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McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce at 2% of an adult’s daily calories, 17% of the daily sodium limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 2.2 teaspoons of added sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce? It contains 45 calories, 0g of fat (0g saturated), 9g of added sugar and 260mg of sodium.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, then choose your age and sex, and switch between US and UK guidance, for a more accurate view of how a Tangy Barbeque Sauce fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

Calories45
Total fat0g
of which saturated0g
Trans fat0g
Carbohydrate11g
Total sugars9g
Includes added sugars9g
Fibre0g
Protein0g
Sodium260mg

Nutrition figures are McDonald’s USA published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains 45 calories, which is 2% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 0g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 9g of total sugars (9g added), 260mg of sodium, 0g of protein and 0g of fibre.

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce is a single manufactured product. Across the whole item the ingredient list names corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, storage and transport.

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce is over the US per-meal added sugar limit

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains 9g of added sugar, 0.9 times the 10g per-meal limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The same guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children aged 10 and under.

FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)

Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g

Added sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

Effectively all 9g counts as added sugar, or about 2.2 teaspoons against the 10g per-meal limit.

Added sugars come from

  • high fructose corn syrup, dextrose

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: no more than 10g of added sugar per meal from age 11 and none for children aged 10 and under. FDA Daily Value: 50g a day. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce is a single manufactured product. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Corn syrups and invert sugar

Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Dextrose

A simple sugar used for browning, bulk and mild sweetness. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Modified starches

Starches altered industrially to thicken, bind or hold texture through freezing and reheating. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Thickeners and gums

Thicken sauces, fillings and drinks and stop them separating. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Colours

Restore or standardise appearance after processing. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the tangy barbeque sauce.

Boone classifies McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, September 2026.

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains at least 23 distinct ingredients: 13 raw and 10 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 56, of which 29 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.

Ingredient count by order: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce on its own13102343%
McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce + medium fries16132945%
McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce + fries + a dip17143145%
McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola18163447%
McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce + fries + dip + drink + an OREO McFlurry27295652%

The 10 manufactured ingredients

caramel color, cellulose gum, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, natural flavor, natural smoke flavor, sherry wine powder, sodium benzoate, xanthan gum.

The 13 raw ingredients

chili pepper, distilled vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, red wine vinegar, salt, soy sauce, soybean, soybean oil, spice, tomato paste, water, wheat.

What those ingredients are, by type

Other additives and processing aids6
Fruit, vegetables and nuts4
Sugars and syrups2
Acids and acidity regulators2
Flavourings and extracts2
Water1
Salt and minerals1
Starches1
Herbs and spices1
Grains and flours1
Oils and fats1
Colours1

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “leavening (baking soda)” counts baking soda once. Ice and water added at the counter are not counted. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet ’n Sour sauce.

Ingredients

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce is listed by McDonald’s USA as a single component.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

Tangy barbeque sauce

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Tomato Paste, Red Wine Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Contains 2% Or Less: Modified Food Starch, Spices, Soy Sauce (water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Cellulose Gum, Chili Peppers, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Onion Powder, Sherry Wine Powder, Natural Flavors.

Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s USA product pages, retrieved September 2026, with obvious spelling errors corrected. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains wheat and soy.

Allergen information: McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce

AllergenStatus
MilkNot declared
EggsNot declared
FishNot declared
Crustacean shellfishNot declared
Tree nutsNot declared
PeanutsNot declared
WheatContains
SoybeansContains
SesameNot declared

The tangy barbeque sauce lists unnamed spices, which may include mustard. Contains = declared by McDonald’s USA. May contain = McDonald’s states the allergen may be present. McDonald’s prepares food in shared kitchens, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list names them. Retrieved September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains 45 calories, which is 2% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value and 3% of the daily needs of a moderately active child aged 4 to 8.

How much added sugar is in a McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains 9g of added sugar, about 2.2 teaspoons, which is 18% of the 50g FDA Daily Value.

Is McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce within US sugar guidance for children?+

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 recommend no added sugar for children aged 10 and under and no more than 10g per meal from age 11. With 9g of added sugar, McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce fits the per-meal limit for ages 11 and up but not the guidance for younger children.

How much sodium is in a McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce?+

McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce contains 260mg of sodium. Boone calculates that as 17% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 11% of the 2,300mg adult limit.

Is McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is a single manufactured product and contains corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

Is McDonald's US Tangy Barbeque Sauce suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 9g of added sugar is above the Dietary Guidelines advice of no added sugar for children aged 10 and under. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Tangy Barbeque Sauce uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.