the recipes that I shared here today from Platings and Pairings. She had over 20 sauces that she was sharing. I picked six that I thought we might all like. I did downsize all of the recipes by cutting them in half.
If I had to pick a favorite out of these sauces I would really be hard pressed to do so. Each has their own lovely qualities and is delicious in their own right. I think my overall favorite was the Spicy Honey Chipotle Sauce. It had a layer of almost Tex Mex flavor to it and I am really fond of Mexican flavors.
The Ranch Sauce is pretty amazing as well. So is the Bang Bang sauce. Actually they are pretty darned delicious, but dont take my word for that! Try them out for yourself!
The ingredients for any single sauce can very easily be doubled to make more. They all store very well in the refrigerator, covered for four to five days. I do not recommend freezing any of them.
If you are fond of dipping things into sauces, or drizzling sauces over things, here are a few more recipes that you might also enjoy!
SWEET AND SOUR PEANUT SAUCE – This was a wonderful mix of flavors and textures . . . sweet, tangy, creamy, spicy, rich and sour. In short perfection. If you like peanut sauce, you will love this sweet and sour version!
CHIP SHOP CURRY SAUCE – A very British sauce that you will see sold in chip shops all over the U.K. People love this on their chips, but it is actually delicious spooned over anything. Chicken cutlets, Fish, pork. Sausages. Its just a really tasty sauce. The curry in this is of a medium strength so not too hot, You can always vary that if you wish!
