This Raising Cane’s Sauce Recipe tastes JUST LIKE the original and is the best copycat recipe out there. It is tangy, creamy, peppery, and addicting and you will want to use it with literally everything.

Tried it and this is the closest recipe I’ve found! Think I’ll stick with making this one from now on. My husband loves Cane’s and he said it’s really close to the real thing! Thank you for your recipe

My husband and I brought home a huge container of sauce from a trip to visit his parents in Louisiana back in the Spring of 2019, and we experimented for days – trying different combinations of spices, ingredients, and timing to get the flavor just right. (It’s not on the menu but you can order a 32-ounce cup of sauce for around $6.)

We think this copycat recipe tastes just like the real thing, and I hope you like it.

This Copycat Cane’s Sauce recipe was one of the first recipes on my site back in 2019, and it continues to grow in popularity because it is so good! It is one of our favorite recipes, so I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

A jar of light orange Raising Cane's dipping sauce with a metal spoon on a gray wooden background.
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What is Raising Cane’s Sauce?

It is the signature sauce from Raising Cane’s Restaurants, a fast-food franchise that serves amazing fried chicken tenders with quite possibly the very best chicken dipping sauce that you will ever try. (Yes, it is better than Zax Sauce and Chick-fil-A Sauce.) 

The very first Raising Cane’s Restaurant was opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the Louisiana State University campus. My husband went to college at L.S.U. and made it through college on late-night Cane’s and pizza while studying engineering, so we have a special connection to this recipe. (We always go out of our way to stop for Canes on road trips.)

Someone leaked what they claimed to be the “official” recipe on Reddit a while ago, and this recipe is a little different than that one, but this is our favorite.

What Does It Taste Like?

Cane’s Sauce tastes a little tangy, a lot peppery, and has a little bit of spice.

It has a little bit of tang that comes from the mayonnaise and a little bit of sweet tomato flavor from ketchup. A heap of black pepper is the signature flavor that really complements fried foods, and combined with some spice from the creole seasoning and a bit of garlic powder – it is just so good.

  • It is not 1000 Island dressing – Thousand Island Dressing is thinner and is made with mayonnaise, pickle relish, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, sugar, and sometimes vinegar or lemon juice.
  • It does not taste like Chick-fil-A Sauce. Cane’s Sauce tastes peppery, and Chick-fil-A sauce is more of a sweet honey mustard and barbecue kind of sauce. They are both delicious but in their own ways.

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Raising Cane’s Sauce Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this copycat sauce at home. As always, specific measurements and complete instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Ketchup – You can use any kind of ketchup.
  • Mayonnaise – I recommend Blue Plate – it is from Louisiana, and we think it has the best flavor. My father-in-law will go to battle over Blue Plate. Our second choice would be Duke’s. (Don’t use Miracle Whip – it will be too sweet.)
  • Black Pepper – I like to use coarse ground black pepper. The coarser grind gives you that big, bold pepper flavor. If your pepper container says “table grind or coarse grind,” – that is perfect. That being said, there is nothing wrong with the “pure grind,” you just might find that you need to add a little more pepper to get the right amount of pepperiness. 
  • Garlic Powder – We just use plain old garlic powder or granulated garlic – not dehydrated minced garlic. Any brand will work, just don’t use garlic salt.
  • Worcestershire Sauce – Any kind works!
  • Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning – This is the little bit of lagniappe or “something extra” that I like to add to this recipe to make it as good as it is. It is not officially in the original recipe, but the addition of Tony’s Seasoning really takes this recipe over the top, and it’s what we think makes this recipe so good. (It used to be my “secret ingredient” that made this recipe unique, but my secret is out!)
A picture of the ingredients in Raising Cane's sauce in small bowls, labeled.

How to Make Raising Cane’s Sauce

1. Gather up all of your ingredients – mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and Tony’s.

2. Put it all in a small bowl and whisk it together.

The ingredients in Raising Cane's sauce in small bowls.

3. Put the sauce in an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate for at least 6 hours – the longer, the better.

An unmixed bowl of Raising Cane's dipping sauce on a wood background with a whisk and container of Tony's Creole Seasoning next to it.

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4. Dip stuff in it. We love it with french fries, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, and fried shrimp.

That’s all you need to do.

A jar of light orange Raising Cane's dipping sauce with a metal spoon and a jar of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning on a gray wooden background.

Even Better the Next Day

Let the sauce rest in the fridge for as long as you can resist before serving it.

A minimum of 6 hours will give you the best flavor (I KNOW – who wants to wait 6 hours?)

Seriously though, the longer, the better. The time it has to sit in the refrigerator allows the flavors to develop, so if you eat it right away, it will taste like ketchup – the sauce won’t taste like Cane’s sauce. We learned this from a lot of trial and error.

Make it the night before if you want it for lunch the next day or in the morning if you are planning to have it for dinner. It is worth the wait.

Two chicken tenders and a bowl of orange dipping sauce on top of raising cane's napkins.

Recipe Tips

  • Develop the Flavor – I am not joking when I say to let it sit for at LEAST 6 hours. If you taste it immediately, it will just taste like ketchup. Seriously, stick it in the fridge and come back later. You won’t regret it.
  • Add Tonys – Make sure you add Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. I have tested Slap Ya Mama, Homemade Cajun Seasoning, and Who Dats Creole Seasoning. They all make a yummy sauce, but Tony’s is the only one that gets the sauce flavor right. (Seriously, we tested this SO many times and so many different ways.)

Looking for More Copycat Recipes?

Since I first made this recipe, I’ve added a Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders recipe to my site that comes pretty close to Cane’s Chicken Tenders recipe, and these tenders are crunchy, juicy, and delicious! Served with a side of Copycat Raising Cane’s Coleslaw, it’s like a trip to Cane’s without leaving the house.

Cane’s Restaurants use crinkle-cut fries, so if you want to make your favorite Box Combo at home, bake up some frozen crinkle fries and some Texas toast, and start dipping! I was going to recreate Cane’s Texas Toast – but that soft bread is not easy to get. (It comes from a restaurant supplier and you have to buy a box of hundreds of slices.) 

Two homemade raising canes chicken tenders, canes sauce, and canes coleslaw on a white plate.

Storage

How to Store It

Store your sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a mason jar.

How Long Does It Last?

Use it within 5-7 days, though, I doubt it will last that long!

Have You Tried This Recipe?

Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!

A jar of homemade raising canes sauce dripping off of a spoon.

Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce Recipe

4.90 from 322 votes
This Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce Recipe tastes JUST LIKE the original and is perfect for chicken tenders. It is tangy, creamy, peppery, and addicting.
Author: Kari
Servings: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Gather all of your ingredients – garlic powder, Tony's Creole Seasoning, black pepper, ketchup, mayonnaise, and Worchestershire sauce.
    ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
    The ingredients in Raising Cane's sauce in small bowls.
  • Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
    An unmixed bowl of Raising Cane's dipping sauce on a wood background with a whisk and container of Tony's Creole Seasoning next to it.
  • Whisk until well combined.
  • Transfer to an airtight container.
  • Let your sauce sit in the refrigerator for a least 6 hours before serving. Leaving it overnight for 12-24 hours will give you the best flavor.

Video

Notes

Tips to Make the Best Sauce
-I am not joking when I say to let this sauce sit for at LEAST 6 hours. If you taste it immediately, it will just taste like ketchup. Seriously, pop it in the fridge and come back later. You won’t regret it.
-Make sure you add Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. It puts this sauce over the edge and makes it super tasty! I have tested Slap Ya Mama, Homemade Cajun Seasoning, and Who Dats Creole Seasoning. They all make a yummy sauce, but Tony’s is the only one that really gets the flavor right. (Seriously, we tested this SO many times and so many different ways.)
-While making your Cane’s Sauce, make a batch of Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders – they taste just like Cane’s Tenders, and they taste so good dunked in that perfect peppery sauce!
How to Store It
You should store Cane’s sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (We like to use a mason jar or Tupperware.)
Use the sauce within 5-7 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 318mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 1mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American, Cajun, Southern
Keyword: cane’s sauce, canes chicken tenders, canes dipping sauce, copycat canes sauce, raising canes copycat, raising canes sauce
Did you make this recipe?Mention @southernbytes or tag #southernbytes!

What to Serve with It

This sauce is, of course, meant for dipping crispy chicken fingers and crinkle fries, but you can use it for almost anything that you can think of that is best served dipped in or drenched in extra sauce. You can serve it with:

  • French Fries –This is a great fry sauce for dipping homemade french fries.
  • Sandwiches, Po Boys, Wraps, and Burgers – It is a great burger sauce or an aioli to use on fried chicken sandwiches or crispy chicken wraps.
  • Fried Seafood – It’s from Louisiana – of course, it goes great with fried fish or fried shrimp.
  • We also use it with hush puppies, dipping fresh veggies, tater tots, or grilled potato slices.

Can You Buy It in Stores?

Currently, you can only get it at the restaurant – so for now, you can also make it at home!

More Delicious Sauce Recipes

While we think this is the ONLY dipping sauce that you need, I have some other tasty sauces on my site as well:

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Hi, I'm Kari!

I am a newlywed, food blogger, health coach, and mama to a hot mess of a border collie. I love to put a new spin on old family recipes and I try to make as many meals as possible with an Instant Pot.

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4.90 from 322 votes (304 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Heather says:

    5 stars
    Thank you, Kari for making this recipe. My son loves it and absolutely loves your remix of the raising cane sauce. Thank you so much.

  2. Lacy says:

    5 stars
    Soooo good! Tastes just like what we get from Cane’s! Will definitely be making it often. 😋😋😋

    1. Kari says:

      I’m so glad you like it! 🔥

  3. Kate says:

    I added more Tony’s to it, but it was a fantastic base to start from. Thanks!