French fries with tartar sauce? America's strangest sauce pairings
The study of 2,000 Americans divided respondents by how much they love a good sauce and how dedicated they are to making it a part of as many meals as possible.
Respondents shared their other creations like Worcestershire sauce on macaroni, pita bread with honey mustard and ranch dressing in ramen noodles.
Of those who enjoy eating sauce with their food regularly - even with their culinary concoctions - 79% said they're proud sauce lovers.
Conducted by Talker Research for Sweet Baby Ray's, the survey found that their love for sauce shows that two-thirds of respondents shared that they've chosen a meal specifically based on what sauce they were craving (67%).
According to those surveyed, sauce always belongs on french fries (73%), chicken nuggets (67%) and hot dogs (61%).
For chicken wings, barbecue sauce (27%) and honey barbecue (20%) are some of the most popular.
Chicken wings (59%), cheeseburgers (55%) and tacos (53%) ranked high on what respondents simply won't eat without sauce.
Some foods are seen as just a vehicle to eat sauce, like french fries (68%), chicken nuggets (66%) and chicken wings (60%).
Americans take their sauce so seriously that eight in 10 even agree that sauce has the power to make or break a meal (78%).
Barbecue sauce is among America's top favorite sauces, with 729 respondents ranking it in their top five.
When voting on their favorite sauces for different foods, barbecue sauce (30%) was found to be a must for chicken nuggets, followed by ranch (30%) and honey mustard (25%).
Ketchup is easily the crowd favorite for french fries (81%), while marinara is the clear winner for mozzarella sticks (47%) - although others enjoy them with ranch (23%) or ketchup (10%).
While a third of respondents agree that chicken wings belong with ranch as the best sauce (32%), 27% enjoy them with barbecue sauce as the best sauce.
"Whether it's BBQ sauce, hot sauce, or ketchup, to name a few, Americans love sauce," said Dan Gollinger, brand manager at Sweet Baby Ray's. "According to the recent survey, 78% of people say sauce can make or break a meal. We understand this mindset and are shining a light on it."
Currently, the average person surveyed has eight different kinds of sauce in their fridge.
The survey also looked at personality differences between those who call themselves "sauce people" (61%) and those who don't.
"Sauce people" are more likely to be Type A (28% vs. 22%), while those who prefer their food sauceless are more likely to be Type B (52% vs. 48%).
Despite their meticulous personality type, one in five sauce lovers consider themselves to be impulsive, and are likelier to be more adventurous (73% vs. 47%).
Those who eat more sauce also tend to be more likely to smile (32% vs. 28%) and laugh (23% vs. 16%) more than 10 times a day.
More "sauce people" are also likelier to say they are generally "very happy" (35% vs. 28%), although non-sauce lovers tend to be likelier to have at least 25 "good days" in an average month (35% vs. 29%).
The stars may also dictate your preferences, as water signs swept for the most likely to say that they're "sauce people," while Leos (10%) and Virgos (10%) are more averse to sauces on their food.
"People are building entire meals around their favorite sauce. Ultimately, sauce deserves more credit," said Gollinger. "A sweet, tangy BBQ sauce can add depth to grilled meats, while a bold hot sauce can completely wake up a sandwich or salad. We like to say people should 'think sauce first.'"
FOODS AMERICANS USUALLY ADD SAUCE TO
French fries - 73%Chicken nuggets - 67%Hot dogs - 61%Chicken wings - 59%Cheeseburgers - 55%Tacos - 53%Nachos - 50%Deli sandwiches - 36%Pizza - 31%Vegetables - 29%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Sweet Baby Ray's and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 15 and May 19, 2025.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
Traditional online access panels - where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic - where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has "deduping" based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
The post French fries with tartar sauce? America's strangest sauce pairings appeared first on Talker.
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