How To Make McDonald’s Cajun Sauce
Is there anyone who can say no to McDonald’s? From the iconic Big Mac to the mighty French fries, these foods dominate menus all across the world!
With a variety of food items ranging from burgers, sandwiches, wraps, French fries, nuggets, apple pies, hot fudge sundaes, and so much more, McDonald’s is the epitome of fast-food success.
As part of a collaboration with South Korean boy band, BTS, McDonald’s has recently launched a special meal that consists of 10 nuggets, fries, a drink, along with two special dipping sauces: sweet chili and Cajun sauce.
While the nuggets, fries, and drink are part of the permanent menu, the two special sauces are limited edition and might not return to McDonald’s menu in the future.
Out of the two, the Cajun sauce has created quite a bit of excitement with its strong mustard flavor that pairs wonderfully with the nuggets and fries. The good news is that you can easily recreate this sauce at home!
So, how do you make McDonald’s Cajun Sauce? To make this sweet and spicy sauce that everyone is lovin’, you need to combine a few ingredients such as mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, cayenne, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, onion powder, turmeric, hot sauce, honey, and some salt and pepper.
Read on to find out how to make a copycat version of McDonald’s Cajun sauce and the different types of foods you can enjoy it with!
What Is Cajun Sauce?
Cajun cuisine is a style of cooking that developed in the Southern region of the US and is known for its spicy notes and heartiness.
It is heavily rooted in seafood and spices are a key factor in developing Cajun dishes. Popular Cajun dishes include gumbo, jambalaya, pork sausages, and rice and gravy, among others.
Spicy Cajun sauce is another delicious offering that not only tastes delicious but is also incredibly versatile.
It is a great choice for adding a bit of spice to your favorite pasta, as a topping for grilled chicken, or as a dipping sauce for shrimp or nuggets.
One of the two sauces served at McDonald’s as part of their limited edition BTS Meal, Cajun sauce can be easily made at home using a handful of ingredients.
Recipe For McDonald’s Cajun Sauce
Ever since the BTS Meal launched at the world’s most popular fast-food chain, members of the BTS ARMY and chicken nugget lovers have enjoyed it all over the country.
With a delicious combination of chicken nuggets, French fries, and a drink, coupled with two incredibly tasty dipping sauces, the hype is real with this one.
While people are divided between the two dipping sauces and can’t fully figure out which one they like better (sweet chili or Cajun), the latter is a hit among people who like a bit of spice.
Sadly, since these sauces are here only for a limited time, it is important that you learn to make them at home.
It is very easy to get your hands on a similar sweet chili sauce, but the Cajun sauce has a unique flavor that we’re sure everyone’s going to miss when it’s gone.
For this reason, we have created a recipe to make an exact version of the McDonald’s Cajun sauce for you to enjoy at home, even after McDonald’s no longer sells it.
To make McDonald’s Cajun sauce at home, you will need the following ingredients:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- ½ tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Here are step-by-step instructions for making the Cajun sauce:
- Measure the ingredients and mix them all together until a smooth mixture is formed.
- You may adjust the seasonings according to your preference.
- Serve with nuggets and French fries.
Variations Of The McDonald’s Cajun Sauce
For a replica of the McDonald’s Cajun sauce, we recommend you follow the recipe above. However, since you will be making it at home, you are free to do any sort of adjustments according to your taste and preference.
The ingredients for this creamy and delicious sauce can be tweaked to make it super spicy, less spicy, sweet, or vegan. Regardless, it will be just as delicious and a perfect accompaniment for your nuggets.
- Super spicy—to make it super spicy, you can increase the level of cayenne pepper you add to the recipe.
- Less spicy—to make it less spicy and mild, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe.
- Sweet—to make it sweet, increase the amount of honey you add to it so that it turns into a sweet Cajun sauce.
- Vegan—to make it vegan-friendly, replace the mayonnaise with a vegan variety.
- Remoulade—to turn it into a Cajun remoulade sauce, simply add some whole grain mustard and horseradish to the recipe.
Another super-easy way to make this delicious Cajun sauce is to use Cajun seasoning instead of adding individual herbs and spices.
What Is Cajun Seasoning?
Originating in Louisiana, Cajun seasoning is a flavorful blend of herbs and spices that provides any dish with a kick of spice and burst of flavor.
With its robust and zesty flavor profile, it is made up of spices that are common in Cajun cuisine, such as paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder.
Cajun seasoning has a little kick to it and tastes perfect with chicken, shrimp, tofu, pasta, steak, and vegetables.
You can buy several varieties of the mix from different brands, all of which have a different formula.
It is also incredibly easy to make at home, and although it requires quite a list of spices and herbs, they are nothing you won’t usually find in your pantry.
How To Make Cajun Seasoning At Home
If you wish to make Cajun seasoning for your McDonald’s Cajun sauce, you can! You will need:
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Thyme
- Oregano
All you have to do is combine all these spices and make yourself a delicious, spicy, and earthy mix that can be used in a variety of recipes.
You may add salt according to your taste or skip it and add it while making the recipe instead. The latter option ensures that you can season your food according to your liking when cooking with this flavorful Cajun spice blend.
If stored in a clean, dry, and airtight container, away from heat and moisture, this seasoning mix will last for a year. Cajun seasoning, or any spices for that matter, do not go bad over time; they just lose flavor and pungency.
Therefore, the quicker you use it, the better it will taste.
List Of Foods Cajun Sauce Tastes Good With
McDonald’s sauce is incredibly delicious and tastes great with chicken nuggets and French fries. That much we all know. What you may not know is how versatile it is and how it can be paired with so many different types of foods.
Other than fries and nuggets, some great ways to pair McDonald’s Cajun sauce with foods include serving it with:
- Pasta
- Crackers
- Burgers and sandwiches
- Wraps, especially shrimp fajita and chicken fajita
- Chips and tortillas
- Zucchini fries and jicama fries
- Vegetables, like cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and broccoli
- Meats and seafood, as a dipping sauce
How Long Does McDonald’s Cajun Sauce Last?
We all know you’ve thought about hoarding your favorite Cajun sauce before it goes out of production, right?
Well, since you can easily make it at home using the abovementioned recipe, we recommend against it. Nothing’s better than fresh homemade sauce without any preservatives and additives.
That being said, and since we are on the topic, how long do McDonald’s sauces actually last? McDonald’s sauces typically last for 2-3 months, although the time depends on the type of sauce and how properly it has been stored.
A pretty obvious determining factor would be the “best-before” date that is sometimes printed on the individual sauce package.
Based on the ingredients used, the general expiry date for a pack of ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, tartar sauce, and creamy ranch sauce would be 2 months to a year.
Sweet n sour sauce and spicy buffalo sauce may last for 1-2 years, whereas honey mustard sauce lasts for 3-4 years. These are obviously estimates and the sauces may or may not last longer than what is mentioned.
How To Tell If McDonald’s Cajun Sauce Has Gone Bad
McDonald’s Cajun sauce, and other sauces, do expire and eventually go bad. Some sauces may last longer than others, depending on the ingredients that they are made with.
The best way to tell if McDonald’s Cajun sauce has gone bad is to look for changes in its smell, consistency, and taste.
The first test would be to give the sauce a good whiff after you open the packet. If it smells the way it typically does when fresh, it is okay to eat. But if you notice overly pungent and sour notes, it is time to throw it out.
Next, check the way that it looks. If there are changes in its consistency, it looks lumpier or thicker, or if the color has changed, these are all signs that it has gone bad.
Lastly, if the above two parameters (smell and appearance) are fine, you can do the taste test. Just make sure to try a small amount only. If it tastes as it should, you can have more of it. If not, chuck it away.
The bottom line here is that if you are in doubt, it is best to not risk your health over an expired packet of Cajun sauce and to simply discard it.
How To Store McDonald’s Cajun Sauce
The best way to store McDonald’s Cajun sauce is to ensure that it stays tightly sealed in its packet and away from light, air, and humidity.
You can refrigerate it since it may likely extend its shelf life, but if you ever see how McDonald’s employees store their sauces at the restaurant, you would see that they are kept at room temperature.
That being said, McDonald’s Cajun sauce is not meant to be refrigerated; therefore, you don’t have to do it either, especially if you intend to eat it quickly and within a few days.
When talking about the homemade variety, since it does not contain any preservatives, it has a much shorter shelf life than McDonald’s own sauces.
The best way to store it is in the refrigerator in an airtight container, immediately after it is made, and for not more than 1 week.
Related Questions
Now that you know how to make McDonald’s Cajun sauce at home and foods that it tastes good with, here are a few additional questions we thought you might have!
Can you freeze McDonald’s Cajun sauce?
Since McDonald’s Cajun sauce contains mayonnaise, it might not be the best idea to freeze it. Although if you do, you can freeze it for up to 2 months.
The downside is that, since mayonnaise is an emulsion, freezing may cause the ingredients of the sauce to break down and look unappetizing.
How do you make McDonald’s sweet chili sauce?
Just as you can make McDonald’s Cajun sauce at home using a few basic ingredients, you can also prepare the other sauce, sweet chili, featured in its limited-edition BTS Meal.
To make the sweet chili sauce, you will need white vinegar, water, cornstarch, light corn syrup, white sugar, chili sauce, garlic powder, cayenne powder, tomato paste, gochujang, and salt.
Are Cajun and Creole seasoning the same?
The terms Cajun and Creole are often used interchangeably in cooking, but technically, they are different types of seasonings in terms of the ingredients they are made with.
Cajun seasoning is typically made using cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper, whereas Creole has additional herbs such as paprika, oregano, and thyme.
Up Next: Types Of Sushi Without Seaweed
