Chick Fil A Sauce (Copycat)

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Tangy, sweet, smoky, and deliciously creamy, this copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce recipe tastes just like the fast food favorite and comes together in 5 minutes. It’s perfect for drizzling on burgers, sandwiches and vegetables, and for dipping chicken nuggets, fries and more!

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve eaten at Chick-fil-A, a popular fast food chain in the United States. That’s in part because I didn’t grow up in the U.S., but it’s also because I try to avoid fast food in general. But when my daughter came home from a friend’s house one day and raved about the burgers and fries drizzled with Chick-fil-A sauce and could we pleeeeease go there soon, I did what I normally do: make a healthier homemade version. Like the time my kids had their first Baconator Fries at Wendy’s or Animal Style Fries at In-N-Out…yep, I recreated them at home and my kids thought I was the best mom ever. (I’ll gladly celebrate any time homemade beats the drive-thru!) And so I brought home a few packets Chick-fil-A sauce and went to work experimenting, tasting, and re-tasting to create the perfect copycat. And I think you’ll love the results as much as we do.

If you’re obsessed with Chick-fil-A Sauce and its signature combination of smoky barbecue and honey mustard flavors, you’re going to love this homemade version. With its blend of creamy, tangy, sweet, and smoky flavors, this copycat tastes remarkably close to the restaurant favorite and it’s made with just a handful of ingredients.

Whether you’re serving crispy chicken nuggets, waffle fries, burgers, sandwiches, or fresh veggies, this versatile dipping sauce makes just about everything more delicious. Best of all, it comes together in just 5 minutes, so you can skip the drive-thru and enjoy your favorite sauce anytime the craving hits!

Chick Fil A Sauce Ingredients

This sauce is made with pantry staples you likely already have on hand plus one non-staple ingredient that’s inexpensive and an absolute must. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Mayonnaise: This is the base ingredient for the sauce. Use a good store-bought brand or make your own, which is something I highly recommend. It only takes 5 minutes, is made with wholesome pantry staples, and tastes better than store-bought. Get my recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise.
• BBQ Sauce: Use a tomato-based BBQ sauce. Use your favorite brand (I recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s for a close flavor match to the original Chick-fil-A sauce) or make our homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe.
• Honey: This is for both sweetness and for its characteristic flavor. Substituting with sugar will give you the sweetness but not the key flavor.
• Mustard: Just regular yellow mustard. Ground dry mustard is not a good substitute because it lacks the needed flavor.
• Liquid Smoke: Absolutely essential to achieve that hallmark smoky flavor of Chick Fil A Sauce. You will not get that smoky flavor from the BBQ sauce alone and there are no good substitutions. It only costs around $2.00 for a 5 ounce bottle and it will last you a long time. I’m using Stubb’s Liquid Smoke but you can use any liquid smoke of your choice. How much you use will also depend on the brand you’re using. I use a teaspoon of Stubb’s and that’s just the right amount in my opinion to cut through the other ingredients. Whichever liquid smoke you use, I recommend starting with a little less, tasting, and adding more as desired.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This gives the sauce the needed acid to balance the flavors and also contributes a fruity element.
• Garlic Powder: For that dose of umami for flavor depth.

These ingredients in combination will create an absolutely delicious Chick Fil A Sauce copycat that you’re going to thoroughly enjoy!

Chick Fil A Sauce Recipe

Let’s get started!

To make this copycat Chick fil A sauce recipe, simply place all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir or whisk together until thoroughly combined. Taste it to see if you prefer it sweeter, tangier or smokier and adjust accordingly (i.e., honey, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke). Keep in mind though that the flavors will develop as the sauce sits, so you may want to wait a while until making adjustments.

Your Chick Fil A Sauce can be eaten immediately but its flavor will be much better after its flavors have had time to meld, so chill it for at least 4 hours before using.

Store it in the fridge in an airtight jar. It will keep for up to a week.

Serving Suggestions

This sauce is deliciously versatile. Here are a few ways to enjoy your copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce:

• Sandwich Spread: Use it as a spread for sandwiches, pulled pork, pulled chicken, burgers and hot dogs.
• Wraps or Quesadilla Sauce: Add some to your wraps, quesadillas, or burritos for added creaminess and flavor.
• Dipping Sauce: Dip chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mozzarella sticks, fried okra, oven baked French fries, Cajun fries, sweet potato fries, and baked potato wedges.
• Salad Dressing: Dilute with some buttermilk and drizzle it over your favorite greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other salad ingredients. You can also mix some into your Ranch dressing for a flavor twist.
• Chicken and Pasta Salads:  Add some to the base sauce of your chicken or pasta salads.
• Seafood Sauce: This pairs nicely with fried seafood like crab cakes, fish cakes, shrimp, or fish fillets.
• Baked Potatoes: Drizzle it over your baked potatoes or add it to the sour cream. See also my baked sweet potatoes.
• Sauce for Grilled Meats:  Drizzle it over steak, grilled chicken, pork chops or other grilled meats.
• Deviled Eggs: Mix it with the egg yolks for a tasty flavor variation.

Enjoy!

For more homemade condiments try my:

• Big Mac Sauce
• Yum Yum Sauce
• Honey Mustard Sauce
• Tartar Sauce
• Homemade Mayonnaise
• Sriracha Mayo
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Romesco Sauce
• Cocktail Sauce
• BBQ Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Ketchup
• Hoisin Sauce
• Adobo Sauce
• Tahini
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Curry Ketchup
• Kecap Manis