McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Review | Is It Any Good?

A McDonald’s meal can always be unique when paired with the best dipping sauces. McDonald’s released a Szechuan sauce to pair with chicken tenders, fries, and nuggets. The sauce received colossal attention once mentioned in the Rick and Morty show. Today, we will talk about this famous McDonald’s Szechuan sauce review.

McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce was a fan-favorite sauce with a mild spicy kick. It has always been the limited-time offering menu item. Overall, it was described as a less spicy sauce. 

McDonald’s sauces are the driving force behind yummy meals that you enjoy. The sauces are a complete game changer and are now available in seven varieties on McDonald’s official menu. For now, let’s see the honest reviews of Szechuan sauce.

In the upcoming section, you will learn what’s in the Szechuan sauce and what people say about the sauce. Keep reading forward.

What’s In McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce?

McDonald’s Szechuan sauce became prominent when it was relaunched in 2017. People loved the sauce’s flavor, and they often wondered, what’s in this sauce? So, let me break down the ingredient list of this Szechuan sauce:

• Water
• Sugar
• Distilled Vinegar
• Corn Starch
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Salt
• Corn Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Ginger
• Soybean Oil
• Sesame Seed Oil
• Xanthan Gum
• Spice
• Yeast Extract
• Garlic
• Wheat Starch
• Natural Flavor
• Citric Acid
• Safflower Oil
• Glutamic Acid
• Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate (preservatives)

How Does McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Taste?

McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce is a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce with hints of soy, garlic, and ginger. It has a thick, viscous consistency and a bright orange color.

One thing I noticed while having it was it has a very strong Asian influence in terms of its flavor. As I taste it, the tanginess and a hint of sweetness gradually appear. Moreover, it has a bit of heat but needs to be more sharp. The pepper flakes are visible in the sauce but don’t add much spiciness. 

Additionally, McDonald’s Szechuan sauce has an excellent syrupy texture and a bit of runny consistency. The ginger flavor was entirely highlighted here. Overall, it’s not overtaking other sauces, but still, it’s a decent choice of sauce. This is the kind of sauce you wouldn’t expect from a McDonald’s. But it’s not worth the hype, either. 

What Do People Say About McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce?

After knowing what it tastes like, I want to share some fantastic Szechuan sauce reviews with you. Let’s get into the reviews from some of the famous websites and YouTubers:

According to The Impulsive Guy, a famous food site, “There was a little ginger, some tang, and a pinch of citrus which I thought was from something like orange zest, but that’s not a listed ingredient. The major “flavor” lacking here was any heat whatsoever. I figured those pepper flakes would provide a nice kick, but any spice was negligible. That was disappointing.”

The USA Today shared their review and said,” Very sweet and tangy… not bad, just different and tart.”

Robert Sietsema from Eater gave the sauce a thumbs down. He said, “It didn’t improve the flavor of the bland McNuggets, either. I dipped a fry in and later poured some on a burger, where it clashed with the ketchup, raw onions, and dill pickle chip… flavors like cumin and cilantro should have been present, too. All of these things and more, McDonald’s Szechuan sauce lacks, at least to my taste. You might just as well pour this Szechuan sauce on pancakes.”

The Uproxx website commented, “The Mulan Szechuan sauce is good! Definitely better than sweet and sour sauce, though, maybe not as magical as I imagined it would be. It works well on the chicken strips but not particularly good on fries… But who’s to say what’s worth rioting. Not me.”

A famous website, Nerditst, reviewed the sauce and said, “It was even better than its enticing aroma predicted. It isn’t nearly as sweet as I expected, but it isn’t salty like soy sauce, either. It has a nice balance and is more tangy than anything else. You can definitely taste the ginger, even though it lands halfway down the ingredients list.”

What Are My Thoughts On McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce?

Finally, looking at all the reviews, I have found a few facts I must share. First of all, the customers could have received the sauce better. 

They all missed that fantastic kick of flavor from a Szechuan sauce. McDonald’s could have done a better job with this sauce than the chain did with its other offerings. 

Secondly, the sauce lacked heat and a spicy kick. Many people said they dipped chicken nuggets into the Szechuan sauce, which did not give them a flavorful bite. There was hype on the internet regarding the availability of Szechuan sauce, but it’s not worth that much hype.

Lastly, it’s a decent sauce with a somewhat tang and sweetness. Other than that, you can’t expect more. 

Is McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Healthy?

Yes, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce is moderately healthy. Find the nutritional values of the sauce in below table:

Looking at the calorie values of McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, a small pack contains only 35 calories, which is relatively less. But one thing to note here is that the sauce also contains preservatives and additives, which again is not that healthy if consumed excessively. So, limit your intake of the sauce and stay fit. 

Can You Make A Better Version Of The McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce At Home?

Yes, you can always make a better version of the McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce. By altering a few ingredients, you can make a good Szechuan Sauce.

You can get the Szechuan sauce done right at home by following the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. You can add more ginger and black pepper to make the sauce spicy. Moreover, you can also add chili flakes to add heat to the sauce. To make an authentic Chinese sauce, use black vinegar instead of rice vinegar. 

Conclusion

In this article, we learned everything about McDonald’s Szechuan sauce. It’s mild, spicy, tangy, and sweet. According to the reviews, people did not admire this sauce because of the lack of flavor and heat. 

In that case, I have also shared a recipe with you that will help you make a flavorful sauce instead. With this, I would like to say bye and end this article. I hope you enjoyed reading this sizzling review of the Szechuan sauce. But before you go, let me give you more handy information on other McDonald’s food item reviews. 

McDonald’s is quite a popular American fast-food chain that offers other exciting dipping sauces. You can find some of the sauces’ best reviews and verdicts, like the best Hot Mustard Sauce review, creamy Honey Mustard Sauce review, and spicy Cajun Sauce review. Moreover, you can also read reviews of Hot Fudge Sauce, which goes on your favorite McFlurry. 

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