Kitchn Love Letters

I Make Jar After Jar of This Famous Sauce (It’s So Much Better than the Bottled One)

Kristina Razon
Kristina RazonDeputy Food Editor at The Kitchn
I’m the Deputy Food Editor at The Kitchn. Previously, I was an editor at Serious Eats for close to three years. Before that, I spent a decade cooking and baking in professional kitchens. My writing focuses on all things food — mostly dinners and desserts, fun cocktails, and hot tips.
published Apr 10, 2024
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Overhead shot of waffle fries, and a small white bowl of chick fil a sauce on a white dish with a blue rim. In the bottom left of the image theres a hand dipping a waffle fry into the sauce.
Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter

Like many of us, I have way too many condiments taking up valuable space in my fridge. There are always at least 3 bottles of dressing (two of which are likely ranch dressing), a gigantic squeeze bottle of ketchup, two kinds of mayo (Hellman’s and Kewpie), and several jars of chili crisp (plus many others I won’t bore you with here). That said, when Chick-fil-A debuted its signature sauce in stores, I immediately debated whether I needed one more condiment in my fridge. The answer was a resounding yes, but when I went to my nearby grocery store to pick it up, they were out — and they continued to be out of stock for weeks. 

Around the same time, culinary producer extraordinaire Rachel Perlmutter published her copycat recipe for Chick-fil-A sauce. I made it that day and was immediately hooked, and so were my husband and two kids. It uses condiments I already have on hand, tastes just like smoky honey mustard (in the best way!), and is pretty much indistinguishable from the original. Even better, I didn’t have to drop any cash to score some of my own. 

What Makes This Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce So Good

Five ingredients and five minutes are all you need to make this flavorful dipping sauce. Rachel calls for freshly squeezed lemon juice, mayonnaise, honey, barbecue sauce (preferably tomato-based), and yellow mustard. And I’m betting that many of you, like me, have all of these ingredients kicking around your kitchen. 

Why This Recipe Really Works

Beyond the handful of ingredients, the only “work” you have to do to make this sauce is juice half of a lemon and then whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl — that’s it. This copycat recipe hits the mark and tastes just like the original, which is great for those like me who don’t live anywhere near a Chick-fil-A (the closest one to me is sadly 30 miles away in a different state). 

Tips for Making Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce 

  • Double the sauce. The recipe makes 3/4 cup, but if you’re like me and my family, you’ll want your bites slathered in sauce. I recommend doubling the recipe, which is super easy to do. 
  • It’s great at room temperature or chilled. Rachel says you can serve it straight away or chill it for later, and I can confirm it’s great either way.