Chick-Fil-A Is Dropping A New Sauce For The First Time In 10 Years — But Not Every Fan Is Happy

Chick-fil-A's newest sauce hasn't dropped yet but it's already left fans with a bad taste in their mouth. The new Spicy Chick-fil-A Sauce drops on November 16, and at first glance it sounds like it should be a crowd-pleaser. The sauce is based on Chick-fil-A's classic namesake sauce but with spicy, hot pepper heat added to the original's smoky honey mustard profile, and will be served in classic dipping cups and sold in 8-ounce bottles. It's been a long time coming: This is the first time Chick-fil-A has added a new sauce to its permanent lineup since 2016 when the chain launched its Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Sauce. So, why are fans upset?

Admittedly, Chick-fil-A fans were excited to see the new sauce. "I'd definitely try it," one fan told Reddit. "Sounds good." Still, many people used the launch as an opportunity to vent about the chain's lack of spicy nuggets. "They'll do literally anything but make spicy nuggets apparently," one Redditor griped. "We just want a spicy option for the nuggets and tenders that's it," a fan wrote on Instagram. Some were more optimistic, like this Instagrammer who said, "Is this one step closer to spicy nuggets? I think so."

It's easy to understand why Chick-fil-A fans are so disappointed since customers have been begging for spicy nuggets for years. The chain did a test-run of spicy nuggets in a few select markets back in 2010, and two Georgia locations were recently test-running Spicy Chick-n-Strips this past September. Still, spicy strips and nuggets have never been a nationwide item.

Unfortunately, fan's heated fantasies may never come to fruition. On the Chick-fil-A subreddit, spicy nuggets have been a hot topic for nearly a decade. "Why doesn't CFA sell spicy chicken nuggets or spicy chicken tenders?" one Redditor asked in 2018. In the replies, one Chick-fil-A employee gave a disappointing answer: It's just not practical, logistically.

"The majority of stores barely have enough room in their thawing cabinets to keep up with current demand much less adding yet another type of chicken to the mix," the employee wrote. On other threads, commenters speculated that stores would need to buy separate fryers. Some Redditors also claimed demand wasn't as high as it seemed. "We tested them at our location," wrote one Redditor. "They didn't sell well."

Still, there's hope. Chick-fil-A played with fire last spring with the launch of its Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich, and the fast food chain sells a solid spicy chicken sandwich. Some customers clearly want the chain to bring the heat. Maybe the new sauce is a sign that Chick-fil-A is listening.