What Makes McDonald's Szechuan Sauce So Popular With Customers?

The marketing team at McDonald's definitely knows how to create hype around a limited-edition menu item. Most famously, there's the fast food giant's McRib, returning once again on December 3, 2024. Taken off the chain's permanent menu in 2005, the pork sandwich has since received a near-constant on-and-off-again menu placement in the years since. Perhaps even more elusive than the McRib is McDonald's Szechuan Sauce, which has gathered a cult following.

McDonald's first launched Szechuan Sauce in the United States in 1998 to coincide with the release of Disney's "Mulan." The sauce, described as having a "savory and slightly sweet taste profile with hints of soy, garlic, ginger and mild vinegar" (via McDonald's), was wildly popular with customers who enjoyed it with their Chicken McNuggets. It would be nearly 20 years later until the sauce was back in the hands (and mouths) of American customers. McDonald's Szechuan Sauce came back in 2017 following an episode of Adult Swim's hit cartoon series "Rick and Morty" which saw the main characters determined to get their hands on the sauce. Unfortunately, the sauce was only available for one day in 2017, much to the dismay of both "Rick and Morty" and McDonald's fans. In response to the backlash, McDonald's rereleased the sauce the following year in larger quantities. The sauce proved even more popular than expected, thanks to the sauce's irresistible flavor and clever marketing. The sauce was re-released again in 2022. 

The base ingredients of McDonald's Szechuan Sauce are relatively similar to some of the chain's other McNugget dipping sauces. These include water, sugar, and corn starch, alongside some gums and preservatives, such as xanthan gum and sodium benzoate. Where Szechuan Sauce differentiates itself from other sauces is through its aromatics. The sauce contains ginger, garlic, and sesame seed oil, which all contribute to its savory, umami flavor. The acids, which include distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, corn vinegar, citric acid and glutamic acid, provide the sauce with some lighter, tangier notes, creating a unique mouth feel that's perfectly balanced.

Despite its name, McDonald's Szechuan Sauce does not contain Szechuan peppercorns. This is likely because from 1968 to 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture imposed a ban on all imports of Szechuan peppercorns (due to a canker that posed a potential risk to American citrus trees. Interestingly, Szechuan peppercorns can be found in McDonald's Sweet and Spicy Jam, one of two new sauces McDonald's added to its menu in 2023.