This Was The Worst Signature Fast Food Sauce To Ever Exist

For many years, ketchup and mustard were the standard condiments to pair with your favorite fast food meal. Now, it seems like chains have more dressings, dips, and sauces available than they do actual menu items. Several brands have even gone as far as creating their own exclusive condiments. However, just because a condiment has earned the right to be called a restaurant's "signature sauce," that doesn't necessarily mean it's deserving of the title. When Mashed ranked several fast food signature sauces from worst to best, we determined that the now-defunct Finger Lickin' Good sauce from KFC was the weakest of the bunch.

Our rankers examined the sauce's ingredients and customer reviews and considered several factors when making the decision, including originality and flavor — two things that Finger Lickin' Good sauce was seriously lacking. The condiment didn't offer much in terms of uniqueness, with several reviewers, including YouTuber Thought For Food, likening it to honey mustard with some additional spice.

That spice likely came from the use of KFC's secret signature spice blend in the recipe. While that combination of 11 herbs and spices works for the fried chicken chain's poultry, it didn't exactly work in this short-lived signature sauce, which was ultimately discontinued in 2020, just five years after its debut.

Unoriginal flavor profile aside, KFC's Finger Lickin' Good sauce also took hits from reviewers for its gloppy texture and lack of creaminess. However, once 2020 rolled in, the Colonel's signature condiment had an even bigger problem on its hands: its name. With 2020 marking the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were all advised to avoid touching our faces as much as possible to stop the spread of the virus. Though "Finger Lickin' Good" had long been the chicken chain's catchphrase, the restaurant didn't feel right using it during that time and decided to temporarily pause using the 64-year-old tagline.

KFC's famous slogan made its grand return to its marketing campaigns in 2021, but Finger Lickin' Good sauce became another notch on the list of KFC items that didn't last. Instead, the brand introduced a new signature sauce to replace what Mashed determined was the worst signature fast food sauce to ever exist. The newbie to KFC's condiment game was given the (hopefully) unproblematic name of KFC sauce, and is described on the restaurant's website as being "a smoky blend of tangy and sweet flavors."