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    Home » Recipes » Copycat Chick fil A Sauce (Paleo)

    Published: Jan 27, 2020 by Alicia This post may contain affiliate links.

    Copycat Chick fil A Sauce (Paleo)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This copycat Chick fil A sauce is a clean, healthier alternative to the traditional smoky honey mustard dipping sauce. Made with all natural ingredients, you don't have to feel too guilty about adding this to your chicken nuggets. This one doesn't use BBQ sauce, so it's considered a paleo Chick fil A sauce.

    Honey, mustard, paprika, on a patterned cutting board with a bowl of honey mustard sauce

    Chick fil A Sauce Ingredients

    I used to live for this sauce until I was diagnosed with chronic migraine and realized that I needed to make some diet changes. In the past, one of my favorite things to do when I was having a bad day at work was to leave the office to pick up a chicken nugget kids meal at Chick-fil-A with TWO Chick-fil-A sauces. For those that don't know what Chick fil A sauce is, it's like a glorious smoky BBQ flavored honey mustard. Quite possibly the most delicious sauce I've had up until the sauce. This was back when I never used to read labels...and woof. This one is a doozy.

    While starting to clean up my diet, one of the changes was to give up MSG, including the hidden names for it, which you can find here. Unfortunately almost everything at Chick fil A from their sauces to their plain grilled chicken strips are filled with MSG. The word "natural flavor" is listed on the ingredients multiple times as well as the unclear "spices", which are all hidden names for monosodium glutamate. 

    Making your own at home is much cleaner and so much better for you, plus it's easy to do! For ingredients I used:

    • Sir Kensington's Organic Mayonnaise
    • Annie's Mustard
    • Local Honey
    • Trader Joe's Smoked Paprika
    • Distilled White Vinegar
    • Salt & Pepper to taste

    If you're looking for an egg-free option you can certainly use this vegan aquafaba mayo recipe. Or if eggs aren't an issue, this homemade mayonnaise would work well too. 

    A Migraine-Friendly & Paleo Honey Mustard Sauce

    What is really difficult is to make a smoky honey mustard sauce (similar to CFA) that is migraine-friendly! This is because most recipes contain BBQ sauce and to this day I cannot find a safe one in stores as they all use liquid smoke. 

    Liquid smoke is typically on avoid lists for most migraine diets and quite a few find it to be a trigger, even if they can have smoked meats. This leaves a difficult conundrum trying to make something taste smoky without using liquid smoke. I tend to like smoked paprika in this instance. Smoke paprika comes from pimento peppers that are dried and smoked over of a fire.

    Smoked paprika works great in this sauce because it adds a little pepper to the sweet, tangy honey mustard sauce. 

    A pile of chicken nuggets next to a bowl of homemade honey mustard chick fil a sauce

    How to Make Chick Fil A Sauce at Home

    This is really quite easy, just take all the ingredients above and stir them together and that's it. It takes about 5 minutes total, although I recommend chilling your sauce for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. The smoked paprika gets stronger as it sits for a while and really lends a nice BBQ flavor to the sauce.

    I'll have some chicken nugget and chicken tender recipes coming up, but felt this sauce was really able to stand alone. It would make a great dipping sauce for almost anything, like these chicken poppers. 

    Some other good options would be:
    Creamy Cilantro Sauce
    Honey Mustard Ranch
    Ranch Dip
    Whole30 Tartar Sauce

    A chicken tender dipped in honey mustard sauce with a bowl of sauce in the background next to chicken tenders

    A hand holding a chicken nugget with homemade Chick fil A sauce

    Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce

    A healthy and paleo-friendly update to the classic smoky honey mustard sauce we all love. Using simple and additive-free ingredients, this is a great dipping sauce for chicken, veggies, or fries!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Dressing, Kitchen Basic, Sauce
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 150kcal
    Author: Alicia

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup mayonnaise *see notes
    • 2 tablespoons mustard *see notes
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

    Instructions

    • Combine all the ingredients in a small both and stir till fully incorporated. Cover and allow it to sit in the fridge at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine. Taste and adjust any seasonings, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve cold or at room temperature.

    Notes

    • I used Sir Kensington's Organic Mayo for this recipe, but you can make traditional homemade or this egg-free homemade mayo.
    • For mustard, you can combine whole grain and regular yellow mustard for a nice combination, but I use mostly yellow mustard.
    • I used Trader Joe's smoked paprika for this recipe. I find a teaspoon gives it a really nice smoky BBQ flavor, however, if your smoked paprika is very strong, you may want to start out with ½-3/4 teaspoon and go from there. 
    • Usually I don't end up seasoning this with salt and pepper. I find it's great on it's own. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @thedizzycook or tag #thedizzycook!
    « Protein Powder and Migraine: Which One is Best?
    Paleo Chicken Nuggets »

    About Alicia

    Alicia is a vestibular migraine advocate and the bestselling author of The Dizzy Cook: Managing Migraine with More Than 90 Comforting Recipes and Lifestyle Tips. Her articles and recipes have been featured by Healthline, Parade, mindbodygreen, Today, Good Morning Texas, the Vestibular Disorders Association, and the American Migraine Foundation. Read More

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kaitlyn says

      April 11, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      I like this sauce! I love dipping, so I have enjoyed this on everything!

      Reply
    2. Bridget says

      February 06, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this many times and it is so delicious! Tonight, I’m making homemade fries to go with it. Often times will make the crispy chicken tenders and the sauce is perfect with them.

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        February 07, 2021 at 5:18 pm

        Oh my gosh that sounds so good!!

        Reply
    3. Anne says

      November 10, 2020 at 9:13 am

      5 stars
      This sauce is incredible and easy. Will never go back.

      Reply
      • Mandy says

        November 07, 2021 at 3:49 pm

        5 stars
        I love this recipe so much that I now crave it when I’m having a high pain day. I use it with the chicken tenders recipe as well as a dipping sauce for basic roasted chicken. It’s also good with plain baked fish. I even dip roasted brussel sprouts in it sometimes!

        Reply
    4. Bo says

      September 21, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      So good! I’m basically eating everything with this sauce. Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Kathryn says

      June 11, 2020 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      My whole family LOVED this sauce! Very tasty.

      Reply
    6. Caileen says

      February 20, 2020 at 6:21 pm

      5 stars
      Already commented under the fried chicken recipe (recommended!) but wanted to emphasize my appreciation for this copycat sauce. I followed this recipe exactly and left the sauce to cool in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes before serving. It was sooo delicious and I will definitely be making this again. My only comment would be it didn't taste exactly like chick fil a sauce (I prefer the more sharp taste of this) but it would be simple to add more honey for a sweeter copy.

      Reply

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

    About The Dizzy Cook

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    Favorite Healthy Recipes

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

    About The Dizzy Cook

    Popular Recipes

    • Creamy Boursin Pasta
    • Beef Stew Recipe without Wine
    • Lazy Lasagna
    • No Tomato Chili (Texas-Style)
    • Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
    • Air Fryer Flank Steak

    Get New Posts via Email

    Subscribe for new recipes, tips, and discounts.

    Favorite Healthy Recipes

    • Stir Fry Without Soy Sauce
    • Beef Protein Bowl
    • Mediterranean Baked Halibut
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast (Wine-Free)
    • Baked Chicken Kabobs
    • Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

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