30 Fast Food Sauces, Ranked Worst To Best

There are easily dozens (and dozens) of options when it comes to fast food. Once you've narrowed it down to your restaurant of choice, here comes another big decision — what to order. And now that you've made that decision, it's finally make-or-break time ... what kind of dipping sauce do you go with? Ranch, sweet and sour, barbeque, or some mysterious house specialty that contains who-knows-what? 

There are so many options that you might feel a little overwhelmed. Nearly every franchise has its own ranch sauce, but who has the best — or, more importantly, the worst? What about those perfect-for-everything, crave-worthy dips that have achieved near cult status? Don't fear, intrepid orderers. We've rounded up our most and least favorite fast food condiments, ranging from those loaded with horseradish to avocado to buttermilk. Whether you're just a casual dipper or an absolute sauce slatherer, we've found something for every nugget, fry, and pizza crust out there.

A pale imposter of Burger King's Zesty Sauce, White Castle's version just doesn't deliver. Sure, it has horseradish, tomato paste, and that ludicrously over-the-top orange shade that signals danger in nature, but it's still missing something. The tangy heat of horseradish shows up a few times on our list, with all of them scoring higher than this fairly insipid offering. 

For true zing, try the Dusseldorf Mustard or Hot Sauce on your sliders instead.

Taco Bell's Nacho Cheese Sauce lands near the end of our list, even though we've all probably eaten gallons of it in our lifetime. The problem with this dipper is that it's really the only non-hot sauce option at Taco Bell, which stinks if you're not into Tabasco or cheese. 

And since 2015, hardcore fans have noticed that it doesn't taste the same anymore because the recipe has changed. It's still good — it's just not good enough to be ranked any higher than this. 

Another outlier on this list, Nando's Lemon and Herb Peri-Peri Sauce gets a mention because not everyone is into serious sugar or spice. This entry has loads of flavor without bringing tears to your eyes or giving you dragon breath for days. 

Available at grocery stores or online as well as in-store, this extra mild (but still seriously tasty) sauce also makes a terrific marinade for all you lovers of citrus flavor over peppery heat.

BK's Zesty Sauce is pretty good, but not Horsey Sauce good. A dip made from a blend of horseradish and tomato paste (and Horsey Sauce contains no tomato), this version isn't overly spicy but still adds a nice kick to the brand's fries, onion rings (our favorite combo), or anything else you want to smear it on. 

While it doesn't work exceptionally well with chicken, the horseradish flavor tastes awfully good when added to a big beefy burger. 

Introduced in 1983 alongside the uber-adored McNuggets, McDonald's Sweet 'N Sour sauce was a huge hit right away and has managed to endure to this day. It's really quite sweet and lacking the expected sourness, but it still manages to be a pretty solid sauce that people love, likely because it's so familiar. 

Comforting without being cloying, it's reminiscent of Chinese sweet and sour sauces that have been modified for North American palates.

Chipotle's guacamole will cost you as an extra add-on but we think it's worth it, relatively speaking. If you're going to eat Tex-Mex, you might as well get the best, and Chipotle's guac is definitely the best you can get in a fast-casual restaurant. 

This stuff is thick and chunky, with just enough onion and lime to amp up the super creamy avocado base. Not only that, but the addition of jalapeño gives this much-loved addition a decent kick, too.

Another sauce that you can buy by the bottle, Panda Express Teriyaki Sauce is flavorful enough for adults but also mild enough for kids. Its rich and sweet taste makes it a great addition to your own stir-fries at home but also makes it a perfect choice for dipping the brand's spring rolls or crab rangoon into. 

Deeply caramelized flavor, with just enough saltiness and sesame overtones, makes this an excellent accompaniment to anything that needs a little upgrade.

Jollibee is a Filipino chain that serves up fried chicken, spaghetti, and peach hand pies, but don't even bother visiting if you're not planning to order the gravy. The only fast food gravy that we think is worthwhile (sorry, KFC), Jolibee's lushly thick and velvety condiment pairs perfectly with the fried chicken and fries. 

Sure, it's still fast food gravy, but it's probably the best out there —so get ready to dip and dunk to your heart's delight, licking your fingers the whole time.

Not just another hot sauce, Taco Bell's Fire Sauce is easily the best addition to your Mexican pizza or chalupa, hands down. You can go with either of the brand's two milder sauces but we thought they were both pretty bland, to be honest. Not much taste and even less heat. 

Go with the Diablo Sauce if you're more into punishment than flavor ... but for a perfect balance of tastiness and enough spice to remind you that you're alive, squeeze out some of that Fire Sauce.

Americans love their ranch dressing and this list is a testament to that. Wingstop Ranch has gained an enormous following because it's tasty, tangy, and super creamy. 

And you still crave it, even after it was revealed that the sauce is little more than mayo, buttermilk, and Hidden Valley seasoning. That should come as no surprise, though — Hidden Valley is your preferred dressing for veggies, so why shouldn't you slather it on crispy wings and fries too? 

One of the best-known sauces on the list, Arby's Horsey Sauce has been around forever (really since the 1970s, but that seems like forever to us) and continues to garner love and fanaticism from its adorers. 

Horseradish sauces aren't a rarity in the fast food world, sure. But Arby's Horsey Sauce is the best of the bunch, with a creamy mayo undertone that makes it a perfect pairing for roast beef and a surprisingly good addition to their chicken nuggets.

This little baby has been called Chick-fil-A's most underrated sauce, often being overshadowed by the brand's Polynesian sauce. Coming in second to the slightly better eponymous "sauce", the Sweet and Spicy Sriracha sauce is still leagues above the standard sweet and sour sauce. 

Less sugary sweet, it has a delectably tart plummy finish that makes it outstanding. While we feel that it could be spicier, it's still a terrific addition to anything dippable.

Our list was obviously inspired by the fact that no one can agree on the very best dipping sauce, but ranch did score super high in our survey. And this one might be the best of the best; it's like ranch with soul. 

Not only does it have the creaminess that you crave, but it also has a nice bit of kick and depth of flavor. Unfortunately, this particular dipper isn't available in all markets, so stock up if you're at a Popeye's on a road trip.

Raising Cane's started in Louisiana and then spread across the U.S., preaching the gospel of perfectly fried chicken that many people consider the best in the country. And the addition of the restaurant's only advertised sauce (others are available but unnecessary) slathered all over that crispy chicken is a match made in heaven. 

It's rumored to be a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic, black pepper, and Worcestershire — perfectly balanced and crave-worthy.

This came first on so many other lists that we were hard-pressed to disagree. If you've ever tried this Midwestern cheesy delight, then you'll know why it's a fan favorite. And if you've never had it, your first taste will make you wish that you'd tried it sooner. 

Made with real melted Wisconsin Cheddar, it's got all the flavor of real cheese and the luscious, warm dippability that you crave. Sharp and tangy with no nacho vibes at all, it's perfect for dipping anything and everything into. You should definitely order extra if you get the chance.