Copycat Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce Recipe
This healthier version of Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce is still sweet, tangy, and smoky sauce, but with the added benefits of using tomato paste and apple cider vinegar as substitutes for processed ketchup and bottled barbecue sauce like many recipes out there call for. It pairs well with grilled chicken and vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for sweet potato fries.
I don’t do a lot of copycat recipes, particularly from fast-food chains. But I got so many requests for this favorite Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce, that I thought I’d give it a try, and yum! This sweet sauce is good! So good in fact, that I may have to try to make healthier versions of more of their menu items, such as their honey mustard sauce. And if you’re interested, I already have a healthier version of their regular sauce here.
What Is In Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce?
Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce has a long ingredient list. And interestingly enough, it’s possible that those ingredients change from region to region. Why do I say that? Because if you go to their main website, they won’t give you the ingredient list until you enter your area code.
So here is the ingredient list for what I would think would be the New England area and maybe beyond.
“Soybean oil, sugar, water, distilled vinegar, honey, mustard (water, distilled vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, spices. may contain paprika and garlic powder), tomato paste, egg yolks, salt, onion puree, natural smoke flavor, annatto color, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives, spice, xanthan gum, lemon juice concentrate, mustard seed, propylene glycol alginate, dehydrated onion, spices, caramel color, dehydrated garlic, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor“
Chic Fil A
As you can see, it’s not great. Something to remember the next time you get the urge to head through their drive-thru. There are some honest ingredients in there, but there are also plenty that aren’t so great. That’s a lot of additives to pack into one little packet of Chick-fil-A sauce!
Is Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce The Same As Chick-fil-A Sauce?
No, they are not the same. The main difference is the smoky flavor. Chick-fil-A has a smoky flavor, whereas honey-roasted BBQ sauce typically does not. I’m also pretty sure there is no mayo in the regular stuff.
How To Use This Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
This is a perfect sauce for:
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
- Chicken tenders
- Chicken sandwiches
- French fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Waffle fries
- Chicken nuggets
- Chicken club sandwiches
Recipe Cost For One Batch Of Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted Barbecue Sauce
This is an estimated cost breakdown for this recipe. Prices may vary depending on the store and location.
- Honey: $3.99 for a 12 oz jar (used 1/2 cup) – $1.33
- Tomato paste: $0.99 for a 6 oz can (used 1/4 cup) – $0.33
- Apple cider vinegar: $2.99 for a 16 oz bottle (used 2 tablespoons) – $0.19
- Dijon mustard: $2.29 for an 8 oz jar (used 1 tablespoon) – $0.18
- Yellow mustard: $1.59 for a 14 oz bottle (used 1 tablespoon) – $0.07
- Smoked paprika: $3.99 for a 2.5 oz jar (used 1 teaspoon) – $0.32
- Garlic powder: $1.99 for a 3.12 oz jar (used 1/4 teaspoon) – $0.04
- Salt and pepper: negligible cost
Total cost: $2.46
Per serving cost: $0.12
Recipe Tip:
The instructions in the recipe below tell you to mix everything but the mayo together first, and then whisk in the mayo once all the other ingredients are blended. This is because the tomato paste can be hard to dissolve and does take a bit of work to properly incorporate into the sauce. Leaving the mayo out until the end makes the process much easier. That said, if you want to make this in a blender, you can skip the extra step and simply blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
Dietary Exchanges
Vegan – Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Gluten-Free – There is no added gluten in this recipe. So the only thing you have to think about are the individual ingredients when you purchase them. Get gluten-free wherever it’s appropriate.
Keto – While there is no clean keto sweetener, I have used a xylitol honey my Natures Hollow. (Not paid to promote them).
Dairy-Free – This recipe is naturally dairy-free.
Sugar-Free – See my suggestion for keto folks, or try stevia.
Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce Recipe Variations
Here are some switches you can make to play around with the flavors a bit more.
Honey – Try molasses or maple syrup instead.
Garlic powder – Add onion powder, either in place of garlic powder or in addition to.
Black pepper – Add a bit if you want this to have a little more kick to it. A half teaspoon is plenty.
Extra paprika – If you want even more smoky flavor, double up on the smoked paprika. And if you don’t mind using it, you can even try a little hickory liquid smoke flavoring.
About The Ingredients
Honey – Any type you wish to use.
Tomato paste – No sugar added.
Apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
Yellow mustard – No sugar added.
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Salt
Mayonnaise – No sugar added.
How To Make Copycat Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the mayo.
Once you have a smooth blend, you can then whisk the mayo in. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve the sauce immediately or refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to one week.
Storage
This is best stored in a canning jar with an airtight lid. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing
This is not recommended for freezing.
Recipe Supplies
For this recipe, you’ll need a mixing bowl as well as a whisk.
You can also use a blender to make this if you prefer.
More Healthy Sauce Recipes
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Copycat Chick Fil A Honey Roasted Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. yellow mustard (no sugar added)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. mayonaisse
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the mayo.
- Once you have a smooth blend, you can then whisk the mayo in. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve the sauce immediately or refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted on 8/6/23.
