Is McDonald's Szechuan Sauce Discontinued? What Happened?
Fate: Limited-time promotional condiment for Disney’s Mulan that was sporadically reissued in 2017–2018 and again in 2022 as short-run promos.
MMcDonald's Szechuan Sauce debuted in 1998 as a tie-in for Disney's "Mulan." The sauce accompanied McNuggets and other menu items during the film's theatrical window before quietly exiting the same year.
The dipping sauce had a mild peppery flavor, leaning sweet and tangy with soy, sugar, and spice notes. Its flavor was closer to a generalized "Asian-style" glaze than regional Sichuan cuisine. For years, it lived on as mostly a memory — until a 2017 brought a pop-culture jolt.
An episode of "Rick and Morty" jokingly exalted the sauce, sparking petitions, secondary-market listing frenzies, and a wave of online nostalgia. McDonald's answered with a one-day comeback in October 2017, drawing long lines amid short supply. A broader, time-limited re-release followed in 2018, and an app-exclusive return took place in 2022.
Today, McDonald's Szechuan Sauce is remembered as the quintessential vanished product: intermittentely resurrected, endlessly referenced, and remembered as much for the story around it.
Timeline
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1998
- June — Szechuan Sauce launches as a limited time "Mulan" promotion in U.S. restaurants and is discontinued after the film's marketing window.
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2017
- April — Animated series *Rick and Morty* references the sauce, igniting viral demand.
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2018
- February — Broader time-limited rerelease supplies more restaurants nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to McDonald's Szechuan Sauce?
Limited-time promotional condiment for Disney’s Mulan that was sporadically reissued in 2017–2018 and again in 2022 as short-run promos.
When did McDonald's Szechuan Sauce close?
McDonald's Szechuan Sauce closed in 1998. Limited-time promotional condiment for Disney’s Mulan that was sporadically reissued in 2017–2018 and again in 2022 as short-run promos.
Is McDonald's Szechuan Sauce still in business?
McDonald's Szechuan Sauce has been discontinued or significantly changed. Limited-time promotional condiment for Disney’s Mulan that was sporadically reissued in 2017–2018 and again in 2022 as short-run promos.
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