15 Near-Identical Grocery Store Copycats For Fast Food Sauces

Some fast food restaurants have sauces that are so good that you're mainly ordering the sauce more than the food that goes with it. While there are plenty of copycat recipes out there, wouldn't you just like a whole bottle you can keep in your pantry without the work of making a sauce (often using other sauces)? Sure, there are restaurants selling branded sauces in grocery stores because people like it so much, but what about all those restaurants that don't? And what about finding cheaper or healthier alternatives?

We've scoured social media looking for sauces you can buy from the store that people say are identical or pretty darned close to the sauces they love from fast food restaurants. Armed with this information, it's possible to do things like make superior chicken nuggets at home and not have to hoard the McDonald's Barbecue Sauce you love. So, if you're looking for a dupe of your favorite fast food sauce on the grocery store shelf, this list probably includes a good taste-alike.

When you think of unique fast food restaurant sauces, one of the first ones likely to come to mind is McDonald's Big Mac Sauce. While it looks a lot like Thousand Island salad dressing, people will fight you to say that it's absolutely not Thousand Island. For one thing, it's tangier and spicier. Copycat Big Mac Sauces tend to have a mixture of mayo, pickle relish, French dressing, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar. Plus, they include some spices. So, while Thousand Island isn't a good substitute for McDonald's Big Mac Sauce, we've uncovered one that is: Great Value Secret Sauce for Burgers & Dipping.

Great Value's Secret Sauce is one of four copycat fast food sauces you can buy at Walmart that are amazingly close to the original. Walmart reviewers and those on social media who have tried it tend to think it's the closest thing you can add to your hamburger at home to make it taste like a Big Mac. Even the ingredients look similar except for some chemicals. While some customers think it's a dead ringer, others find it better than the original. So, it's not exact, but it's pretty close.

We're not going to lie; we'd probably never go to Raising Cane's if it wasn't for craving the chain's dipping sauce. In fact, we're convinced that it's an empire built on the sauce more than the chicken. But can you get something at the store that tastes close to Cane's Sauce? Once again, it's a Walmart store brand sauce that tastes most like it: Great Value Chicken Finger Dipping Sauce (not to be confused with the Chicken Dipping Sauce).

Sure, you can buy extra containers of the original sauce for mere pennies, but it's easier to manage in a squeeze bottle than to have lots of little tubs in your fridge. You can also supposedly make a dupe of Cane's Sauce with a mixture of mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. However, with the sauce brands you choose likely affecting the outcome, you may be better off just buying Great Value Chicken Finger Dipping Sauce in the long run. Those who have tried it say that it tastes exact or almost exact, especially when it's cold and fresh from the fridge. While there have been rumors from time to time about it being discontinued, perhaps it's just occasionally missing off the shelves because customers like it so much.

Chick-fil-A Sauce is a different type of sauce than Raising Cane's, combining the flavors of ranch, smoky BBQ, and honey mustard sauces. Sure, you can buy Chick-fil-A branded Dipping Sauce at the grocery store, but Walmart has a cheaper knock-off version, too: Great Value Restaurant Style Chicken Dipping Sauce. There's a nearly $2 difference between the regular price of the Chick-fil-A brand and the Great Value brand at our local store, which is why it's a big deal that the Great Value brand is an extremely close Chick-fil-A dupe.

With it tasting so much like the original, it seems like a pretty big win at the price point. Just be sure to get the Chicken Dipping Sauce rather than the Chicken Finger Dipping Sauce if you want the one that's going to taste most like Chick-fil-A Sauce. Reviewers who got the sauce from Walmart have noted that there was a bad oily batch going around at one point, but subsequent bottles have been great. Barring that minor hiccup, customers find it to taste just like Chick-fil-A Sauce.

Another top-ranking sauce that Chick-fil-A customers love is its sweet, sour, and zesty Polynesian Sauce. It's great for dipping chicken nuggets or chicken strips or for adding to sandwiches. But it turns out that you don't have to wait in the ridiculous line at Chick-fil-A to get your Polynesian Sauce fix. Instead, you can opt for T. Marzetti's Honey French Dressing. No, the nationalities don't match on the sauce, such that you'd probably not think they were equal if someone didn't tell you. But it turns out that they do indeed taste practically identical.

If you're looking for it, don't look in the condiments aisle, where you tend to find most sauces, but in the refrigerated section of your store, probably near the produce. After a side-by-side comparison, everything was the same, from the color and texture all the way down to the flavor. The only difference really seemed to be a slight difference in the smell and the fact that Chick-fil-A's is shelf stable rather than needing to be refrigerated like Marzetti's version. Otherwise, you're probably not going to notice any difference. However, with there being a Chick-fil-A branded Polynesian Sauce available in some grocery stores for about half as much per ounce, you'll probably only want to look for the Marzetti version if you can't find the original or have reasons for staying away from the Chick-fil-A brand.

There are plenty of things Burger King customers like to use Zesty Dipping Sauce for, including as a dipping sauce for Chicken Fries and onion rings. Of course, some people like it enough that they use it for practically everything, which is why customers have sought out grocery store copycats. Some customers on social media have likened it to the sauce you get with a Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse. Copycat Burger King Zesty Sauce recipes usually include ingredients like mayo, mustard, ketchup, horseradish, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and cayenne pepper. So, it certainly sounds a lot like the sauce from Outback. However, the closest people seem to be able to find at the grocery store is Sweet Baby Ray's Secret Sauce.

If you check the ingredient list for Ray's Secret Sauce, it's certainly different, as there's no tomato paste, lemon juice, or beet powder in Sweet Baby Ray's Secret Sauce. Plus, there are a few extra spices. However, it shares a lot of other ingredients, like mustard, vinegar, and horseradish, that make it so zesty. And despite some subtleties, many who have compare them side by side have declared that they taste very much like each other. You might notice a bit more zest and bite from BK's Zesty Dipping Sauce, but that's about it.

If you're one of those people who gets McNuggets largely because you crave McDonald's Tangy Barbecue Sauce, there's a good chance you've tried to find a barbecue sauce to use at home that matches. It's a sweet, tangy, and smoky barbecue sauce, with its closest grocery store copycat version being Kraft Chicken 'N Rib BBQ Sauce.

Unfortunately, this is a sauce that's much easier to find at a grocery store if you're living in Canada. While it's possible to have it imported and delivered to the U.S. from a variety of sources — like Walmart – there are certainly cheaper options. One nice thing about the imported Kraft product is that it has all-natural ingredients, unlike the original barbecue sauce you can get from McDonald's. Those on social media who have managed to try both and compare the two say that there's a very slight difference, but it's a nearly identical dupe.

Another popular McNuggets dipping sauce you might be jonesing for when you're at home is McDonald's Honey Mustard. One of the secrets to McDonald's Honey Mustard's flavor is that it contains white wine, along with ingredients you might expect, like vinegar, mustard, and honey. It turns out that the closest honey mustard you're going to find to McDonald's is Ken's Steak House Honey Mustard. Luckily, it's far easier to locate at a grocery store in the U.S. than the dupe for McDonald's barbecue sauce.

If you look at the ingredient list for Ken's Honey Mustard Dressing, it's almost identical to McDonald's version, although some of the chemical building blocks and preservatives are slightly different, with Ken's also containing food coloring while McDonald's original version doesn't. However, those who have tried both swear by Ken's Honey Mustard as being an excellent grocery store copycat for McDonald's Honey Mustard sauce. So, you can dip your home-cooked nuggets to your heart's content without having to hoard McDonald's dipping tubs.

If you're looking for a chunky and tangy burger spread like In-N-Out's Burger Spread to put on your hamburgers at home, there is one contender that gets fairly close: Trader Joe's Magnifisauce. Copycat In-N-Out Burger Spread recipes tend to include mayo, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, and vinegar. So, that's the flavor profile you're looking for, and Trader Joe's version has all that and more.

Customers on social media who have tried both sauces don't find the Trader Joe's version to be exact, but it's close enough with a few easy tweaks here and there. In fact, some like it even better than the original. It tends to be thinner than In-N-Out's version. It can benefit from a little extra relish if you have some. And those who find it too sweet have added a little extra mayo to even out the flavor. We found the ingredient list for Magnifisauce interesting, as it contains some ingredients we weren't expecting, such as red bell pepper, rosemary, cloves, and paprika.

Another of McDonald's classic dipping sauces that customers would love to have at home in larger quantities is Sweet 'N Sour Sauce. Its fruity, spicy, and tangy flavor profile comes from apricot and/or peach, vinegar, sherry wine, and spices. So, it can be tricky finding one that matches, but Ken's comes to our rescue again with a sauce that's very similar to McDonald's Sweet 'N Sour Sauce: Ken's Steak House Sweet & Sour Sauce. Even the name just takes out an apostrophe.

There are a few differences on the ingredient list between the two, but they're fairly similar. The big difference between Ken's and most of the other sweet and sour sauces you'll find is that Ken's version contains apricot rather than pineapple, which makes it closer to McDonald's version. Granted, peach is an "and/or" ingredient in McDonald's version. Ken's uses apple cider vinegar instead of distilled vinegar, adds mustard flour, has a slightly different spice mix, and doesn't include sherry. Those on social media who have tried it say it's really close. You could maybe get it closer by adding in some peach preserves or sherry, but it's probably not necessary. The only hiccup with this one is that its availability wavers and tends to come in either a gallon food-service-sized container or in restaurant-sized serving cups. But it still beats having to beg for and hoard extra sauces at Mickey D's.

Yes, there are a lot of BBQ sauces on our list, and they each have different flavor profiles that make finding their taste-alikes a little challenging. If you're a fan of the sweet and smoky flavors of Wendy's BBQ Sauce, the best taste-alike is Buffalo Wild Wings Honey BBQ Sauce.

Those on social media who have compared the two sauces find the Buffalo Wild Wings sauce to vary minimally. That's not too bad considering that the comparable sauce comes from another restaurant rather than from a company trying to copy Wendy's sauce. Buffalo Wild Wings Honey BBQ Sauce gets its sweetness from five different sweeteners, including honey. It also has a natural smoke flavor and four different types of chili peppers, along with mustard seed, garlic, and onion. There are a lot of well-honed ingredients going into this sauce to give it its flavor profile.

One of the dipping sauces you can get for your Chicken Bites at Shake Shack is BBQ sauce, and it's beloved enough that customers have been looking for one that tastes similar. Whether you want some at home or find the Shake Shack to be a little too stingy with how much of its smoky BBQ sauce it puts in your order, one that's pretty close is Austin's Own Original B-B-Q Sauce.

While it's not available everywhere, you can find Austin's Own at grocery stores and convenience stores throughout Texas and the Southwest. Like many BBQ sauces, it starts with ketchup, vinegar, and sweeteners. Plus, it contains tamarind, garlic, mustard flour, onion powder, and a natural hickory smoke flavor. Not only is this BBQ sauce great for dipping chicken nuggets, but you can also add it to your burger and pretend the Shake Shack BBQ menu still exists.

If you opt for Tenders instead of bone-in fried chicken at Popeyes, the first dipping sauce on the list is the ever-popular Bold BQ Sauce. It's a sweet, smoky, and spicy sauce with a hint of molasses that customers enjoy. If you're looking for something at the grocery store that's going to remind you a lot of this sauce, your best bet is Redneck Lipstick.

While you're going to taste a difference side by side, Redneck Lipstick is still going to be reminiscent of Popeyes' Bold BQ Sauce. Redneck Lipstick gets its tangy brightness from tomatoes, vinegar, and lemon juice and its sweetness from various sweeteners, including molasses. Hickory smoke flavor, mustard seed, pepper, garlic, turmeric, paprika, chili and onion powder, and other spices help to round out the flavor profile. Redneck Lipstick is a western-Arkansas-style BBQ sauce featuring tomatoes, molasses, and spices, which seem to be common components in Louisiana-style BBQ sauces, too.

Another dipping sauce that Popeyes' customers love for its flavor and its bite is its Bayou Buffalo Sauce. Finding matching buffalo sauces anywhere can be challenging, and a lot are more acidic than the type you can get from Popeyes. However, it seems that Popeyes Bayou Buffalo Sauce is very close to Frank's RedHot Wings Buffalo Sauce.

Customers who love Popeyes buffalo sauce find Frank's buffalo sauce to taste similar. You'll want to keep in mind that the texture is a little different between the two, with Frank's not being as thick. The ingredient list for Frank's buffalo sauce is fairly simple. It has vinegar and oil as well as spices like aged cayenne red peppers, paprika, garlic powder, and butter flavor. While it's fairly creamy, if it's a little too thin for your liking, you can always try heating it up and melting in some real butter.

Yet another BBQ sauce that customers try to emulate is the Burger King BBQ Dipping Sauce. This sweet and smoky sauce is a favorite for dipping all sorts of menu items like Chicken Fries and more. Luckily, if you can find Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy Barbecue Sauce at the grocery store, you've found your substitute for BK BBQ Dipping Sauce.

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy has distinctive ingredients that make it a very close match for BK's BBQ sauce. It gets sweetness not only from four kinds of sweeteners, including molasses and tangy pineapple juice like BK's does. Some other spices and flavorings that are the same include garlic, tamarind, and celery seed. Although, it appears that Sweet Baby Ray's also includes mustard, so they're fairly close. Thus, if your regular BBQ sauce just isn't cutting it because you're craving the one you get at Burger King, making the switch to Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy might make you much happier next time you need BBQ sauce at home.

Finally, we wanted to provide you with the option we found for copycat Taco Bell Fire Sauce. While you can buy Taco Bell Fire Sauce at some grocery stores for fairly cheap, it doesn't hurt to know of an alternative if you don't have a store nearby that carries it. The best alternative we've heard of is Palo Alto Firefighters Original Pepper Sauce, which you can find at restaurants, inns, and markets across the U.S. (especially in California).

Those on social media who have tried it say that Taco Bell's Fire Sauce and Palo Alto Firefighters Original Pepper Sauce aren't exactly the same, but they bear a striking resemblance to each other. The ingredient list for the Palo Alto version is very simple, including just red jalapeño peppers for heat, distilled vinegar for bite, sugar for sweetness, and a few spices, including paprika. Meanwhile, the ingredient list for Taco Bell's Fire Sauce is much longer and includes a variety of chemicals that the Palo Alto version doesn't have. So, if you're avoiding preservatives, you might end up gravitating toward the Palo Alto one anyway.