The 7 Best Sauces From Major Fast Food Restaurants, According To Customers

Sometimes fries or a burger need a friend. You know the kind: a flavorful buddy that comes in a packet or some vessel you can dip, dunk, or drench your fast food item in. Yep, we're talking about fast food sauces and which ones are absolute customer favorites. While there are plenty of fast food joints and loads of sauces to select from, not all of them are particularly memorable, enticing, or flavorful. 

We set out on a mission to find the best, and we are confident in the ones we found. They are sourced from various review platforms, including Facebook, Reddit, and Tasting Table, so you can get real-world insights into what makes them so magnificent. Life is too short for bland fast food; opt for any of these sauces on your next foray to the respective eatery, and your food will be all the better for it. From creamy spiced options to acidic, complex condiments, there is a range of flavor profiles to select from.

Ranch is a classic condiment you can find in grocery stores and fast food spots alike. There's really no shortage of options, but Popeyes' ranch stands out. Its Blackened Ranch Sauce is a major favorite among loyal customers, who say it is among the best dipping sauces you can get anywhere. People like to add it to the chicken sandwiches, but it is the perfect pick for the seasoned fries. Even those who say they don't typically like ranch can get behind this flavor-packed version. 

Some even consider it a sauce of legendary status, while others are creative in their application beyond Popeyes' range of offerings. Someone said they had a bunch and used them on homemade pizza, which was one of the best 'zas they'd had. The sauce ranked highly in a Tasting Table taste test of various Popeyes sauces for its complexity beyond a standard ranch. It has ingredients like garlic, paprika, mustard seed, and other spices to give it a tasty kick, while buttermilk gives it the classic milky tang you think of with ranch.

Raising Cane's is all about the Cane's Sauce. It's the brand's signature flavoring — although some people wish there were more condiments available. Every combo the fast food chain offers comes with the sauce as part of the deal, which basically says you're meant to eat your chicken and fries with the pink-hued creation. Over 200 people on Reddit agree that it's the most superior fast food dipping sauce you can get. One person even said that there's nothing quite as good to pair with the chicken tenders. 

Other folks say they've attempted the copycat recipe, but it isn't as good as buying it fresh from the chicken chain. Some say it's so good that they have to order more than one with their meal. Customers still speculate about what's in it, but it's probably better just to try it yourself directly from the source. It's made fresh each day and has a peppery, creamy taste that people seem to regard as amazing, so you likely won't be led astray. "[It's] one of the best things you'll ever put in your mouth," according to one Redditor.

Unlike Raising Cane's limited sauce collection, you can locate quite an array of options at Chick-fil-A. From sweet Polynesian to complex Barbecue, the chain offers a variety of sauce flavor profiles. However, the top one in our Chick-fil-A sauce ranking is none other than the eponymous Chick-fil-A Sauce. The chain wasn't particularly inventive with the name, but it still wins people's hearts. 

A Redditor also ranked it as their favorite. It's delightfully complex, often described as a combination of mayonnaise, honey mustard, and barbecue sauce. Fans say that it's not just the best at the chicken chain, but easily among the elite of all fast food spots. Generally, folks think it's almost "too good to be true," at least according to a Reddit thread saying as much. It pairs nicely with any chicken option from the menu but is especially good with the chain's infamous waffle fries because it drips into all the crevices. Next time you go, stock up so you can drizzle some on pizza, a unique suggestion backed by multiple people.

A Reddit thread asking which sauce is the most ideal to dunk nuggets in garnered over 100 comments, and the top pick was Mickey D's Hot Mustard. Plenty of folks agree that the spiced-up mustard is the top pick, not to be confused with honey mustard — which can rile some people up when they receive the incorrect sauce. Others share that the sauce has been a mainstay in their life since childhood, while some Redditors call it "god tier" or "grail status." So, clearly it not only has its fans, but they are fierce and loyal about their chosen condiment. 

Not just that, but the Hot Mustard ranked pretty high in our McDonald's dipping sauce review, where it was noted that it's like a spicy version of traditional mustard with a thick consistency but an overall balanced flavor. Others point out that it is delightfully mustard-forward with a hint of tang. This works well on McNuggets, of course, but you can easily add it to a burger or dunk your fries in it. Customers are such big fans that they will turn the car around to retrieve it when they notice the Hot Mustard is missing from their order.

Arby's has quite a sauce lineup, but one of its best is the Horsey Sauce. Some customers say it's one of the top-tier condiments in general, not just at the chain. It came in second place in a Tasting Table ranking, just after the barbecue sauce, where our writer was thoroughly impressed by its horseradish flavor. This, coupled with the wonderfully rich consistency, makes it a great option for all Arby's menu items. However, the creaminess helps round it out, so it doesn't feel too pungent or overpowering. It pairs perfectly with the classic Arby's roast beef sandwich, but any sandwich or wrap would be a great way to use it. 

Others call it the best that Arby's has to offer and say it pairs nicely with fries and a sandwich. Some say eating it with their roast beef sandwich is a thoroughly blissful experience, so there's no denying this is among the best fast food restaurant sauces available. If you like a strong horseradish, you are bound to enjoy this Arby's specialty. You can buy a bottle at grocery stores, but it has mixed reviews, with customers saying it's not worth the price or that it doesn't taste anything like the one you get from the chain itself. Stick to the real thing.

Next time you stop by the king of burgers, make sure to try the Zesty Sauce if it's not already on your radar, that is. It is described as a combination of tangy and creamy, with a kick from horseradish. There's also some tomato paste, vinegar, and lemon juice that add to the umami and acidic notes. Customers are major fans of the stuff. "Best sauce of the big four fast food burger places," one Redditor noted in a post dedicated entirely to the BK sauce. While some consider it underrated, it clearly has a loyal fanbase. Even those who don't patronize the chain very often say it is easily among the best sauces out there. 

The great thing about the sauce is its versatility, allowing you to drench just about anything in it. Customers seem to enjoy pairing it with anything from burgers to fries to the Original Chicken Sandwich. Your best pairing may very well be the onion rings, though. Some go so far as to say that any establishment that sells onion rings ought to have Zesty Sauce to pair with them, so people think it's a perfect match. "Zest is best!" wrote one fan. People love the sauce so much they hoard it to take home for random applications. Some say that Sweet Baby Ray's Secret Sauce is a grocery store copycat for the Zesty, if you want a bigger container to use at home.

You might go to Taco Bell for some affordable eats, but you should stay for the sauce. The Creamy Jalapeño Sauce is a highly praised option from the chain that lives up to its name. Over 150 people on Reddit agreed it's the best fast food sauce, with fans saying it makes the quesadilla even tastier, since it is included on most quesadillas. There's a lick of heat, but the dose of buttermilk creaminess offers a wonderful, slightly tart balance. Seasonings include garlic powder, minced onion as well as onion powder, chili powder, and paprika. Jalapeño, of course, makes an appearance, offering its signature vegetal heat. 

Others say they like to put the sauce on just about anything on the menu. Taco Bell makes it easy since you can buy a small container separately. But don't stop at just one little portion. "I used to go to a local [Taco Bell] and buy a bag. The bag is 30 ounces, and they would just ring me up for 30 sides of sauce," said one Creamy Jalapeño Sauce fan on Reddit. Others generally repeat the sentiment that they can't get enough of the stuff. We thought the sauce was pretty flavorful ourselves, with it placing well in a Taco Bell sauce ranking.

While many fast-food chains offer some type of condiment, we wanted to find the best among them. We sought out public reviews and testimonials about sauces to identify which ones are customer favorites; there needed to be consistent praise from multiple customers rather than a single die-hard fan online. We sourced reviews from websites like Facebook and Reddit, and we also consulted previous Tasting Table rankings in which our writers particularly enjoyed a certain sauce. We combined the findings to identify the top sauces by flavor.