What Sauces Does Dairy Queen Have? Taste Test & Pairings
Perfectly named since it truly is the queen of dairy, Dairy Queen is my go-to place when I am looking for comfort and warmth. Known best for its milkshakes, Dairy Queen captures my heart each time with the juicy burgers they offer. To make things even more perfect, their sauces are the cherry on top, and they definitely deserve time under the spotlight. So, what sauces does Dairy Queen have?
Dairy Queen’s offer includes BBQ Dipping Sauce, Country Gravy Sauce, Honey Mustard, house-made Hidden Valley Ranch, Kraft Fat-Free Italian Dressing, Marzetti Dijon Honey Mustard, Marzetti Italian Dressing, Wild Buffalo, and Zesty Queso Dipping Sauce.
If there’s one thing to know about Dairy Queen sauces, it’s that they are as tasty as advertised. Since I always like to find out more about what I consume, I got to digging. So, in this article, I will share everything you need to know about Dairy Queen sauces. Let’s get started!
List of Dairy Queen Sauces
If you’re a fellow fan of Dairy Queen’s delicious treats, you better get ready for a saucy adventure! We’re going to take a deep dive into the world of Dairy Queen’s sauces. So, whether you need a dip for your chicken basket or to add some flavor to your burger, read on to discover all the saucy goodness Dairy Queen has to offer!
BBQ Dipping Sauce
Kicking off this list with the classic BBQ dipping sauce and one of my all-time favorites. I love this sauce because of its balance and the way it allows for all included flavors to pierce through. What separates this BBQ sauce from what you are probably used to is the versatility of flavors it offers.
The main flavor is, naturally, the smoky note, but shortly after, there’s a pronounced tangy tone, followed by a slight sweetness and an overall savory dimension. It becomes tastier and tastier as you keep eating, which further works up your appetite.
I love this sauce with any of Dairy Queen’s burgers, and I strongly recommend you pair it that way. I’ve had it with the FlameThrower GrillBurger and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. It also complements fries and other Dairy Queen snacks.
Country Gravy Sauce
If you are a fan of homemade-tasting foods, this sauce should be your choice. It has a warm and wholesome touch, giving you a comforting feeling. Creamy and savory, it delivers a gentle taste, not too strong and not too mild, but just perfect. It reminds me of a homemade dish with a pleasant black pepper twist.
I recommend it with everything chicken Dairy Queen has to offer. I’ve had it with a burger, too, but it somehow goes unnoticed due to the heavier surrounding flavors. It needs a milder-favored pairing so that it shines through.
Honey Mustard
Dairy Queen’s honey mustard is a classic and intense-flavored honey mustard sauce. When I tasted it for the first time, it felt both familiar and original. Dairy Queen seems to have succeeded in making this sauce unique and still kept its traditional flavor.
It combines and balances the mustard’s bitterness and tang with the honey sweetness and gentle tones. This balance makes it an excellent choice for almost all menu items at Dairy Queen, from burgers to fries to chicken sandwiches.
The mustard intensifies the flavors, while the honey balances them out, turning them into a unified combination.
I advise you to pair this sauce with both grilled and fried items. I’ve had it with the Grilled Chicken Salad, the chicken strip basket, as well as with fries and burgers. Contrary to the popular opinion that honey mustard doesn’t complement burgers, it fits excellently.
House Made Hidden Valley Ranch
If you can’t remember the whole name, just ask for the tangy delight, and they will give this sauce to you. Honestly, it is one of the best ranch sauces I’ve tried, so I urge you to give it a try. Even if you aren’t a fan of ranch sauces, you may like it.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find this sauce absolutely delicious. Creamy, tangy, and very rich, it does a perfect job enriching many Dairy Queen menu items. It is both classic and original, with rich buttermilk and herb flavors, adding a touch of depth to whatever you pair it with.
Although this sauce is very versatile, I think that burgers aren’t the right place to use it. Ranch sauces are very flavorful, but they tend to be gentle, so when paired with a bolder note, the ranch flavor gets lost.
I enjoy this sauce with chicken baskets, fries, salads, and pretzel sticks.
Kraft Fat-Free Italian Dressing
The Dairy Queen’s Kraft Fat-Free Italian dressing is a great option to have a light and refreshing meal without compromising the flavor, but also without adding extra calories. I never go to Dairy Queen when I am on a food restriction, so I don’t view this sauce as an alternative to another one. Still, this sauce is known as a healthier variant of the ranch dressing.
It is light and tangy, tasting like a mix of vinegar, herbs, and spices. You can pair it with the same foods you would pair the House Made Hidden Ranch sauce because they taste similar, though this Italian dressing is a bit zestier.
I usually pair this sauce with Dairy Queen snacks such as onion rings, fries, and cheese curds, as well as their salads. I’ve never had it with a burger, but I think that it won’t be the best fit, though you are welcome to try it.
Marzetti Dijon Honey Mustard
Marzetti Dijon Honey Mustard is the more sophisticated version of the regular honey mustard sauce. While the regular honey mustard sauce uses yellow mustard, this one uses Dijon mustard and is made by the Marzetti company.
This sauce has a very particular texture and consistency, being creamier and, at the same time, fluffier than the honey mustard sauces we are all used to. I expected a bit of stickiness due to the honey component, but to my surprise, there was none.
It also contains herbs, so prepare for a strong herbal tone, as well as a rich mustardy flavor with a touch of sweetness. In terms of pairing, the same things go as for the regular honey mustard sauce, but I must stress that burgers go better with this honey mustard than the regular one.
Marzetti Italian Dressing
Marzetti Italian Dressing is a classic vinaigrette with a mix of herbs, garlic, and tanginess. I like it for its zesty and refreshing flavor, and if you are looking for a light, savory sauce, this is it.
I combine this sauce with a salad, which doesn’t make it a bad choice for another food item at Dairy Queen. Although I haven’t tried it with a chicken basket, I can see how it would work well with it, and that combo is on my list. You can also try it with onion rings or cheese curds.
Zesty Queso Dipping Sauce
If there’s anything that dipping stuff in melted cheese, it’s dipping stuff in zesty cheese! Cheesy, creamy, and mildly spicy, this sauce is indulgent, comforting, and decadently rich. I’ve had it with burgers, fries, cheese curds, onion rings, pretzel sticks, and chicken baskets, and I don’t know where it tastes best because it fits in everywhere.
Wild Buffalo Sauce
The Wild Buffalo sauce is not exactly my cup of tea, which doesn’t mean that sauce isn’t good. On the contrary, this is an excellent sauce, but it is too spicy and bold for my palate. You will thoroughly enjoy strong and spicy notes if you are a fan of strong and spicy notes.
If, on the other hand, you prefer more gentle notes, just don’t add too much, and you’ll be good. Due to its tangy tones, it reminds me of the BBQ sauce, minus the sweetness.
It is moderately hot, so if you are looking for something to work up your appetite, this is it.
Fearing that it would be too hot, I pared this sauce with a burger to make sure I had strong and absorbent surrounding flavors. I am happy to report that it worked out great. If you are more tolerant and prefer your food hot and spicy, you can also pair it with other menu items that are milder in taste so that the sauce can be more dominant.
What is your favorite sauce order at Dairy Queen? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
