Raising Cane's Dipping Sauce is a tangy, creamy, peppery, and addicting dipping sauce that goes with literally everything. We love it with french fries, chicken tenders, and burgers.
This recipe was one of the first recipes on my site and it continues to grow in popularity because it is so good! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
👩🏻🍳 What is Raising Cane's Sauce?
Raising Cane's is a fast-food franchise, that serves amazing fried chicken tenders with quite possibly the very best chicken dipping sauce ever. It is my husband's favorite food group.
The very first Raising Cane's was opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the Louisiana State University campus (where my husband went to college) and it is still really popular all over the United States, especially in the South.
🥘 Cane's Sauce Ingredients
- Ketchup - You can use any kind of ketchup - we usually use Simply Heinz because it does not have high fructose corn syrup in it, but it doesn't really matter. (We once agreed to make it for a party and I was about two tablespoons short, so I used a few ketchup packets from our takeout stash - it still turned out great!)
- Mayonnaise - Our favorite kind is Blue Plate - it is from Louisiana and we think it has the best flavor. My father in law will go to battle over that mayonnaise. (Here’s a fun history about Blue Plate - https://blueplatemayo.com/about/.) Our second choice would be Duke’s. I tried to find good links to both but the cheapest option is to buy a pack of 4 - or get them in the store - otherwise, they are like $10 a jar on Amazon. (If you’re really ambitious, you can get a gallon of Blue Plate for $9 - I’m thinking that might be a great Christmas gift for my father in law 😉 or you can get really crazy and buy 12 jars of Duke’s.. )
- Black Pepper - I like to use a coarse ground black pepper - there isn’t always a noticeable difference in dishes when using different size grinds of pepper, but I think one of the best parts of Cane’s sauce is it’s pepperiness, so the coarser grind gives you that big, bold 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/granulated garlic - not dehydrated garlic. I have used several different brands and it doesn’t change the taste
- Worcestershire Sauce - I like to use the Lea and Perrins brand, but have also used the cheaper versions like the Heinz brand and the Publix store brand.
- Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning - Tony Chachere's Seasoning is the little bit of lagniappe (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.
🥣 How to Make Cane's Sauce
Making your own Cane's Sauce is really simple. First, gather up all of your ingredients - mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.
Then, you literally just put it all in a bowl and whisk it together.
Put the sauce in an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate for at least 6 hours - the longer the better - then enjoy it. That's all you need to do.
I will probably say this ten times in this post, but the best way to get the real Cane's flavor is to let the sauce sit 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 for Cane's?!)
Seriously though, the longer the better for this sauce. If you eat it right away it will taste like ketchup - we learned this from a lot of trial and error. We either make it the night before if we want it for lunch or in the morning if we are planning to have it for dinner. It is worth the wait.
Want to make this along with me?
🍳 Raising Cane's Sauce Uses
Cane's sauce is, of course, meant for dipping crispy chicken tenders, but you can use it for almost anything that you can think of that is good dipped in a sauce.
We use it for:
- french fries - I love to use this recipe from Against All Grain
- sweet potato fries - We love these Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potato wedges
- as an "aioli" for sandwiches and burgers
- dipping fresh veggies
🐓 What Does Raising Cane's Sauce Taste Like?
Raising Cane's Sauce is a little tangy, a little peppery, and has a little bit of spice. It has a little bit of tang that comes from mayonnaise and a little bit of the sweet tomato flavor from ketchup. All balanced out by a heap of black pepper, some spice from Tony Chachere's seasoning, and a bit of garlic powder.
I recently heard from someone that they use dijon mustard, onion powder, and salt as well and it made their sauce fantastic. I haven’t tried that combination yet, but let me know if you do!
✏️ Helpful Tips
- 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 takes this sauce over the edge and makes it super tasty!
🥦 Can You Make this Paleo or Vegan?
One of the biggest perks of making your own sauce at home is that you can make it fit whatever diet that you are following. You can control what goes into it. You can make it Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, and even vegan. I have now created a separate post with my Paleo Raising Cane's Sauce since so many people were looking for tips to make it!
(The gist is that you just need to use Paleo mayonnaise or Vegan mayonnaise, Paleo ketchup (without added sugar for Whole30), and Paleo Worcestershire Sauce (most have some kind of added caramel color/sugar/gluten/soy - this recipe is really good.) )
If you don't want to customize your sauce, you can use whatever mayonnaise or ketchup that you have in your refrigerator - to be honest, that is what we often do. This recipe is so easy, so delicious, and so forgiving no matter what ingredients you use
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Any homemade sauce can, unfortunately, expire, though I doubt this sauce will last long enough to go bad. You should store your sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (We like to use a mason jar or a Tupperware.)
Use the sauce within 10-14 days if you are using store-bought ingredients to make it - if you are making a vegan or paleo version of this recipe and opt to make homemade mayonnaise, try to use it within 5 - 7 days. (Ketchup and mayonnaise with additives will last a bit longer than homemade versions.)
*I hate that I have to add this, but - I am by no means trying to steal or sell the real Raising Cane's Sauce - we can't get it here and that makes us sad! The real recipe as I have been told by many an angry message does not have any Tony Chachere's Seasoning in it. This recipe does, and it is damn delicious. Apparently, a bitter employee also leaked what they claim is "the real recipe" on Twitter and it is a little different as well.
My recipe is what we have found to be the closest recipe to the real deal and it is our favorite sauce for dipping all of the things. Until Raising Cane's starts selling their sauce in a bottle or opens a location near us, we will keep making our own at home! (Since I first wrote this post, I have made a Copycat Raising Cane's Chicken Tenders post 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. I hope you enjoy all three recipes!)
🌶️ Other Great Cajun & Creole Recipes
- Southern-Style Collard Greens
- Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
- Creole Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
- Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham
- Shrimp Creole
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Raising Cane's Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 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
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
- Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
- 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 24 hours will give you the best flavor.
Notes
- 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!
- Store your Cane's sauce in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Jerry
This was phenomenal! Thought I was eating at Canes. The addition of the Tony's is key and makes it unique.
Kari
So glad you liked it! The Tony's was the perfect touch for the perfect sauce!
Kyle
Hands down the best canes sauce recipe out there. Others are putting lemon juice, curry powder, and all kinds of strange things. This was perfect!!! So amazing!!!
Kari
So glad you liked it!
Laurie
The best sauce, use it all the time!!!
Katie
I tried this and I forgot to make it earlier In the morning and I used it about 20 minutes later and it tasted pretty good to me
Logan
So good! BeSt One i’Ve found!
Kari
So glad you like it!!
Britt
This is so yummy. I go heavy on the Tony's, but everything else the same. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! 💖
ashley
i tried it with heinz 57 sauce and garlic powder soo good
Ryan L
I found some ketchup and mayo mix in a bottle at the store, grabbed it and forgot the dang ketchup as i was going to try both, do you think it would be close to this if i added all the other ingrediants and whisked it together and let sit as in the instructions?! Thanks!
Dave
I had misplaced my Cane's Sauce recipe and did a quick search for it online. As soon as I saw you added Tony Chachere's to it, I knew I had the NEW right recipe, because that was the one addition I made to mine as well. Tony's goes in so many things at our house, as well as shakers in the car for when we find ourselves in drive throughs. Perfect addition. Ignore the haters, they just haven't tried Tony's yet.
Kari
You guys sound like my kind of people - Tony's in everything!
Anthony
Hi Kari! I live in Mentor, OH and wwe just had Raising cane's open in the 19th. Can you tell me if Tony's is similar to old bay seasoning? I do not think we have Tony's here.
Kari
Hey Anthony! It's actually very different. Old Bay has different spices in it and isn't as spicy as Tony's. If you can't find Tony's locally, they sell it on Amazon and it is delicious on everything so it is worth buying! (We love putting it on chicken with a little olive oil and grilling it or searing it - it's really good!)
Kate
Anthony, I'm in Mentor too and I bought Tony's seasoning at Walmart up in Chardon. I forget what aisle it's in, but they definitely have it!
A O
This was great! I added about a TBSP of white distilled vinegar and it tasted even closer to the sauce. Love! 💫
Kari
What a great idea! I'll try that next time we make it! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Kelly Howell
I love Canes but I don't care for the sauce. My family absolutely loves it. I tried this tonight w my fried chicken (on a honey bun w corn meal) & my family 👪 loved it. Said it was perfect. Thank you so much!
Beej
Upped the garlic and Worcestershire and added smoked paprika and cayenne. Was great
Neal
This recipe is Right On!! Delicious
Kari
Thanks!
Holly
This is a great recipe. We make baked fried chicken and its perfect. This is really close to raising Canes but better. I make my own cajun seasoning and use that and like thIs sauce better than raising canes. Plus their chicken is so Greasy. Thank you for this recIpe. Its always requested on birthdays from my kids. Sorry if this is in all caps.
CB
Sounds like a good copycat though I believe a little lemon would make it even closer to the real deal. Thanks for the post.
Robin Teeple
My son works next door to a Raising Canes. He would bring it home at least once a week. I made this sauce and he loves it. We now just make chicken strips at home and use this sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Kari
Thanks, Robin! So glad you guys like it! 🙂
Kristen Cottano
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 u for ur recipe ????
Kristen Cottano
Also, all these same ingredients are what I use to make my crawfish dip when we boil crawfish! And it's amazing!!
Kari
I’m so glad you guys liked it! I’m definitely going to try it as a crawfish dip - that sounds awesome!
Colleen | Bakes & Blunders
My husband doesn't know it yet, but he's thanking you! We loved Raising Cane's when we were in Ohio, but I don't think we have any nearby now. Thanks for making a yummy copycat recipe!
Kari
My fiance says it is as good as the real thing - hope you guys enjoy!
Erika
My kids LOVE Raising Cane’s and they always ask for extra sauce. Definitely going to have to make this.
Kari
I hope you guys enjoy it! We love it!
Debbie Wright
My oldest son would love this!! He always gets extra sauce at Cane's ...Can't wait to to try it .
Beth
This sounds fantastically flavorful! And I love sauces that I can just whisk together. I will look for Tony's in Denver, though I see it's available on Amazon. Looking forward to it!