What Sauce Goes Best With McNuggets?

Does your McNuggets get even better when it’s dipped in your favorite sauce? Well, a solid sauce can bring more flavors and colors to lifeless nuggets. Though it is good on its own, it is even better when submerged in a yummy dip. Remember that sauce has weight and is powerful.

Tangy Barbecue is the best sauce that goes with McNuggets. It is universally amazing for many items on the menu like fries and burgers. Meanwhile, people also prefer the honey mustard sauce because it goes well with Big Mac.

Basically, McDonald’s offers six different sauces, namely: Honey, Tangy Barbecue Sauce, Sweet N’ Sour Sauce, Spicy Buffalo Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, and Creamy Ranch Sauce. So, if you are on a strict diet or you have a certain food allergy, you can learn more of this below.

mc-nuggets

Top 8 McNuggets Sauces and Their Ingredients

Before we go with the detailed caloric content and potential food allergy, you need to know first where these sauces are made of.

Creamy Ranch Sauce

Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Water, Cultured Low Fat Buttermilk, Distilled Vinegar, Sugar, Egg Yolk, Contains 2% Or Less: Sea Salt, Garlic Puree, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Modified Guar Gum, Black Pepper, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Yeast Extract, Salt, Parsley, Calcium Disodium Edta (protect Flavor).

The ranch has a less syrupy consistency and is thinner than other dips. It coats the nuggets well and has a strange, slightly spoilt flavor that compliments the nuggets.

Rating: 10/10

Honey mustard Sauce

Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Honey, Corn Syrup Solids, Egg Yolks, Contains 2% Or Less: Salt, Cellulose Gel, White Wine, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Turmeric And Paprika Extract (color), Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Yeast Extract, Cellulose Gum, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin.

McDonald’s honey mustard has a robust flavor that makes you come back for more. It has unidentifiable flecks of spices, but overall the sauce contains layered notes of salt, vinegar, and heat. It is more honey than mustard but still has that tangy peppery taste.

Rating: 9/10

Spicy Buffalo Sauce

Ingredients: Cayenne Pepper Sauce (cayenne Red Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic Powder), Water, Soybean Oil, Modified Food Starch, Xanthan Gum, Beet Juice (color), Salt, Natural Flavor, Garlic, Calcium Disodium Edta (to Protect Flavor).

For starters, it has a neon orange color and the smell can induce tears. The flavor can be described as spicy and tangy with subtle heat and pepperiness from cayenne. The texture is not too thin, not gelatinous, but is full enough to cover the crunchy boot-shaped McNugget.

Rating: 9.5/10

Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Apricot Puree Concentrate And/or Peach Puree Concentrate, Distilled Vinegar, Contains 2% Or Less: Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Salt, Modified Food Starch, Sherry Wine Powder, Dextrose, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Natural Flavors, Garlic Powder, Cellulose Gum, Dried Chili Peppers, Onion Powder, Caramel Color, Extractives Of Paprika (color).

This sauce has the color of caramel with a syrupy consistency. It has a fruity taste, thanks to its peach and apricot puree. There is something about the sweetness and the dip balanced with salt tenders of McNuggets.

Rating: 8/10

Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Tomato Paste, Red Wine Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Contains 2% Or Less: Modified Food Starch, Spices, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Cellulose Gum, Chili Peppers, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Onion Powder, Sherry Wine Powder, Natural Flavors.

Despite having tangy in its name, this sauce is definitely sweeter, rather tangier. The flavor of tomato and sugar are dominant, but there is a lingering smokiness that is mandatory for a real bbq sauce. As for me, I must say that it is too sugary for its packaging.

Rating: 9.5/10

Honey

Ingredients: Grade A Pure Honey

It is made of pure honey, just sweet. So if you are looking for a dip with no artificial sweetener or any chemicals, just stick with honey.

Since these dips have their distinct flavor, you can compare their caloric content and see which has the least calories and most calories, especially if you are on a low-carb diet.

NOTE: To begin with McNuggets contains 170 calories (4 pieces)

Ingredients: White Boneless Chicken, Water, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil), Enriched Flour (bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Bleached Wheat Flour, Yellow Corn Flour, Vegetable Starch (modified Corn, Wheat, Rice, Pea, Corn), Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Lactate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Spices, Yeast Extract, Lemon Juice Solids, Dextrose, Natural Flavors.

Food allergy: Wheat

DIPSNUMBER OF CALORIESFOOD ALLERGYBEST PAIRED WITH
Creamy Ranch SauceIt has 280 calories with McNuggets110 calories for the sauce aloneIt contains egg and milkIt goes well with nuggets, tenders, and chicken sandwiches.
Honey Mustard SauceIt has 220 calories with McNuggets50 calories for the sauce aloneIt contains eggIt goes well with chicken, grilled chicken, battered chicken, and all types of chicken. It’s like they are meant to be!
Spicy Buffalo SauceIt has 200 calories with McNuggets30 calories for the sauce aloneIt contains milkIt is best paired with chicken, tensers, and nuggets.
Sweet ‘N Sour SauceIt has 220 calories with McNuggets50 calories for the sauce aloneIt contains wheat and soyIt goes well with McNuggets and is fine with tenders too.
Tangy Barbecue SauceIt has 210 calories with McNuggets40 calories for the sauce aloneIt contains wheat and soyIt is best paired with burgers, fries, and chicken, anything where you want to add a dose of smokiness.
HoneyIt has 210 calories with McNuggets40 calories for the sauce aloneNo artificial flavor

Based on this table, the creamy ranch sauce has the most calories with 280, while the spicy buffalo sauce has the least calories with 200 calories. All the information listed was based on the McDonald’s Nutrition Calculator.

On the other hand, if you want to recreate some of their best dips, here is a recipe you can try at home:

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Source: Top Secret Sauces

Ingredients:

  • ¼ peach preserves
  • ¼ cup apricot preserves
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 5 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat, then add water, stir, and bring it to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for five minutes, then stir it often.
  3. When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Store the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can make about ¾ cup.

Tangy Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Source: Recipe Fairy

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of sweet baby rays bbq sauce
  • ⅓ cup Kraft original flavor bbq sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of corn syrup or white sugar

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl combine the 1/2 cup of Sweet Baby Rays and the 1/3 of a cup of Kraft original flavor BBQ sauce. Stir the sauces together to combine.
  2. Add the corn syrup or sugar and give the mixture another stir to mix it vigorously.
  3. Place your bowl in a microwave for 40 seconds on a medium to high setting. If you are using a pan, add the mixture and place it on medium heat, whilst continuously stirring until it begins to bubble slightly.
  4. Remove the bowl or pan and give your sauce a final stir
  5. Allow your sauce to cool for 15 minutes, then serve and enjoy.

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