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I Tried All Chick-fil-A Sauces and Ranked Them

Great chicken tastes even better when it’s paired with the perfect sauce. Since Chick-fil-A knows how to do chicken right, there’s no surprise that they also offer a delicious and diverse assortment of dipping sauces.

Whether you prefer something sweet, savory, or spicy, there’s a sauce at Chick-fil-A that will make your taste buds sing.

Chick-fil-A offers eight dipping sauces to compliment your favorite meal. These sauces include unique takes on classic options as well as a few signature creations.

Some of Chick-fil-A’s popular sauces are also available in 8 oz or 16 oz containers to purchase at grocery stores.

I tried every Chick-fil-A sauce on the menu and ranked them according to their flavor, versatility, and overall enjoyment.

I’ve also put together the table below for a quick comparison of the calories in each sauce.

Chick-fil-A SauceCalories (Per Serving)
Chick-fil-A Sauce140
Garden Herb Ranch Sauce140
Polynesian Sauce110
Honey Roasted BBQ60
Honey Mustard Sauce50
Barbeque Sauce45
Sriracha Sauce45
Zesty Buffalo Sauce25
Calories in Chick-fil-A Sauces

While I’m always attentive to the calories in my food, other important factors need to be considered when determining which sauces are the best.

Read on for a more in-depth look at each Chick-fil-A sauce!

8. Zesty Buffalo Sauce

If you’re a fan of Buffalo sauce, you’ll probably like the Chick-fil-A version.

The Zesty Buffalo sauce has a bold flavor that those who enjoy some spice will appreciate.

It’s also smooth and pairs well with chicken nuggets.

While this sauce is tasty, it’s not as versatile as some other Chick-fil-A sauces.

The heat may not be well suited for everyone, but anyone who likes Buffalo sauce will likely enjoy this version.

The Chick-fil-A Zesty Buffalo sauce is made with the following ingredients:

  • Water
  • Cayenne Red Pepper
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Soybean Oil
  • Salt
  • Egg Yolk
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Dehydrated Garlic
  • Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate
  • Propylene Glycol Alginate
  • Whey Protein Concentrate
  • Natural Flavor
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA
  • Annatto and Turmeric

The Zesty Buffalo sauce contains eggs and milk, which is not vegan-friendly.

However, it has the least calories of all Chick-fil-A sauces, containing only 25 calories per 1 oz serving.

7. Garden Herb Ranch Sauce

Chick-fil-A’s take on a classic ranch sauce adds fresh flavors to the mix.

What starts as a creamy buttermilk sauce is accentuated with the flavors of garlic, onion, and herbs.

Chick-fil-A’s Garden Herb Ranch sauce contains the following ingredients:

  • Soybean Oil
  • Buttermilk
  • Water
  • Sour Cream
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Egg Yolk
  • Salt
  • Garlic
  • Sugar
  • Buttermilk Powder
  • Glucono Delta Lactone
  • Dehydrated Onion
  • Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate
  • Mustard Seed
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Spice
  • Green Onion
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA

The Garden Herb Ranch sauce is not vegan.

In addition, it contains eggs and milk, which don’t fit a vegan diet.

It also has one of the highest calorie counts of all Chick-fil-A sauces, at 140 calories per 1 oz serving.

6. Honey Roasted BBQ

The Honey Roasted BBQ sauce is specially made for Chick-fil-A’s grilled chicken.

It has a sweet and smoky taste, which is a delicious take on barbeque.

This sauce has been most closely compared to the Chick-fil-A sauce, though its smoky flavor shines through more without buttermilk.

While the exact ingredients of this sauce aren’t listed on the Chick-fil-A website, many copycat recipes help give us an idea.

The list of ingredients generally includes the following:

  • Tomato paste
  • Honey
  • Brown Sugar
  • Vinegar
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Cayenne Pepper

The Honey Roasted BBQ sauce comes in 0.43 oz packets rather than the usual 1 oz containers and has 60 calories per packet.

This sauce is vegetarian, though not vegan, since it contains eggs.

5. Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Sauce

When it comes to the Sweet and Spicy Sriracha sauce, the name says it all.

It has heat and a tasty sweetness, which are perfectly offset by a rice vinegar tang.

This sauce pairs well with chicken nuggets and can be used to add a fun accent to your chicken burger.

It’s also a great choice for anyone who likes trying something new.

You’ll find the following ingredients in the Sweet & Spicy Sriracha sauce:

  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Red Jalapeno Peppers
  • Chili Garlic Sauce
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Soy Sauce
  • Modified Cornstarch
  • Cayenne Red Pepper
  • Salt
  • Ginger
  • Spice
  • Acetic Acid
  • Dehydrated Garlic
  • Dehydrated Red Pepper
  • Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Citric Acid
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA

The Sweet & Spicy Sriracha sauce is both vegan and vegetarian friendly.

However, it does contain the common allergens of soy and wheat.

Each 1 oz serving of the Sweet & Spicy Sriracha sauce contains 45 calories, putting it on the lower end of all Chick-fil-A sauces.

4. Barbeque Sauce

You can’t go wrong in pairing chicken with barbeque, and Chick-fil-A made sure that their barbeque sauce was up to par.

Seasoned with spices, onion, and garlic, this sauce has a rich and bold flavor that pairs great with chicken nuggets, chicken burgers, and anything else you want to dip into it.

The Chick-fil-A Barbeque sauce contains the following ingredients:

  • Water
  • Tomato Paste
  • Sugar
  • Brown Sugar
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Corn Syrup Solids
  • Corn Syrup
  • Pineapple Juice Concentrate
  • Salt
  • Modified Cornstarch
  • Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate
  • Caramel
  • Natural Flavor (Including Smoke Flavor)
  • Spice
  • Dehydrated Garlic
  • Dehydrated Onion

Although this barbecue has all the classic staples, its unique flavor comes from the rich brown sugar and the fruity pineapple juice concentrate.

It has a perfect balance of sweetness, smokiness, and spiciness and is created tastefully to pair with chicken.

This sauce is both vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

It also contains no common allergens, making it a great option for anyone who loves barbeque.

3. Polynesian Sauce

The Polynesian sauce is one of Chick-fil-A’s most popular dipping sauces.

It has a sweet and sour flavor that pairs wonderfully with chicken.

A combination of sugar and vinegar is used to create the unique flavor of this sauce.

Although it’s similar to other sweet and sour sauces, the Polynesian sauce has a richness reminiscent of molasses.

The following ingredients are found in Chick-fil-A’s Polynesian sauce:

  • Sugar
  • Soybean oil  
  • Water
  • Corn Syrup
  • Corn Cider Vinegar
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Tomato Paste
  • Salt
  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Paprika
  • Mustard Seed
  • Beet Juice (For Color)
  • Onion
  • Natural Flavor
  • Garlic
  • Propylene Glycol Alginate
  • Xanthan Gum

Along with its appealing flavor, this sauce is also vegan and doesn’t contain any common allergens.

Each 1 oz serving of Polynesian sauce contains 110 calories, which is on the higher end of all Chick-fil-A sauces but arguably well worth it.

The Polynesian sauce is a great choice for chicken nuggets, but it also pairs well with waffle fries and some of the fan-favorite chicken sandwiches.

In addition, the Polynesian sauce is sold in 8 oz and 16 oz bottles at many retailers, making it a great option for pairing with shrimp, fish, or pork when cooking at home.

2. Honey Mustard Sauce

Honey Mustard has a way of enhancing the taste of chicken, and I’m all about Chick-fil-A’s Honey Mustard sauce.

It has a forward flavor with a perfect balance of vinegar, spices, and sweet honey.

The Chick-fil-A Honey Mustard sauce contains the following ingredients:

  • Water
  • Honey
  • Sugar
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Mustard Seed
  • Salt
  • Dehydrated Garlic
  • Spices
  • Soybean Oil
  • Turmeric
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dehydrated Onion
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Guar Gum
  • Molasses
  • Corn Syrup
  • Caramel
  • Tamarind

There are no common allergens in Chick-fil-A’s Honey Mustard sauce, and it is also vegetarian and vegan.

Each 1 oz serving contains 50 calories, but if you’re like us, you may want several packets to dip your nuggets, fries, burgers, and just about anything else you can order from Chick-fil-A.

1. Chick-fil-A Sauce

The restaurant’s signature sauce (and my favorite sauce at Chick-fil-A) is a combination of three popular flavors – Honey Mustard, Barbeque, and Ranch.

A favorite since the 1980s, the recipe for the Chick-fil-A sauce was created accidentally, then reworked several times to get it right.

This sauce is creamy and sweet but also smoky with a bit of vinegar tang.

It’s unconventional yet tasty, and it goes great with chicken nuggets and waffle fries.

The ingredients found in the Chick-fil-A sauce include the following:

  • Soybean oil
  • Sugar
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Water
  • Mustard
  • Distilled Vinegar
  • Egg yolk
  • Salt
  • Cider vinegar
  • Lemon juice concentrate
  • Mustard flour
  • Xanthan gum
  • Natural flavor
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Calcium disodium EDTA

The included egg yolk means that Chick-fil-A sauce is not vegan.

However, eggs are the only common allergen found in the Chick-fil-A sauce, so anyone who’s okay with a bit of egg will be able to enjoy it.

Each 1 oz serving of Chick-fil-A sauce has 140 calories, making it one of the highest-calorie options available.

Buying 8 oz bottles of this sauce is a great way to reduce (or increase) your desired serving size! 

Conclusion

Whether you like to stick with the classics or enjoy trying something new, Chick-fil-A has a sauce to suit your dipping style.

From a fresh take on the ranch to spicy buffalo and zesty honey mustard, you can’t go wrong with the classics.

However, when it comes to versatility, I just can’t get enough of dipping my chicken and waffle fries in the creamy signature Chick-fil-A sauce!

For more information about Chick-fil-A, check out the articles below.

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Last Updated: January 25, 2023

About the Author

Lana Kisner is a writer on the Shopfood.com team with more than 15 years of experience in the food service industry.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, listening to live music, and hiking with her dog.