SaveThis Chick-fil-A sauce recipe is a homemade copycat of the sweet, smoky, tangy dipping sauce served with nuggets. You stir mayonnaise together with barbecue sauce, honey, yellow mustard and a squeeze of lemon. It’s ready in about five minutes, with no stove needed. It’s inspired by the restaurant’s sauce, not its official recipe. Below you’ll find why these ingredients work, how it compares with honey mustard and Cane’s sauce, and how to adjust it to taste.
What Is Chick-fil-A Sauce?
Chick-fil-A sauce is the restaurant chain’s signature dipping sauce. It tastes like a cross between honey mustard and a smoky barbecue sauce, with a creamy, mayonnaise-style base. Chick-fil-A publishes the bottled sauce’s ingredient list on its website. It includes soybean oil, sugar, vinegar, yellow mustard, egg yolk, tomato paste and natural smoke flavor. That explains the copycat formula: mayonnaise supplies the oil and egg, barbecue sauce brings tomato and smoke, and honey and mustard add sweetness and tang.
Chick-fil-A sauce vs. honey mustard and Cane’s sauce
| Chick-fil-A sauce (copycat) | Honey mustard | Cane’s sauce (copycat) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Mayo + BBQ sauce | Mayo + Dijon + honey | Mayo + ketchup |
| Flavor | Sweet, smoky, tangy | Sweet and sharp | Peppery, garlicky, savory |
| Key add-ins | Honey, yellow mustard, lemon | Lemon | Worcestershire, black pepper |
| Color | Golden orange | Pale gold | Pale orange |
If you prefer a sharper sauce without the smoky barbecue flavor, make our honey mustard sauce. For a peppery mayo-ketchup dip, try our copycat Raising Cane’s sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mayonnaise (1/2 cup): the creamy base. Full-fat mayonnaise gives the thickest sauce.
- Barbecue sauce (1/4 cup): smoky, sweet and tangy, with tomato for color. A sweet, smoky style works best. Check the label: some barbecue sauces contain alcohol, so choose one without it, or use our homemade honey BBQ sauce.
- Honey (3 tablespoons): sweetness and a glossy texture.
- Yellow mustard (2 tablespoons): tang and the classic golden color. It’s milder than Dijon.
- Lemon juice (1 teaspoon): a little brightness to balance the sweetness.
How to Make Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Stir. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, honey, yellow mustard and lemon juice until smooth and evenly colored.
- Taste and adjust. Add more honey for sweetness, more mustard for tang or a little more barbecue sauce for smokiness.
- Serve or chill. Serve it right away, or chill it covered and give it a stir before serving.
Make It Sweeter, Tangier or Smokier
Published copycats use very different proportions, so tune the sauce to your taste:
| You want | Change |
|---|---|
| Sweeter | Add honey, 1 teaspoon at a time |
| More tang | Add yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon at a time, or swap 1 tablespoon for Dijon |
| Smokier | Add 1 tablespoon more barbecue sauce |
| Creamier, milder | Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more mayonnaise |
Allergen and Label Notes
- Not for babies: do not give honey, or foods made with it, to children younger than 1 year old, as the CDC advises.
- Egg: mayonnaise usually contains egg, a major food allergen. Check your labels.
- Gluten: barbecue sauces vary; check the label if you avoid gluten.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Chick-fil-A sauce?
The bottled sauce’s published ingredients include soybean oil, sugar, vinegar, yellow mustard, egg yolk, tomato paste and natural smoke flavor. Copycat versions recreate that flavor with mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, honey and mustard.
Can I make it with just 3 ingredients?
Yes. Stir mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and honey together; you’ll lose some tang without the mustard and lemon.
How do I make a homemade nugget dipping sauce?
This recipe is one. Honey mustard and Cane’s-style sauce are two other easy options for chicken nuggets.
What barbecue sauce should I use?
A sweet, smoky barbecue sauce works best. Check the label and pick one without alcohol, or use a homemade honey BBQ sauce.
How should I store Chick-fil-A sauce?
Because it’s mayonnaise-based, keep it covered in the refrigerator at 40°F or below, and don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), as the CDC advises.
