Here's What Chick-Fil-A Sauce Is Really Made Of

The mere mention of Chick-fil-A sauce is enough to get grins and "mmm's" from fans of the chicken-centric fast food chain. The first time I went to Chick-fil-A, I made a Facebook post about it, describing how the fries were piping hot and crisp and the rather simple chicken sandwich was surprisingly delicious. The first comment I got was, "But did you try the Chick-fil-A sauce?" Alas, I had not, but I quickly learned it was a thing. 

Sweet, tangy, and a staple condiment for many, Chick-fil-A sauce tastes like a mix of barbecue sauce, mustard, and creamy mayo. The actual ingredients include oil, sugar, barbecue sauce, mustard, vinegars, egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt. The barbecue sauce and mustard include spices like onion, garlic, paprika, and turmeric, and the sauce also contains xanthan gum (a stabilizer) and calcium disodium EDTA (a preservative).

In 2012, Chick-fil-A shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the popular sauce was basically a combination of honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and ranch dressing. Although Chick-fil-A began in 1967 in Georgia, the sauce was created in 1980 at a franchise location in Virginia. The story goes that an employee accidentally combined the in-house barbecue and honey mustard sauces, much to the delight of the rest of the staff. Soon, local customers began asking for it. However, the sauce was not sold across all locations until 2008. Today, every Chick-fil-A is well-stocked with plenty of it, and giant containers of this popular fast food secret sauce are available at Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's Wholesale Club.

As with many beloved restaurant recipes and sauces, the internet is full of DIY recipes for Chick-fil-A sauce. While the company unveiled that the sauce is a mixture of barbecue sauce, honey mustard, and ranch, there are many dupes that don't precisely align with this formula. For example, most sources make their versions with core ingredients like mayo, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, honey, and lemon juice, with some adding a bit of extra spices like garlic powder or paprika. While you can see elements of Chick-fil-A's claim, there appear to be several ingredients absent from the ranch dressing side of the formula. To compare, Chick-fil-A's Garden Herb Ranch includes sour cream, buttermilk, and two kinds of onions, all of which are absent from Chick-fil-A sauce.

Of course, Chick-fil-A sauce was born to be served with Southern fried chicken, as well as chicken nuggets and tenders, but that isn't its exclusive use. You can use this flavorful, popular sauce (either a homemade batch or the company's own pre-made version) as a salad or slaw dressing, a sauce for potato salad, a marinade for chicken and pork, a sandwich spread, or a creamy mix-in for chicken salad. Any dish where you want a sweet, smoky, and tangy boost can benefit from Chick-fil-A sauce.