McDonald’s pulled a little Buffalo Ranch stealth drop – no press release, no fanfare. It just quietly slid it into the app and let social media do the rest.
If the name sounds familiar, you’re not imagining things. There was a Buffalo Ranch McChicken nearly 12 years ago, but this 2025 version is different.
It’s a fully blended sauce, available in several forms: in the Bacon Buffalo Ranch McCrispy, in a Snack Wrap, or as a dipping sauce for McNuggets or McCrispy Strips.
The first thing that hits you is the color. The bright shade of orange somehow scratches a nostalgic itch – the same one left over from drinking Squeezits and squeezing purple ketchup as a kid.
The dip packaging even gives me Selena Gomez Oreo energy for some reason. It’s the same size sauce container, but with a shiny maroon-ish lid—western-coded, complete with a little horseshoe.
And the more I think about it, the less I understand why Buffalo Ranch is western-coded.
I also noticed that McDonald’s felt the need to write THE new Buffalo Ranch on the lid – taking a page straight from The Ohio State. So maybe, from now on, I should refer to it as The New Buffalo Ranch. Yeehaw.
Flavor-wise, buffalo leads the charge, distinctly in the Frank’s RedHot family: tangy, vinegary, and familiar in the best way. The ranch isn’t overpowering but shows up in the creaminess, adding just enough body and cooling balance to round things out. The heat is fairly mild to me, but builds pleasantly.
I tried The New Buffalo Ranch in two ways, as a dip and in the McCrispy sandwich. The dip was solid, especially with McCrispy Strips, but the sandwich is where it really shines. I initially thought there wasn’t enough sauce, but it turned out to be plenty. The combo of tangy pickles, smoky bacon, and that creamy-spicy sauce hits every note: salt, heat, fat, acid!
It might’ve dropped without fanfare, but it doesn’t deserve to stay under the radar. The New Buffalo Ranch is a delicious and bold way to switch up your Mickey D’s order!
Purchased Price: $7.29 (Bacon Buffalo Ranch McCrispy), $5.99 (McCrispy Strips with Buffalo Ranch Sauce Cup)
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Bacon Buffalo Ranch McCrispy), 8 out of 10 (McCrispy Strips with Buffalo Ranch Sauce Cup)
Nutrition Facts: Bacon Buffalo Ranch McCrispy – 650 calories, 37 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1730 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 32 grams of protein.
