KFC Has an All-New Signature Sauce Made for Dipping Chicken Tenders

The more sauce, the merrier.

Courtesy of KFC
Courtesy of KFC

I am personally of the camp that believes burgers, fries, chicken tenders, and everything in between are nothing without a good sauce. Slather on ketchup or dunk 'em in ranch, it's an immediate flavor upgrade. KFC gets that, so much so that the fried chicken chain is unleashing an all-new Signature Sauce.  

The sweet, smoky, and tangy blend -- which is set to make its debut alongside the chain's revamped sauce lineup of classic ranch, honey BBQ, hot sauce, and honey mustard on October 12 -- was designed with a specific purpose in mind: to be paired with KFC's extra crispy chicken tenders.

"When we set out to create a new signature dipping sauce, we went right to the experts -- our customers -- to find out what made a sauce best-in-class for dipping," chief marketing officer Andrea Zahumensky said in a statement. "We went through 50 iterations, and their response to this recipe was overwhelming!" 

Courtesy of KFC

KFC could have done practically anything to promote the launch. Offer rebates. Host some kind of hashtag contest where people lend their social media identity over to a friendly corporate face in exchange for the chance at a perishable prize of no monetary value for fine print legal reasons. Dump 10,000 gallons of sauce on the Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, they coined what they're calling "KFCharcuterie." But in lieu of of peddling anything resembling a charcuterie board as anyone knows it, KFC has "created" the following "recipes." 

Here's what they came up with: 

  • KFC Little Dipper:  KFC extra crispy tenders and secret recipe fries paired with KFC sauce, classic ranch, honey BBQ and honey mustard.
  • Kentucky Game Night Trio: Kentucky fried buffalo wings, KFC extra crispy tenders, and secret recipe fries with KFC Sauce, blue cheese, and fresh celery. 
  • Ultimate Family Fill Up: Featuring KFC’s extra crispy tenders family fill up with secret recipe fries, KFC biscuits, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and gravy with dipping sauces.

"Charcuterie doesn’t have to be all cold cuts, cheeses and crackers. It can also be delicious comfort foods like extra crispy tenders, secret recipe fries, and indulgent sauces," Zahumensky, in a heroic suspension of disbelief, is quoted as saying in the press release. 

We suppose you could sort of assemble it all on a nice platter to post on TikTok, where "videos associated with the hashtag #charcuterie have been viewed more than 224.8 million times, and many popular charcuterie creators have gained notoriety for their elaborate and mouthwatering creations," KFC's press release helpfully points out.  

"They are both fun to create and to eat, and I know around my house we are definitely in need of some creative ways to break up the monotony of meals at home," Zahumensky said.

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.