Out of the seven sauces that Chick-fil-A provides to its customers, it has to be the same-titled condiment that most people associate with this fast food joint.
Altogether, Chick-fil-A offers its customers packets and pots of Garden Herb Ranch, Barbecue, Honey Mustard, Polynesian, Sweet and Spicy Sriracha, and Zesty Buffalo, along with its signature sauce.
The latter seems to be the most popular, and has been for the past 40 years.
If you have ever tried the Chick-fil-A sauce yourself, you will understand the hype behind it. It is creamy, spicy, sweet, andsour, with some smoky undertones to satisfy each and every taste bud.
How does one describe the flavor of Chick-fil-A sauce? Well, continue reading this article, and we will do our best to do so.
The History Of Chick-Fil-A Sauce
When Chick-fil-A founder, Hugh Fleming, opened his mall store 4 decades ago, the nation was going through a recession.
Business went as well as one would expect during this time, except they had one minor issue: they didn’t have any dipping sauces.
Dipping sauces may be overlooked when it comes to fast food, but in reality, this is the food that we use to dunk our fries in. It is what we use for our side items, because no one (or, not most people) want to eat their sides dry.
Fleming came to the realization that they needed to provide some dipping sauces, and they needed to do so pronto.
When Fleming realized this, he quickly prepared a special honey mustard dressing that he had previously made numerous times and offered it to his clients.
This condiment gained enormous popularity over time among both consumers and employees. The sauce was initially prepared and served in cups before being added to sauce pumps so that consumers could assist themselves.
One day, while eating a side of the homemade honey mustard concoction, a specific Chick-fil-A employee unintentionally added some barbecue sauce to the dish.
As it turned out, this accidental inclusion made the already popular sauce even more delectable, which prompted Fleming to incorporate barbecue sauce into his recipe.
Suddenly, the homemade sauce gained more and more popularity with each passing day. Customers began requesting to buy the sauce alone, without even purchasing a meal to go with it.
Customers ‘offered to buy it by the gallon’, according to Fleming.
We now know this sauce to be the renowned signature Chick-fil-A Sauce. What once started as a straightforward honey mustard recipe that accidentally included barbecue sauce evolved into one of the fast food joint’s most popular food items.
What Does Chick-Fil-A Sauce Taste Like?
If you have never tried the Chick-fil-A sauce before, but you just read the previous segment of this article, you may assume what the condiment tastes like: honey mustard with a smudge of barbecue sauce stirred into the mix.
You would be correct to assume so. This is a creamy, orange-colored sauce packed with flavors of sweet and sour, with a tangy yet smoky aftertaste.
The sauce today often contains some ranch seasoning, mustard, garlic, onion, and even a little sugar, which all add to the overall flavor.
It may seem strange to someone who has never tried this condiment to combine all these flavors, but, somehow, it works perfectly.
The texture is thick and creamy, similar to mayonnaise. The color is closer to the hue of honey mustard, although it has a slightly brighter, more orange appearance, which is likely down to the addition of darker ingredients, such as the barbecue sauce.
The flavor of the condiment is almost impossible to describe in a few words.
All the flavors of honey mustard, barbecue sauce, ranch, mayonnaise, and mustard can all be detected within it, yet they all merge together to create an entirely unique taste that works so well.
It’s the perfect sauce for anyone who can’t decide on just one of their favorite dipping sauces!
How To Use Chick-Fil-A Sauce
Chick-fil-A sauce typically comes packaged in a small pot, just like all other dipping sauces available at most fast food restaurants.
When acquired in this form, most customers use it to dip their waffle fries. Some like to pour it onto their chosen chicken burger for extra flavor.
The dipping pots could also be saved for a later meal, being used to dip any kind of side into, such as fries, onion rings, or even veggie sticks, such as celery or carrots.
You can also acquire packets of the sauce, which is a lot easier to apply to burgers since you can squirt it straight on. You can also use packets to squirt the sauce onto your waffle fries, or other side dishes, instead of dipping.
Avid fans of the Chick-fil-A sauce will likely already know that you can actually purchase 16-ounce bottles of the condiment from the fast food joint.
You can also find these bottles at retail stores such as Walmart, Target, and Publix. By owning a large bottle of the creamy orange stuff, the possibilities are endless.
How To Make Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce
There are countless copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce recipes to be found on the internet, and the majority of them follow similar processes.
So, if you don’t feel like leaving the house, but you’re craving some of that tasty sauce, you could always just make it at home!
The ingredients are always the same, for most of these copycat recipes:
Honey
Dijon mustard
Barbecue sauce
Mayonnaise
Some recipes ask that you add some vinegar, lemon juice, and/or ranch dressing or seasoning, but if you ask us, you can create a pretty realistic copycat version of the sauce by simply using the four condiments listed above.
The ratio for the ingredients typically used for the sauce is 42:26:16:16, with almost half of the sauce (42%) being made up of Dijon mustard. The rest is made up of 26% mayonnaise, 16% barbecue sauce, and 16% honey.
The process couldn’t be more simple: all you have to do is add all the ingredients into a bowl, and stir until they’re all fully incorporated. Then, you can start dipping to your heart’s content!
Final Thoughts
Created through blending some of the most popular dipping sauces across the world, the Chick-fil-A sauce gives off flavors that are almost impossible to describe.
This incredible condiment is smoky like barbecue sauce, tangy like honey mustard, and has the same consistency as mayonnaise or ranch, while the coloring is very similar to mustard.
The reasoning behind this is, of course, each of these sauces have been used to create the Chick-fil-A signature sauce.
If you’ve never tried this delicacy for yourself, we highly recommend that you do so. Go grab a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich meal today, and don’t forget to ask for extra dipping sauce… or a 16-ounce bottle.
Some recipes ask that you add some vinegar, lemon juice, and/or ranch dressing or seasoning, but if you ask us, you can create a pretty realistic copycat version of the sauce by simply using the four condiments listed above.
The ratio for the ingredients typically used for the sauce is 42:26:16:16, with almost half of the sauce (42%) being made up of Dijon mustard. The rest is made up of 26% mayonnaise, 16% barbecue sauce, and 16% honey.
The process couldn’t be more simple: all you have to do is add all the ingredients into a bowl, and stir until they’re all fully incorporated. Then, you can start dipping to your heart’s content!
Hi, I’m Aubrey, and I have been a chef for close to 8 years. Cooking has always been a passion of mine, as long as I can remember. I loved my play kitchen when I was a kid, and would offer my parents my own (albeit gross) cookie recipes to taste!
Here at ButterandSaltGatherings, I want to offer a wide range of ingredients, flavors, meals and recipes so that you can start living each day to the fullest, and enjoy only the best food.
