Spicy Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce

Best 4 sweet or spicy chicken nugget dipping sauce recipes or somewhere in between are here. Great selection to enjoy with frozen or homemade nuggets. Of course you could use any of our chicken wing dipping sauces too which makes 7 to choose from!

Chicken Nuggets Dip

Let’s talk for a minute about the star of the show first shall we? I mean they are all the same but way different at the same time. From frozen to homemade, oven baked to air fryer frozen chicken nuggets, we love them all. To me texture is very important though so this is probably my favorite method.

What can you dip chicken nuggets in?

We are talking well beyond just the regular ketchup and Ranch choices. Bottled store bought works but there are so many more options.

• If you like this crunch but looking for a healthier version to serve this with, homemade air fryer chicken nuggets are the bomb.
• Also great after you reheat chicken tenders in air fryer the next day for sure.
• And my kids will use them all when enjoying a batch of fish nuggets made with cod or your favorite swimmer in the sea.

Below in the recipe card is a sweet and sour chicken nugget sauce that you will love. Other links to dips are in blue within this post to refer to.

Dips for Chicken Nuggets

Everyone has their own preferences. I bet you have tried a bunch between the ones they offer at McDonalds and Chick Fil A Sauce that we love on all the things, even their chicken patties sandwiches. That one is kinda’ a cross between a honey mustard and dijon or something.

Of course you can throw out plain ketchup, mustard, Ranch dressing or mayonnaise from your fridge in ramekins. For little ones they may not stray from the familiar until they get a bit older but they will likely get there. Maybe they like Popeyes Sweet Heat Sauce, but you can make your own of that too. A few others that you might enjoy are;

• We make homemade fry sauce that is super simple and served a lot out here in Idaho.
• If you want some real heat you can make this spicy chicken nugget sauce that works well tossed on wings too.
• The other day I served broccoli with Velveeta cheese sauce on it. My girls dipped their meat in that and now it is on our list of musts too.

You can even adjust bottled Ranch to make it more of a wow pop. Just by adding seasonings you can make it like Popeyes Blackened Ranch Sauce. Goes to show you should always think outside of the box right? You just never know what you might like until you give it a whirl.

What helps sauce stick to chicken?

If yours are breaded you will have more luck. Trying to dip naked nuggets with just butter or olive oil and seasonings on the outside will want to slide right off. Once they cool it will work a bit better but coated with breadcrumbs like our Homemade chicken nuggets with ground chicken with hidden veggies in them works better.

You can certainly mix up your own creations at home, like our Hot Honey Sauce, and you might make your own favorite recipe. If your sauce is too thick for your liking the best way to thin it out but add flavor at the same time is to use pickle juice instead of water! I know, genius right?

Something simple like your favorite barbecue sauce, pickle juice and a bit of Sriracha we have done before with chicken fingers or skinny air fryer chicken fries style. All our fry sauce is is mayonnaise and ketchup with some garlic powder and seasoned salt really. You can add real honey with your yellow mustard to make as sweet as you’d like.

What is the most popular dipping sauce?

Ranch dip is high on the list as well as bbq sauce and hot sauce. If you think about these they are usually available at fast food restaurants no matter what they are serving right? Keep these sauces at home and tweak them in different ways for nuggets and Ninja Foodi french fries for that matter.

At different fast food restaurants there would be other favorites that are specific o that location like Polynesian at Chick Fil A or their custom blend. Buffalo is something you would find most everywhere and a common selection for those who like heat and spicy.

Copycat McDonalds Sweet and Sour Sauce

For this one you’ll bring a bit of Asian flare into the mix. Add red pepper flakes to increase the heat or leave those out entirely so it stays mild for younger mouths. You are going to need the following simple ingredients;

1. Start off with some soy sauce
2. 1/2 c ketchup gives it the color you would expect
3. A bit of white vinegar will give it that tang you want
4. In order to get it thicker, use some cornstarch or arrowroot
5. Whisk that with some water until smooth and add when it is bubbling over the stovetop

You can make this really fun during a family movie night too if you pour some of each into Dixie cups, on a plate for everyone. The perfect size for dipping and an easy clean up as you throw it all away when you’re done.

Making these or How to Make Popeyes Sauce in bulk, or at least enough to enjoy a few times, is very possible and simple. I like to use these clear squeeze bottles you can write on with a sharpie. Write what is inside of each and store in the fridge. That way next time your kids want a snack they can take them all out and prep is a lot quicker. Jump to recipe below for our sweet and sour nugget sauce and try a few others while you’re at it too. Which is your favorite?

Before you go I want you to sign up for my free newsletter!! You will get all my new recipes emailed to you a few times a week that will help with meal planning for the week.