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McDonald's
Note: Hot Mustard Sauce is still available in select U.S. locations despite being discontinued nationally in 2015.
Discontinued: 1980s
Back when McNuggets were just finding their footing, McDonald’s took a bold swing at Southwestern flavor. Green Chili Salsa was part of the original diverse sauce lineup, in a time when the Golden Arches weren’t afraid to experiment.
This wasn’t your typical salsa. But sadly, it was discontinued in the early McNugget era, becoming a footnote in fast food history.
Discontinued: 1980s
Before McDonald’s settled on their current tangy BBQ formula, they flirted with smokier, more complex flavors. Mesquite Barbecue brought that authentic campfire taste to the drive-thru.
Like many bold flavors of the era, it just wasn’t ready for primetime yet. The mesquite smoke cleared, but the memory lingered.
Discontinued: 1980s
McDonald’s briefly dreamed of continental flavors with this Italian-inspired creation. Picture dipping your McNuggets in something that reminded you of Mediterranean herbs and tangy vinegar.
It was perhaps ahead of its time and vanished without a trace.
Discontinued: 1980s
Rich, garlicky, and unapologetically bold. Garlic Parmesan was McDonald’s answer to wing sauce culture before wing sauce culture was even a thing. Advertised as the ultimate nugget dip, it packed a serious flavor punch.
This sauce recently made a comeback in McDonald’s Canada’s nostalgic “Throwback Sauces” campaign. But you’ll have to trek north of the border to try it.
Discontinued: 2015
My favorite. Hot Mustard Sauce built the most devoted fan base in McDonald’s sauce history. Mildly spicy but massive in flavor, it quietly became the sauce of choice for those in the know.
But it was discontinued nationally in 2015, causing genuine heartbreak among fans.
It’s still available in select locations! And packets now sell for $2.50 each on Amazon—a 2,500% markup from the original 10-cent price.
Discontinued: 1990s
Long before Szechuan sauce became a phenomenon, McDonald’s first dabbled in Asian flavors with this straightforward teriyaki sauce. Sweet, salty, and completely different from the chain’s American staples.
It quietly disappeared decades before anyone thought to make it legendary.
Discontinued: 1992
When McDonald’s partnered with basketball legend Michael Jordan in 1992, they became one of the most iconic BBQ sauces in culinary history. The sauce paired with the McJordan burger and was exclusive to Chicago.
In 2012, a former franchise owner found an unopened gallon jug and auctioned it for nearly $10,000. That’s roughly $1,250 per cup of 20-year-old BBQ sauce.
Discontinued: 1998
Created to promote Disney’s “Mulan,” this sweet and tangy sauce should have been just another movie tie-in. Instead, it became a fast food legend.
In 2017, “Rick and Morty” mentioned it in passing. Fans went wild. McDonald’s brought it back for one day. Riots ensued. Police were called.
But luckily, they brought it back for a limited amount of time again a few years later.
Discontinued: 2014
McDonald’s tied this Asian-inspired sauce to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with... creative marketing logic. The connection made little sense, but the sauce made perfect sense.
Sweet with a spicy kick, flecked with red pepper. It lasted four solid years before vanishing.
Sweet Chili Sauce briefly returned in 2021 as part of the BTS Meal.
Discontinued: 2017
McDonald’s tried to marry America’s favorite dressing with Mexico’s favorite pepper. The result was smoky, creamy, and genuinely delicious.
According to former employees, it was “by an extremely wide margin, the poorest performing sauce.” America liked it spicy, but not Yucatan spicy.
Stores had to waste containers due to a lack of demand. One of the worst market failures in the chain’s history.
Discontinued: 2018
Designed specifically for McDonald’s breakfast bagels in Canada, Breakfast Sauce lived in the shadow of more popular menu items.
When the bagels struggled, the sauce went down with the ship. A classic case of being only as strong as your weakest menu partner.
Discontinued: 2021
In a year when everything felt uncertain, McDonald’s delivered certainty in spice. Created for their tempura-coated Spicy Chicken McNuggets, this was officially the hottest sauce in McDonald’s history.
Mighty Hot Sauce balanced heat with sweetness and garlic.
But it was popular enough to return for a second run in February 2021, only to vanish into the sauce archives.
Discontinued: 2021
When McDonald’s collaborated with the biggest boy band in the world, BTS, they needed a sauce worthy of the moment. McDonald’s food scientists created a dijon mustard base with honey sweetness and chili heat. Some compared it to gochujang.
While discontinued in the U.S., BTS Cajun sauce found new life in Australia, where you can still find it today on your next vacation in the land down under.
Discontinued: Unknown
For those who loved Big Mac sauce but craved more heat, this was the answer. Classic pickle-heavy tanginess meets sriracha fire.
But Sriracha Mac sauce was only available for a limited time, with rumors that it might one day top your next Big Mac again.
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