It’s a classic taste of Americana: crispy chicken tenders paired with a pile of perfectly salted fries. But this beloved combination is made even more craveable when it’s paired with sauce. Chicken tenders and fries—both so perfectly dippable—feel unfinished without a sauce or two adding depth of flavor and texture.

“Sauces complete the experience of certain menu items,” says Kasey McDonald, head of culinary for Culver’s, the Wisconsin-based burger-and-custard institution. “Let’s face it: Some things are meant to be dipped and need a sauce to complement them.” Indeed, sauces have become table stakes in customizing core menu items and pushing flavor boundaries, with many incorporating global ingredients and cusines.

In the case of Pokeworks, a California-based, Hawaiian-inspired chain serving up poke bowls, salads and burritos, the sauce category allows for frequent experimentation of fresh, global influences. Each sauce on the menu is crafted to achieve the perfect mixture of salt, fat, acid and umami, pulling flavors from the world over. Options such as Korean-inspired Sweet Chili Gochujang or the O.G. Shoyu Sauce encourage guests to fuse flavors and remix their favorite bowls and burritos.

“Sauces are one of the most impactful yet cost-effective ways to introduce new flavors to a menu,” says Mike Wu, co-founder and head of culinary at Pokeworks. “They are the best lever to pull, allowing Pokeworks to bring bold, global flavor influences without overhauling the menu. Plus, sauces give guests a reason to return, either because they’ve fallen in love with a signature sauce or they can’t wait to try another flavor.”

Credit: Pokeworks

Pokeworks brings an extra layer of customization to its build-your-own bowls through an array of sauces, from Soy Garlic and OG Shoyu to Sweet Chili Gochujang and Serrano Aïoli.

As shown by Pokeworks’ strategy, condiments straddle the line between menu staple and endlessly riffable finishing touch. The brand offers a range of sauces that each perform different flavorful functions. For instance, salty-savory options like Umami Shoyu deepen seafood’s natural freshness, while creamier condiments such as Sriracha Aïoli complement spicy toppings like sliced Serrano peppers.

The Pokeworks culinary team strives to create the perfect marriage between a sauce and other dish components, both the protein star (like marinated Ahi tuna or North Atlantic lobster) and the supporting toppings (such as savory, earthy Hijiki seaweed). Take, for example, its OG Shoyu Sauce, which blends oyster sauce and garlic while delivering a touch of sweetness. “We specifically introduced the watercress topping with our OG Shoyu Sauce because it balances the flavors of the sauce through the peppery, spicy and mild bitterness of the watercress,” Wu says. “When a sauce is well-balanced, it enhances the food without overpowering it.”

For international Korean chicken chain Bonchon, developing signature sauce flavors and integrating them into key menu items helps define the brand. These sauces aren’t limited to dipping and drizzling; they’re also brushed directly onto the chicken itself—an application that differentiates Bonchon from other fried-chicken-and-sauce combos. CEO Suzie Tsai says the brand aims to keep its selection simple yet dynamic, with the original Soy Garlic and Spicy sauces at the heart of the brand’s condiment options. In their development, the brand looked to Korean staples, including bold and tangy kimchi and umami-packed bulgogi. Bonchon’s limited-time sauces, however, take inspiration from a variety of cuisines and regions, from Southeast Asia to the U.S. and beyond, helping the brand communicate its range of global influences without straying too far from its Korean roots.

“Korean culinary traditions are essential to our condiment development because they provide a rich, authentic foundation,” Tsai explains. “However, we also want to innovate in a way that makes these flavors approachable and craveable for an American audience.”

This approach finds further expression in other offerings, such as Bonchon’s newly launched MoPo Corn Dog. This take on the wildly popular Korean street food combines gooey mozzarella, crispy breading and crunchy potato cubes—plus a bit of customization. Guests can order the MoPo dog coated in the brand’s Soy Garlic Sauce, or in Cinnamon Sugar for a more adventurous, sweet-and-salty bite. From there, diners can choose from an array of dipping sauces, including Japanese mayo, Spicy Mayo, Ranch, Cucumber Wasabi or Bibimbap, to complete this rich snacking experience.

Credit: Culver's

Whether drizzled atop fried cheese curds and fries or served as a chicken tender dipper, Culver’s iconic cheddar sauce further confirms its Midwestern roots.

Although global cuisines are wowing U.S. consumers, don’t count out the popularity of classic American flavors—think Culver’s warm Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese sauce, an homage to its Midwestern roots. These can be further elevated through sophisticated flavor play. For example, Culver’s Signature Sauce gets its flavor depth by combining buttermilk with Parmesan and blue cheese.

Still, the brand is well-aware of growing consumer interest in globally influenced sauces. As McDonald explains, core menu favorites are the perfect vehicles for condiments that push boundaries. “It’s much easier to try a new sauce when it’s paired with a classic that you know and love, like our Wisconsin cheese curds, chicken tenders or pretzel bites,” she says. “Our guests want to try new condiments. And we love that it’s such a low-risk way to go on a new flavor journey.”