- Wendy’s says its Sweet and Sour sauce will return in spring 2026 after being removed in September 2025.
- Sweet and Sour was cut when Wendy’s launched Tendys and introduced six new, larger dipping sauces for “maximum dunkability.”
- Wendy’s cited heavy social media feedback and partnered with creator Jaz Smith to share the news.
If you’ve ordered Wendy’s nuggets or tenders in the past few months and felt like something was missing, you’re not imagining it. One very specific dip quietly vanished, and the internet did what it does best: made a lot of noise and refused to move on.
Well, Wendy’s heard it all and has now confirmed that its Sweet and Sour sauce is returning in spring 2026, just a few months after it disappeared from menus in September 2025. The brand says it knows it didn’t exactly get away with that swap in silence either. In a statement, Wendy’s said it saw “hundreds of comments across social media” from customers who weren’t thrilled about losing the sauce, and that they were “making it right.”
So why did it disappear in the first place? Back on September 30, Wendy’s launched its revamped Chicken Tenders (a.k.a Tendys) and introduced a new lineup of six sauces that were nearly double the size for “maximum dunkability.” The new options were Wendy’s Signature, Sweet Chili, Scorchin’ Hot, Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, and Honey Mustard—and they replaced older sauces, including Sweet and Sour.
Wendy’s is also very aware that this isn’t a “just another condiment” situation. The brand pointed to survey findings showing that 77% of people say sauce “makes the meal” when they’re eating tenders, nuggets, or strips—and that nine in ten Americans use dipping sauces regularly… which explains why Sweet and Sour’s disappearance turned into a real online campaign instead of a blink-and-you-miss-it menu change moment.
To break the comeback news, Wendy’s tapped creator Jaz Smith to announce it on social media.
“No dream is ever too big,” Smith said in a TikTok video. “You guys, we did it… I had a call with Wendy’s, and they agreed that the sauce does need to come back. It will take some time to bring it back, but there will be some exciting things in the meantime.”
So no matter what happens to the sauce shelf in the interim, at least we know Sweet and Sour is coming home. Consider it a Christmas miracle.