KFC Is Launching a Smoky-Sweet Sauce That's a Perfect Match for Chicken Tenders

These days, it feels like there’s a pretty clear pecking order in the world of chicken-based fast food chains, and Chick-fil-A rules the roost. Though there could be a number of reasons why the Georgia-based chicken spot is popular among youths, you’d have to think the wide variety of dipping sauces they offer, specifically their very own tasty and proprietary Chick-fil-A sauce, has to factor in to a certain extent.

Or at least that’s what KFC thinks, at least if their recent actions are any guide. Starting October 12th, they’ll be serving up their very own “KFC Sauce,” which they hope will serve as the ultimate dipping destination for their Extra Crispy Tenders.

According to KFC US CMO Andrea Zahumensky, the soon-to-be-available KFC Sauce is the product of 50 testing iterations, with customers providing feedback along the way. Eventually, they landed on what QSR Magazine describes as “a signature sauce that is tangy and sweet, with a bit of smokiness.” Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A says its signature sauce features “notes of honey mustard and a smoky tang,” so you’re not crazy for picking up on some potential similarities between the two namesake sauces.

KFC

While the new sauce rightly gets most of the spotlight, KFC’s commitment to providing a superior dipping experience for those enjoying its chicken goes beyond any one flavor. The brand is also offering a “newly revamped core sauce lineup” that includes Classic Ranch, Honey BBQ, Honey Mustard, and a hot sauce. No matter what you think crispy chicken pairs best with, your bases are covered.

Will its own sauce be enough for KFC to dethrone Chick-fil-A? It may take a killer chicken sandwich to pull that off, but there’s no doubt that a crave-worthy sauce of their own can help close the gap. Maybe someday it’ll be sold in grocery stores too.