Burger King Zesty Sauce is one of Burger King’s most popular sauce recipes, if you have never tried it has the perfect combination of heat and acid to take onion rings to a whole new level.
Zesty Sauce for Onion Rings and More
Zesty onion ring dipping sauce is great for onion rings, but it would also go well on a hamburger, a roast beef sandwich, or anything fried. It has just the right amount of acid and heat to cut through anything deep-fried.
Why this Copycat Burger King Zesty Sauce Recipe in the Best
I have read a few recipes online, and to be honest, I think most are very similar. They all contain mayonnaise, paprika, horseradish, and lemon; some have mustard.
What is missing is a bit of umami. To address this, I add a drop or two of soy sauce. That extra flavor balances the sauce.
What’s in Burger King Zesty Dipping Sauce
If you have tasted this sauce before, you will notice notes of horseradish, lemon, and more. It’s a delicious combination of flavors with sweet and spicy accents.
Burger King Zesty Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – Creates the creamy base and smooth texture
- Prepared horseradish – Adds sharp heat and signature bite
- Cayenne pepper – Brings subtle lingering spice
- Prepared mustard – Adds tang and depth
- White vinegar – Sharpens the sauce and balances richness
- Lemon juice – Brightens the flavor and enhances acidity
- Salt – Enhances all flavors
- Sugar – Softens acidity and balances heat
- Ketchup – Adds sweetness, color, and mild tomato depth
- Soy sauce – Provides umami and rounds out the overall flavor
Zesty Burger King Sauce is Easy to Make!
Do you have a bowl? Raid your refrigerator and spice cabinet; in about 5 minutes, you will make a sauce everyone loves. If you like easy Burger King recipes, be sure to check out my Burger King recipe collection.
How to Make Burger King Zesty Sauce
- Place all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir until it’s well combined.
- Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Then you will be known as the king of sauces!
CopyKat Tip: Taste the sauce; if you want a little more kick or more spice, add horseradish or cayenne pepper.
What to Serve with the Sauce
While this sauce is a perfect dip for onion rings, it’s also great as a marinade for chicken or as a sauce for pasta. Here are some ideas:
- French Fries – because a change from ketchup is just what hits the spot.
- Fried Vegetables – either battered, breaded, or tempura.
- Fried Appetizers – mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers.
- Burgers and sandwiches – Use it as a tangy spread instead of mayo to elevate a burger, sandwich, hot dog, or wrap.
- Chicken – great for chicken nuggets and chicken strips.
- Salad – Use this creamy sauce instead of Thousand Island or Ranch.
How to Store Homemade Onion Ring Sauce
Store this delicious dipping sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.
How long does this sauce last in my refrigerator?
This homemade dipping sauce lasts for about a week in your refrigerator. You can make this sauce a day or two ahead of time. The sauce tastes better a few hours after you make it because the ingredients marry and meld together.
Want more perfect dipping sauces? Try these!
- Homemade Onion Ring Dip
- Honey Mustard Sauce Chick-fil-A
- How to Make Cocktail Sauce
- Jalapeno Ranch Dip
- Curry Dip
- Raising Cane’s Sauce
- Red Robin Campfire Sauce
- Raising Cane’s Dipping Sauce
- TGIF Jack Daniels Sauce Recipe
- Vegetable Dip
- Zaxby’s Zax Sauce
Top Fast Food Burger Copycat Recipes
Be sure to check out more of my restaurant sauce recipes and the best copycat recipes for home cooking.
Burger King Zesty Sauce Copycat
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseraddish
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 drop soy sauce
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well blended.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Video
Notes
- Hamburgers
- Roast beef
- Sandwiches
- Fried mushrooms
- 🥄 “Measure Precisely: Horseradish strength varies by brand – start conservative!”
- 🌡️ “Temperature Matters: Room temp ingredients blend better”
- ⏰ “Rest & Taste: Flavors develop over time – taste after 30 minutes”
Burger King discontinued their zesty sauce, which has been an absolute favourite of mine for years. This is the first site that popped up on Google and it had really great ratings. I just made it to go with my fries that I got from BK on Skip, and it is bang on. I’m so happy lol
Also tastes GREAT on burritos!
This recipe is spot on! It taste EXACTLY like the Burger King zesty sauce! I would be paying extra for this sauce and now I can make it whenever I want! Thank you sooo much for this recipe!
Stop on! Love this recipe. Better than Burger King and easy to make.
I use BK zesty sauce cups to marinade chicken. So good, esp on the bbq!
I thought the cayenne measurements were too much so I halved it, turned the measurements were spot on. Thank you very much, perfect recipe!
I totally agree should use l/4 teaspoon instead
I used Vegan Mayo and it turned out great. I made a gallon and let it sit over night and it was gone at the party the next day.
What can I replace horseradish with?
I am not sure, it has its own unique flavor. If you don’t want it zesty, I would just omit it.
Spot on! My husband can’t get enough!! 😋
The only reason to subject oneself to the onion rings a BK is the sauce. This recipe is so easy and so close to their zesty sauce that you can now have the sauce and make your own onions rings, far better than anything BK can even imagine. Not to mention that this sauce has real ingredients, not a long list of chemicals.
The Baby Rays has no kick. It’s a good sauce but rather bland as opposed to the BK zesty. This recipe is the closest I’ve found to that sauce. I read BK is going to bottle it and Publix will sell it soon.
That was a really good sauce! VERY Similar to Burger Kings! Thank you!
PSA. Sweet baby rays secret sauce is identical for zesty sauce. My mom has been obsessed for years and I finally found an indentical sauce lol yw!!!
Really good. Tastes somewhat similar but if you like the BK sause this is pretty good!
This tastes very close to the real thing, and even if it’s not, it’s a really good sauce. I used pure horseradish instead of prepared for a spicier kick (in the same amount) and it may now be my favorite condiment.
This is very close to the real thing.
I would swear there was a bit of horseradish in their sauce?
I would swear she listed horseradish in the ingredient list.
Lol