A Definitive Ranking Of Fast Food Sauces

If your taste buds are anything like mine, then you know that no meal is complete without a sauce to accompany whatever you’re eating. This rings especially true for fast food meals. Chicken nuggets can’t be eaten dry, and fries need to be drenched in some sort of sauce. Even burgers, sandwiches, and tacos need some kind of sauce to make it the perfect bite. Fast food chains have come up with some iconic dipping sauces over the years: Chick-fil-A sauce, Raising Cane’s Cane Sauce, and McDonald’s sauces, to name a few. There’s so many delicious sauces that it’s hard to keep track. Here are the major fast food sauces, ranked from worst to best, based on flavors and dip-ability.

10. Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Sauce

Some may say that nacho cheese is not considered a sauce, but I have to disagree. Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Sauce is a sorry excuse for a nacho cheese. It almost tastes like plastic, giving the vibe of fake cheese. One Reddit user agreed, comparing the flavor to “gas station nacho cheese.” It’s honestly sad because nacho fries are so delicious, yet its cheese counterpart is so disappointing. Do better, Taco Bell.

9. Kentucky Fried Chicken Sauce

The best way I can describe KFC Sauce is a discount version of Chick-fil-A Sauce. But don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a bad tasting sauce. It’s savory yet tangy, which I actually enjoy. It’s just unnecessary. KFC chicken already has so much flavor that it doesn’t need an accompanying sauce. Plus, it tastes like every other fast food speciality sauce. Colonel Sanders has got to get more creative.

8. In-N-Out Burger Spread

Even though I personally haven’t tried In-N-Out Burger Spread (East Coast things), I’ve realized that people either really love or really hate it. It’s been compared to Thousand Island dressing, but with an added flavor of sweet pickle relish. To be honest, it just looks gross to me. I like a good amount of sauce, but I don’t want my entire burger and fries smothered in this pink sauce. TikToker Cian Abion is definitely a fan of their sauce, as he smothered his burger, flying dutchman, and fries in it. He noted that California In-N-Out tastes fresher than in other states, so maybe I need to give the burger spread a chance in Cali.

7. Taco Bell’s Diablo Sauce

In general, all of Taco Bell’s hot sauces are disappointing. The packets are so tiny that you need fistfuls of them just to get the tiniest bit of flavor. But the worst sauce is by far their Diablo sauce. Despite being advertised as their spiciest sauce, it lacks any real kick. It also lacks flavor, essentially adding nothing to your taco, burrito, or quesadilla. It’s useful if you’re looking to make your taco a little less dry, but don’t expect any flavor or spice. Taco Bell could do without this sauce.

6. Raising Cane’s Cane Sauce 

It’s important to note that I’m not the biggest fan of Raising Cane’s. The only menu item that I think is worth buying is the iconic Texas toast, with some Cane Sauce to go with it. There’s just something about Cane Sauce that makes it different from other fast food sauces. Maybe it’s the mixture of Worcestershire sauce and black pepper that gives it that kick that other sauces don’t have. It’s a shame that Cane’s chicken isn’t as good as its sauce. TikToker Lily Huynh describes Cane Sauce as both creamy and tangy with a hint of a peppery kick, which I’d say is accurate.

5. Shake Shack Shack Sauce

Like many of the other iconic fast food “secret sauces,” Shake Sauce is just a combination of different condiments. Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, some spices, and pickles blend together to make Shake Shack’s delicious Shack Sauce. As an avid pickle lover, I’m a huge fan of Shack Sauce. I think it’s one of the most underrated and forgotten sauces in the fast food universe. Shack Sauce deserves more recognition!

4. McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce

Even though it isn’t always available as a dipping sauce on the side, McDonald’s special sauce is among the best of the fast food sauces. If you’re an avid Big Mac eater (like myself), you’ve tasted this mystery sauce. Its blend of sweet, savory, and sour flavors makes the sauce taste similar to Thousand Island dressing, but also not the same at all. McDonald’s needs to start selling it as a dipping sauce at every location, because I would definitely dip my fries in it. TikToker Wayne Dang managed to get some Big Mac dipping sauces, and was literally left speechless. That’s how delicious it is.

3. Wingstop Ranch

Ranch alone is already a superior condiment, but Wingstop Ranch is on a whole different level. It’s made like any other ranch, using buttermilk, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning. But Wingstop must be adding some sort of secret ingredient to make it taste so much better than any other ranch. When I order Wingstop, I always have to order a large ranch. There can never be too much Wingstop ranch, and every restaurant should start using it. TikToker @fitwsis got seven ranch containers with her order, which I still don’t think is enough.

2. Chick-fil-A Sauce

Of course, Chick-fil-A’s iconic sauce deserves a top three spot. Its unique flavor, made with a combination of honey mustard, barbecue, and ranch, is the highlight of any Chick-fil-A meal. It’s important to specify that this ranking refers to the individual packets that you get at the restaurant, and not the bottle you can buy in the supermarket. The store bought version is simply just inferior. 

1. McDonald’s Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce 

Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce from McDonald’s puts all other fast food sauces to shame. It has a flavor unlike that of any other sauce. According to McDonald’s, the sauce combines apricot and peach flavors with other spices, giving it that slight tangy heat. In my opinion, the sauce tastes amazing with every single item on the menu: nuggets, fries, and even burgers. It adds a sweet kick to whatever you dip in it. McDonald’s, if you’re reading this, please start selling your Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce in bulk. I would buy it. 

• Fast Food
• Ranking
• Restaurant Review
• Sauce