Ditch The Tartar Sauce And Get This On Your McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Instead

The McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is nothing short of an icon on the fast food chain's menu. Despite (or perhaps because of) so few ingredients — it only comes with a crispy fish fillet, a slice of cheese, and tartar sauce on a bun — this no-frills sandwich has stood the test of time. If you're looking for a way to spice things up, swap the tartar sauce for some Spicy Pepper Sauce instead.

As a Filet-O-Fish fan, I'm not one to fix something if it isn't broken, but I never say no to some heat (I may or may not add hot sauce to the sandwich when I get home). When I realized I could get this spicy sauce on the sandwich, it just made sense. The sauce is made with habanero peppers, so be prepared for it to have a serious kick. It also gets flavor from onions, garlic, and Worcestershire, so you know it's a flavor bomb.

While the spicy sauce tastes nothing like tartar sauce, one could argue that, for those who love spice, it's even better on the Filet-O-Fish than tartar sauce. While both sauces are packed with flavor, the addition of spice gives this one a little something extra. Plus, that one slice of creamy American cheese coupled with the richness of fried fish actually makes for a great flavor contrast to the spice. This sauce swap is definitely going on my must-order list for future McDonald's runs.

The Spicy Pepper Sauce is bright orange, likely thanks to the habanero peppers. It looks similar to the Big Mac sauce, though Big Mac sauce has different ingredients, including relish, paprika, and mayo. The Spicy Pepper Sauce is also smooth, so it doesn't have those same chunks that come with tartar sauce.

When I ordered it on my Filet-O-Fish instead of tartar, I admit it seemed like a pretty small amount of sauce. Once I bit into it, I understood why — this stuff is hot. Sure, you can ask for extra, but it's not necessary. If you want to boost the sauciness without increasing the spice, consider pairing it with a little mayonnaise. If you want to be extra bold, order the sandwich with both Spicy Pepper Sauce and tartar sauce for a spicy tartar upgrade on the fish sandwich.

Spicy Pepper Sauce is normally found on McDonald's Spicy McCrispy chicken sandwich, but one bite of it paired with the Filet-O-Fish and there's a chance I never go back to classic tartar. If the sauce swap isn't available at the kiosk in the restaurant, just ask the employee behind the counter, and they can almost certainly make the switch for you.