Dunk Your Tater Tots In Cowboy Sauce For Pops Of Zesty Flavor

There's just something about crispy, golden brown tater tots that hits the spot every time. Whether they're served with hamburgers, pizza, or all by themselves, it's unlikely there will be any leftovers. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor that puts them into comfort food territory, but it's hard to imagine ever turning a side of tater tots down. And while they're good with ketchup, fry sauce, and regular ranch, they really deserve their own special sauce. Which is exactly what they get with cowboy sauce.

Not to be confused with cowboy butter, this light orange-colored dipping sauce is super smooth and creamy without being buttery. At the same time, it's also sweet and zesty — which makes it the perfect pairing for starchy, salty tater tots. It can come with a kick of citrus and a punch of heat too. This mingling of different flavors is what makes it especially craveable.

It's pretty easy to guess what goes into cowboy sauce just based on the name. But think about it this way: what do cowboys work on? A ranch. And what kind of food preparation are they associated with? Cooking over an open fire (also known as barbecue). And there you have the ingredients in cowboy sauce: ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. That's all it takes to make this sauce in its simplest form. Equal parts of each will give you the most balanced flavor, but feel free to go heavier on one or the other if you prefer the sauce to be either a little sweeter or a little creamier.

If you'd prefer a spicier version of cowboy sauce, then toss in a dollop of horseradish or a few squirts of hot sauce. A squeeze of lime can also give it a bright, citrusy flavor that evens everything out. But really, you can doctor it however you want. Or, you can just stick with the basic combination of ranch and barbecue sauce — your cowboy sauce will still be plenty tasty!

Well, of course not, that would be silly. Cowboy sauce is perfect with just about any fried food. Can't decide between barbecue sauce and ranch dressing for your chicken strips, tenders, or nuggets? You don't have to, just mix them together, and voilà, you've got the perfect dip for any of them. Cowboy sauce is worth trying with anything that goes well with either barbecue sauce or ranch dressing, such as jalapeño poppers, fried zucchini, French fries, pizza, chicken wings, and onion rings.

Cowboy sauce isn't just for dipping either. Slather it on your next cheeseburger or chicken sandwich for a tangy creaminess that will blow regular mayonnaise out of the water. Or get really creative and drizzle some on your next salad. It's hard to imagine going wrong with cowboy sauce, whether you stick with just dunking tater tots in it or branch out.