If you’ve ever had McDonald’s, then you know just how famous their BBQ sauce is. It gets everyone raving on social media, and the internet’s filled with recipes that promise to replicate the excellent taste but not quite getting it right. It makes you wonder exactly what they add, making everyone ask for more.
For one, the sauce is manufactured to cater to most people’s palates and is the perfect blend of sweet and sour with a hint of smoke. Big manufacturers have entire departments dedicated to food research, and the BBQ sauce everyone loves is a tried and tested formula designed to keep you hooked.
What Are the Ingredients in McDonald’s BBQ Sauce? Why Is It So Good?
According to the label on the sauce, the ingredients are glucose-fructose syrup, tomato puree, water, sugar, red wine vinegar, spirit vinegar, modified maize starch, salt, caramelized sugar syrup, rapeseed oil, and smoke flavorings, thickener (xanthan gum) and spices (containing allergen ingredient mustard). It’s also known for having chili peppers, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and sherry wine powder.
Knowing them doesn’t make it any easier to figure out the recipe, especially since we don’t see the number of ingredients added to get the perfect ratio. Even if many people claim to be able to get the taste at home, it usually isn’t quite right.
Who Makes McDonald’s BBQ Sauce?
As a prominent food manufacturer, McDonald’s makes its sauce which is then distributed to its stores in packed form. They have it made in their factories; otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to add smoke for the distinct BBQ flavor.
However, the recipe does come from the labs where food scientists work tirelessly to figure out the ratio that would appeal to the most people. The finished product you get in restaurants has only been released after rigorous testing.
Why Do So Many People Love McDonald’s BBQ Sauce?
The answer again lies in the fact that McDonald’s is a gigantic food retailer that has the means to put millions into research to make sure what they release sells well. The perfect sweet and sour taste appeals to the masses, paired with the trademark smokiness of BBQ sauces.
Hours of research led to the conclusion that people would love this sweet, tangy taste. The craze also comes with smart pairings. The BBQ sauce is most famous for its chicken nuggets, and while they’re delicious, they tend to have a slightly bland flavor.
The nuggets’ flatness and the flavor’s bursts from the sauce make the combination part of why it’s so well-liked.
And since BBQ sauce is already a popular dipping for chicken anyway, it’s no surprise that people scramble for an improved version of it.
Which Sauces Are Most Similar to the McDonald’s BBQ Sauce?
People all over the internet swear by different brands. However, most agree that the Sweet Baby Ray’s Original and the Heinz Original BBQ Sauce taste almost like the McDonald’s BBQ sauce.
While people have tried many brands on the market, none of them quite hit the mark for the perfect sweet and sour flavor the McDonald’s version has. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy others, though.
You’ll already have guessed from the long ingredient list, but it’s almost impossible to replicate the sauce at home altogether. That doesn’t mean you can’t come close, though; the internet is filled with dupes.
The portions aren’t listed, so other manufacturers don’t copy the recipe and start capitalizing on it. So, if you find any bulk options, you should be suspicious because McDonald’s ensures you don’t get their sauces anywhere else.
What Sauces Does McDonald’s Have?
There’s a long list of sauces from the famous brand, some discontinued and others still selling. First, there are classic condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, and tartar sauce.
Then comes the current famous eight on the market: sweet and sour, honey mustard, chipotle BBQ, tangy BBQ, spicy buffalo, sweet chili, hot mustard, creamy Habanero ranch, and their special sauce.
McDonald’s also releases limited edition sauces with high-profile collaborations with celebrities, like BTS. While other celebrity meals used the spices already on the menu, the BTS Meal introduced two Korean-inspired sauces; the Cajun sauce and Sweet Chilli sauce. Both are no longer available.
Others like the Szechuan sauce, which recently made a comeback. They have many famous options, and introducing new sauces is always an experience, and celebrity meals make people even more curious.
What is the Most Famous Dipping Sauce at McDonald’s?
The answer to this question is entirely subjective, but some polls indicate that the honey mustard and BBQ sauce are the best, especially with chicken nuggets. The creamy ranch is also a good favorite.
The BBQ sauce is also a fan favorite, enough for people to try to figure out its recipe. Other than that, preferences vary from person to person. All the sauces available today sell well enough to be kept on the roster, so it just comes down to preference.
The Szechuan Teriyaki sauce, for example, was brought back by demand after it was first released with Disney’s Mulan in 1998 and a few appearances in 2015. The zesty Italian, green chili salsa, mesquite BBQ, and teriyaki sauces are now discontinued.
What is McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Made of?
Another extremely popular sauce and a not quite well-kept secret is McDonald’s famous Big Mac sauce. It’s surprisingly easy to make; you whisk together a few simple ingredients.
According to the many people who have replicated the recipe, the sauce uses common ingredients to get the perfect taste: mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. It’s the ketchup that gives it the trademark pink color.
Some people think you can get the same taste with thousand island dressing, though the actual Big Mac sauce contains French dressing instead of ketchup.
It’s a balanced combination of sweet, sour, and creamy, and it’s no surprise that it’s so popular. Many people try to replicate famous sauces to make them at home, especially since McDonald’s sauces aren’t available in bulk. The best you can do is get a few extra with your nuggets.
FAQs
Can I Buy the McDonald’s BBQ Sauce Individually?
Unfortunately, the answer is that you probably can’t. The sauces that come with meals aren’t supposed to be sold separately.
While you can get up to four free sauces with your order depending on what it is, this also largely depends on where you’re buying from. Your server might add in a few extras if you’ve ordered a lot of food.
After that, you can get more for a small sum, though how many you’ll get is limited.
Can You Get the Big Mac Sauce With Fries?
It depends on what location you’re at but usually, yes, you can ask for the Big Mac sauce with your fries. The McDonald’s infamous sauce is just as known as their other dips, and you can ask for it with your order instead of the alternatives.
However, this rule might not apply to all the restaurants because some might feel obligated to have you get the pre-packed sauces. It depends on your server.
Does McDonald’s Charge for Their Sauces?
Yes, McDonald’s charges around 40 cents for each packet of dipping sauce. There was a time when they were free, but after 2010 they started selling them for a price.
It’s because not only were they making them part of the brand, it was probably too much of a loss for them if they gave out the sauces for free, especially since people liked them so much.
The development costs money, so it doesn’t make sense for them to take the loss when they could be making a profit.
Does McDonald’s Sell Bottled Sauces?
In 2017, news hit that McDonald’s was going to be selling their sauces in bottled form, but it seems to have been discontinued soon after. They had introduced at least three flavors; Big Mac, McChicken, and Filet-O-Fish.
They didn’t take off as much as they had hoped, or the McDonald’s sauce fever wasn’t at its peak yet, but they weren’t very popular. You don’t see bottled sauces at your local grocery store.
Which McDonald’s Sauces Are Vegan-Friendly?
The sweet chili, sweet and sour, and BBQ sauces are vegan. Some previous options, like tomato salsa and sweet curry, were vegan, but they’re not available now.
Make sure to ask the restaurant you’re at for the vegan options just in case because while the ingredients are listed on the packaging, there might not be an announcement.
Is the McDonald’s Signature Sauce the Same as the Big Mac Sauce?
Almost, but not quite. They make the sauce with ketchup, mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, and chopped onion as the main ingredients. That’s pretty close.
But the Big Mac sauce also uses French dressing and several other additions that aren’t in the signature version.
We hope you got the answers regarding the famous BBQ sauce you wanted!