Copycat Zaxby's Zax Sauce and Gluten Free Chicken Finger Plate Recipe

Say sayonara to ketchup with this tangy and delicious five ingredient sauce! 

Makes about 250ml of sauce

Last Christmas, we visited my family in North Carolina for about a month. Going back to the states always means splurging on eating out and stocking up on groceries that just haven't made the great boat ride across the Atlantic.

Last year, I introduced my husband and mother-in-law to Zaxby's and they loved it. I can't even count the number of times we ate at Zaxby's while we were in North Carolina. But back home in Manchester, Zaxby's was just a fond memory. I thought about that sauce often, craving it and their thick chicken strips.

Then, I stumbled across a copycat recipe for the sauce on Allyson's blog. I was a bit skeptical at first (as I always am with copycat recipes). I always think that they're not going to taste anything like their original counterpart, but grab the fries, guys! This sauce is an exact replica of Zax Sauce. I've upped the pepper because I remember it having a bit more of a peppery kick. "Why stop with the sauce?" I thought. "Why not recreate an entire Zaxby's meal?" And that's exactly what I did. Welcome to the UK, Zaxby's.

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Ingredients:

For the copycat Zax Sauce
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsp black pepper

For the oven baked chicken strips
1 pound of chicken breasts cut into strips
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
2 tsp salt
low calorie cooking spray

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Instructions:

Copycat Zaxby's Zax Sauce and Chicken Finger Plate Recipe

1. Prepare the sauce by whisking mayonnaise, ketchup and garlic together until blended well.
2. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce until incorporated fully.
3. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the pepper onto the surface of the sauce and stir in with a wooden spoon. Repeat with the remaining pepper. Stir until all ingredients are blended well. 
4. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
   
   For the chicken fingers:
5. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
6. Dump the breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
7. Mix the mayonnaise, salt, paprika and garlic in another bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat well with the mix.
8. Roll each coated strip in breadcrumbs and arrange on a baking tray. 
9. Spritz the breaded breasts with cooking pray and bake 15 minutes.
10. Turn the chicken over and bake for a further 15 minutes.
11. To recreate the Zaxby's Chicken Finger Plate, serve with a thick slice of buttered fried bread, chips and coleslaw and a good dollop of Zax Sauce.