McDonald’s recently announced that they’re bringing back their SZECHUAN DIPPING SAUCE . . . starting today. But you can only get it through the app, and only while supplies last, which might only be a few days.
The people at Uproxx.com taste-tested each of the sauces . . . on both chicken nuggets and fries . . . put out a definitive ranking of how they stack up. And here are the results:
1. Szechuan . . . If you haven’t had it, it is dominated by sweet notes, and isn’t spicy or hot. They say it leans more on “brown sugar and ginger flavors, almost Teriyaki-like, with a smoky after-taste.”
2. Spicy Buffalo . . . It’s the only actual “hot” sauce McDonald’s currently offers. They describe it as a cayenne pepper-forward flavor, with garlic and onion notes.
3. Sweet N’ Sour . . . It’s more sweet than sour. They describe it as apricot and plum with a brown sugar after-taste.
4. Hot Mustard . . . Again, not “hot” like you may think. Instead, it’s a heavily vinegar-forward flavor, with a sweet garlic finish. They say it’s a step down from the discontinued Honey Mustard sauce, which was sweeter and spicier.
5. Ketchup . . . Surely EVERYONE has had McDonald’s ketchup. They say it tastes almost exactly like Heinz, but it’s apparently a proprietary recipe.
6. Ranch . . . They weren’t fans, describing it as a sour-forward “cheap” taste . . . “more an approximation of ranch dressing than actual ranch dressing.”
7. Mustard . . . It’s a bit boring, and doesn’t have the complexity of a good mustard. It’s a little bit blunt and bitter, with a vinegar-dominant flavor.
8. Tangy BBQ . . . They call it, “legitimately,” the worst barbecue sauce they’ve had. It’s heavy on vinegar notes with a sweet tomato-forward flavor. And they add, “There are no traces of smoke here, it’s sugary sweet and bright with a tangy almost sour after taste. Truly the weirdest BBQ sauce ever.”
The last few fall a bit flat, so the site says it’s BAFFLING that they’ve had three superior sauces . . . Szechuan, Mighty Hot, and Honey Mustard . . . that are not regularly available, after being discontinued at some point.
