Are you in love with Popeyes’ famous fried chicken but need the right dipping among Popeyes sauces to wash it down with? Do you want a name for your favorite future condiment? Or maybe you can’t decide which sauce you want to try? Well, in any case, we got you covered!
We’ll help you decide the sauce you should choose. So, chill out and read on! Maybe you’ll decide on multiple sauces that suit your fancy, or perhaps choose one and order multiple of those! The possibilities are unlimited, so let’s get started!
So What are the Best Popeyes Sauces in 2023?
Popeyes Louisiana has many sauces: 11 sauces, of which 9 are signature sauces, and 2 are additional sauces. Wow! So many sauces to try and enjoy, so what’s the best to order?
First, I’ll explain each sauce and rank them according to what they go with, such as nuggets, fries, or chicken tenders!
Now, let’s get busy on our saucy adventure!
1- Popeyes Sweet Heat Sauce
Okay, starting with my favorite Popeyes sauce is the sweet heat sauce. Not only is it spicy, but sweet at the same time! Two of my favorite flavors! Popeyes’ sweet heat sauce tastes much better compared to other restaurants.
When you taste the sauce for the first time, you’re greeted with an intensely sweet taste on your tongue. It’s similar to a sweet and sour soup. Then after the sweetness has subsided, your tongue is set ablaze by the spicy peppers.
The texture also differs from other sauces, giving it more uniqueness (I love it).
The sensation is matchless, and when you pair it with anything else on the menu, it turns five stars into 10! If you want to pair it with fries, go ahead.
It’s tasty for sure, but in my opinion, with tenders, it shines! Especially if you order mild tenders, but don’t take my word for it, try it!
2- Wild Honey Mustard sauce
If you’ve ever eaten a standard honey mustard sauce, you’ll know that it’s not spicy; that’s what sets the wild honey mustard sauce apart. It’s spicy, so if you want to turn up the heat (always), this is the sauce for you!
It has a strong but sweet flavor of mustard that you’ll notice as soon as you put it in your mouth. It’s made from a creamy blend of crushed mustard grains and horseradish. The aftertaste following the strong taste of mustard is the profound sweetness.
This terrific sauce is not packed with sugar; instead, it relies on the combo of different flavors, such as the earthiness of the mustard, making it unique.
Did you know that this sauce started as a temporary promo, but the fans liked it so much that Popeyes permanently added it to the menu?
No matter what you eat, it’s super tasty, but don’t forget to pair it with something spicy, like a spicy chicken tender, and you’ll have a magical combination!
3- Popeyes Blackened Ranch Sauce
The regular ranch is so bland, isn’t it? It’s creamy, buttery, and sour, but it lacks something in my eyes; you could say it lacks a “punch.” Blackened ranch destroys all the stereotypes about regular ranch sauce!
It introduces so many flavors, a wild mix of butter, garlic, and onion, which combine to give you the much-desired “punch” I told you about! After that, you’re greeted with a black pepper aftertaste which provides it with earthiness.
On the market, the Blackened ranch is so loved; it’s the best-selling Popeyes sauce! It’s even famous in other restaurants, but if you ask me, Popeye’s Blackened ranch is the best!
I like pairing it up with chicken tenders, but that’s only because I love chicken! You can also try pairing it with fries; I think they taste better. You could try combining the two; that’s what my friend always does (though I like them separately).
4- Popeyes Mardi Gras Mustard Sauce
Next up, we have the sauce named after a festival called Mardi gras. Although I appreciate wild honey mustard sauce, this sauce is tastier and much more enjoyable compared to that! It’s different from regular honey mustard, containing dotted ground mustard seeds.
This sauce also has a sweet aftertaste following the earthy taste of the mustard. I cherish this sauce because it is sweet but spicy, like wild honey mustard. It’s a delicious sauce that’s a fan favorite!
When you give it a try to taste it for the first time, you get a taste of horseradish sauce with hints of mustard. The sweet and spicy nature makes it perfect for eating with any chicken products. I like to eat this sauce with chicken strips! It’s divine!
5- Popeyes Simple Honey Sauce
Next up, you can get a simple sauce for free with any order. It’s honey sauce by Popeyes.
It’s not actual honey, but made from cornstarch and sugar; oh! It tastes so good! It’s the perfect sauce for your budget, and you can have it with Popeyes biscuits.
Many say it’s healthy and low in calories but sugar, so I don’t know the truth about such claims. If you mix a bit of it with butter and eat it in combination with biscuits, you’ll have a delicious treat!
The combo of earthy sweetness combined with the saltiness of chicken is a classic pairing.
Did you know that most other sauces are variations of this classic pair?
I know, right?
Fascinating!
You can even have it with spicy chicken tenders. The sweetness of the honey sauce and the taste of spicy chicken tenders will rock your taste buds!
6- Popeyes BoldBQ Sauce
The sauce’s name is very creative, not the taste, though. This sauce tastes like a regular BBQ sauce, and it’s nothing special.
That doesn’t mean it’s terrible! If you think BBQ sauce is tasty, then you’ll treasure it. The sweet and smoky flavor is good, especially with some chicken!
This sauce smells too much like vinegar; that’s the only thing I don’t like about it; it stings, honestly. That’s why people don’t like it too much. The taste of vinegar and tomatoes hides the smokiness in the flavor, making it taste like ketchup!
I would say the best dish to have is this sauce with fries. You must be thinking that’s crazy!
Why wouldn’t you have BBQ sauce with chicken? This sauce tastes like ketchup, and BBQ sauce tastes better when cooked into the chicken.
7- Popeyes Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce is standard at fish restaurants as it goes great with fish. Popeyes is best known for its chicken; it offers fish, too, that’s why this sauce is on the menu. It goes great with anything, not just fish!
People add it to their hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and even fries, and, of course, you can eat it with chicken.
It’s made with mayo, horseradish, sugar, sweet pickle radish, salt, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice (or lime juice).
The taste of the Tartar sauce is moderately sweet with hints of sourness and spiciness. It’s a mayo-based sauce (mayo goes great with fish), which makes it super creamy and tasty, but that also means it’s pretty calorie-dense.
You can also try it with Popeyes Popcorn shrimp. Honestly, this sauce goes great with almost anything!
8- Popeyes Creole Cocktail Sauce
Creole Cocktail sauce is pretty exotic. It’s got a sweet, tangy taste to it. It’s unique, and the color is red.
You can confuse it with ketchup, but the taste is entirely different! It’s red because it’s tomato-based and contains horseradish, lemon juice, and red pepper.
The ingredients are tasty, which makes this sauce super delicious too. When you take a bite of this sauce, you’ll notice that it’s sweet but less than the other sauces on Popeyes’ menu. Besides this, it’s a little spicy, too; this sets it apart from ketchup and makes it super tasty.
The sweet tanginess is unique to this, and you don’t know if you’ll like it until you try it! It’s not like other cocktail sauces, it’s milder, and the color is entirely different. This makes it exotic and makes more people want to try it.
It goes great with chicken, but it’ll stand out with fries. That’s just my opinion, and maybe you’ll appreciate it with chicken or fish!
10- Bayou Buffalo Sauce
Next up is a peppery delight. This sauce is like hot sauce but with butter, celery, and Cajun seasonings. In addition to being available on the standard menu, it’s also on the kid’s menu of Popeyes.
It contains a few spices, but they’re all so balanced that their combination is perfect. Once you put it on your tongue, the burst of flavor has you hooked! It has a rich orange color, and the aroma is slightly sour.
You can have this sauce with chicken wings and nuggets, even fish, but the best pairing is with chicken tenders and fries. It’ll leave you craving for more!
11- Popeyes Buttermilk Ranch Sauce
It’s the best dipping for people who love creamy sauces with their chicken or fries. This sauce has buttermilk and mayo as the main ingredients. This makes it the most calorie-filled sauce on Popeyes’ menu. If you notice, it’s similar to the Blackened ranch.
The only difference is that blackened ranch dressing contains additional ingredients that make it spicier. You’re hit with a creamy and thick texture when you taste it.
The butter and garlic taste is plenty, and they’ll pair great with the savory and peppery flavors.
This sauce goes great with sandwiches; I always order this sauce with a sandwich. You can also have it with chicken items; they go great together. Fries are also a good option as this sauce will make it feel like you’re eating garlic mayo fries.
Buttermilk ranch is the equivalent of the classic ranch dressing in American cuisine. Although this sauce is heavy, it’s still great for those who follow a keto diet. It has only about 3 grams of carbs, which makes it the low-carb option.
Popeyes Chili Sauce
You can say this sauce is like the baby brother of the sweet heat sauce. It’s a sweet and spicy dipping sauce seasoned with chili peppers. Although it doesn’t have many calories (only about 70), it’s still high in carbs (19 grams!).
This sauce is terrific for you if you’re okay with carbs and only care about the calories. If you want a spicy treat and feel like your chicken, fish, or even fries are too bland, this sauce is perfect as it’ll make smoke come out of your ears!
Popeyes BBQ sauce
Last but not least, we have a simple BBQ sauce. Unlike the BoldBQ sauce, they make this from molasses, which gives it a sweet and tangy flavor. They also infused smokiness with the sweet taste, making it super tasty.
This sauce goes great with chicken; you can even eat it with some sandwiches if that satisfies your taste buds. No matter what, you can’t go wrong with the classics! This sauce also has only 70 calories, so it’s a treat for calorie-conscious people.
Although it does have more carbs which makes it bad for keto-conscious people.
The Best Sauces Ranked from Best to Worst!
Okay, we have explained the flavor and ingredients of every sauce, and now comes the central part; ranking them. Remember that these are my favorites, and you won’t know what is the best until you try them for yourself!
What are the Best and Worst Popeyes Sauces? Sauces Ranked
I rank the following sauces in descending order, from my favorite to least liked.
- Blackened Ranch
- Sweet Heat
- Wild honey Mustard
- Buttermilk Ranch
- Creole Cocktail
- Honey
- Chilli Sauce
- Mardi gras Mustard
- Tartar sauce
- Bayou Buffalo Sauce
- BoldBQ sauce
- BBQ
This is my general ranking for all the sauces; below are what I prefer with different dishes.
What are the Top 5 Popeyes Sauces to Go with Sandwiches?
I like my sandwiches with spice and creaminess, making these sauces my favorite ones.
- Blackened Ranch
- Wild Honey Mustard
- Sweet Heat
- Creole Cocktail
- Buttermilk Ranch
These sauces go best with sandwiches. The blackened ranch is the best as not only is it creamy, but it isn’t bland like a regular ranch (which is why I placed Buttermilk ranch last).
Wild honey mustard is also a great pairing as it’s sweet and sour honey mustard with a bit of heat.
The sweet heat is sweet and spicy, which never goes wrong with anything (I adore it, so it’ll probably be recurring through this list). Creole Cocktail is nice, kind of like eating ketchup with a sandwich. Nothing special, though.
What are the Top 5 Sauces of Popeyes to Go with Chicken (tenders, wings, etc.)?
Chicken goes best with something sweet and spicy. This makes the following sauces perfect.
- Sweet heat
- Wild Honey Mustard
- Chilli Sauce
- Bayou Buffalo
- Honey
I like the sweetness combined with the spicy tenders, so sweet heat is the option. It’s got an ultra-sweet taste combined with wonderful spiciness. The simple honey sauce is also great with spicy tenders; the taste gets mixed and makes everything burst with flavor.
Wild Honey mustard is also sweet and spicy with mustard earthiness, making it the second choice. Chilli sauce is pepper flakes in a sweet sauce, so they make a list too.
Bayou buffalo is much like a hot sauce, great for chicken wings!
What are the Top 5 Popeyes Sauces to Go with Fries?
I think a slight creaminess with my fries is appetizing, don’t you? I don’t know, but creamy garlic fries do it for me; therefore, I like these sauces with my fries!
- Buttermilk Ranch
- Blackened Ranch
- Tartar Sauce
- Creole Cocktail
- Mardi gras Mustard
The buttermilk ranch combines buttermilk with mayo, and the hints of garlic and the savory pepper flavors make it the perfect combo with fries. Once you’ve had this combo, there is no going back. You might even prefer it over the simple garlic fries!
For the same reason, I chose the blackened ranch; it’s got the creamy ranchiness combined with a lot more flavor, onions, and garlic. Sometimes sweetness also hits the spot, and the tartar sauce is terrific.
The mustard flavor of the Mardi gras mustard also does well, and that’s why it made this list!
But which Sauce from Popeyes is the Best?
It all depends on your preference, which sauces you like. Polls on various websites such as Reddit and Quora say that Blackened Ranch is the best Popeyes sauce. The sour cream and buttermilk make it super tasty.
Sweet heat comes second as the sweet and spicy taste, along with its being light, makes it the favorite choice for many. All the sauces taste great, though, and you should choose one for yourself.
If you like creamy sauces, try the blackened ranch. For a sour and spicy taste, go for the Bayou Buffalo sauce. If you like it, sweet Wild honey mustard is super tasty. You can try these sauces with anything on the menu. You’ll probably like different sauces with different dishes.
So start trying them all! Mix and match everything, and you’re bound to find something that suits your fancy!
Nutritional Information of Top Popeyes Sauces
| Sauce Name | Calories | Fats (In grams) | Carbs (In grams) | Sugars (grams) |
| Sweet Heat | 73 | 0 | 19 | 15 |
| Tartar | 140 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| Buttermilk Ranch | 150 | 15 | 3 | 1 |
| BoldBQ | 45 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| Bayou Buffalo | 74 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Blackened Ranch | 118 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Creole Cocktail | 30 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Mardi Gras Mustard | 95 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
From this table, you can also gauge the ingredients. The sauces which are higher in fats and calories contain more mayo and are creamier than the rest. The sauces with a lot of carbs have lots of sugars; hence, they are sweeter!
FAQs
Which Popeyes sauces are vegan?
There are only two vegan sauces at Popeyes: the BoldBQ sauce and the Creole Cocktail sauce. You can pair it with a Baguette, as that’s vegan too. Did you know Popeyes fries are not vegan, as they cook them in the same oil as the meat?
So you’re better off going to a vegan restaurant instead!
Which Popeyes sauces are gluten-free?
Fortunately for gluten-free people, there are loads of options! These are gluten-free sauces,
- Ranch
- Sweet heat
- Mardi Gras Mustard
- Creole Cocktail
- Tartar Sauce
- Creamy Horse Radish
- Blackened Ranch
Gluten-free means the absence of any wheat or gluten ingredients.
Can you buy Popeyes dipping sauces?
You can’t buy Popeyes sauces anywhere; the only way to buy them is by ordering them with your meal at Popeyes. You can opt to try recipes online, though. They taste pretty similar and they’ll satisfy your cravings!
Do Popeyes charge for the sauce?
Many restaurants restrict the number of sauces allotted per meal, not Popeyes, though! You can get any extra sauces without charge. They are usually packed and want the customers to be satisfied; thus, they provide as many additional sauces as you need!
What is Popeyes Voodoo sauce?
This is the sauce that came with the special voodoo tenders sold at Popeyes. They are currently off the menu.
They mix fried onion, garlic, ghost pepper, and sweet chili. It’s a sweet and spicy sauce like the sweet heat, and maybe that’s why they didn’t leave it on the menu.
Wrapping Up!
The sauces are a perfect way to take your fast food to the next level, and if you play your cards carefully, you can make the combo worth dying for! Yeah, so try them all, and don’t hesitate to mix and match.
Personally, as I treasure sweet and spicy, I combine sweet heat sauce with everything. The blackened ranch is also one of my favorites, and I like it more than the classical buttermilk ranch because it’s much more interesting.
My least favorite sauce would be the BoldBQ sauce, but that’s just because I don’t like BBQ sauces that much (they’re too sweet and bland). I prefer regular ketchup over any BBQ sauce.
In the end, it’s all about how your taste buds taste stuff, and I bid you good luck on your saucy journey ahead!
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