The Burger King Burgers We Wish Would Come To The U.S.
The hamburger is one of the world's most loved foods. In the U.S. alone, nearly 50 billion are eaten annually. The origins of hamburgers are quite complicated though, with the first mention dating all the way back to ancient Rome.
Although thought of as an all-American dish, burgers are enjoyed all around the world. Among the most successful purveyors of meat on buns is Burger King, proud "Home of the Whopper." Although still very much second place to McDonald's when it comes to the fast food burger scene, it's a hugely popular choice, with more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries.
Being available in so many different places, the menu differs greatly from nation to nation, continent to continent, adapting to local tastes, culinary traditions, and dietary restrictions. Here are some of the best — and most interesting — Burger King burgers that have been available around the world, and that we'd really love to come to the U.S.
Premium Berry: Japan
The old dictum that "opposites attract" proves true, even in the food world. Sometimes things that don't immediately seem like they'd gel together end up pairing perfectly, creating a taste sensation. This is especially true with fruit and meat — take lamb and fruit jelly, or pork chops and applesauce, for instance. Or perhaps, as presented by Burger King Japan during the 2014 winter holiday season, ground beef and berries.
According to Sora News 24, Burger King added the Premium Berry to menus, much to the horror of many. A standard set of Burger King burger ingredients — beef, lettuce, tomato, onion — came sandwiched underneath a strip of bacon and a compôte made by steeping plump blueberries in a thick, rich sauce made from the juices of blackberries, sweetened cranberries, and more blueberries. With cranberries so closely associated with holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas, this burger sounds like it really captured the flavor of the season.
Full Meaty: New Zealand
In 2016, Burger King New Zealand went ahead and put a whole bunch of different meats all into one sandwich. Customers seeking a protein-packed choice got three meats in one at Burger King outlets across the country, with a mini-menu of products the company's division called "The Meatatarian Range."
The Meatararian choices were unapologetically meat-crazed, except for the token bits of onion. The Chicken Bacon Meaty consisted of two fried and breaded chicken patties, each topped with a slice of processed cheese, with a whole bunch of bacon on top. Then came the Half Meaty, a cheeseburger with a chicken patty, and a mess of bacon. And towering over them all, the crown jewel of Burger King New Zealand's meat-loving promotion: the aptly-named Full Meaty. This seriously chunky bite came with two beef patties, two slices of cheese, a chicken patty, and six slices of bacon.
Extra Long Chili Cheese: Germany
Many fast food joints and restaurants have experimented with stacking a burger as high as physically possible, with multiple patties, cheese, and toppings. But it gets to a point where the burger loses all structural integrity and is impossible to eat. This is even more of a problem at fast food places, where the whole point is that your burger is easy to eat, on the go. So what's the solution? Instead of going up, how about going out? Burger King Germany came up with the Extra Long Chili Cheese, which is now also available as a plant-based option. It's an ingenious creation in a long sesame seed bun packed with three flame-grilled hamburger patties (or plant-based patties), lots of delicious processed cheese, extra fiery chili cheese sauce (because things always require more cheese), all finished off with hot jalapeños. We reckon North America could definitely handle this one — and would really love it.
Veggie Bean Burger: Malta
The Veggie Bean Burger, served up by Burger King outlets in the small European nation of Malta, is exactly as it sounds. Launched in 2019, it consisted of two vegan protein patties made primarily from red beans. They're then covered in breadcrumbs, fried, and given the regular Whopper accouterments of lettuce, tomato, ketchup, cheese, and mayonnaise — with customers able to swap out the dairy items for fully vegan options.
It's not the first time Burger King has made vegan options available at its restaurants, with a plant-based version of its classic menu item, the Whopper, launching in 2019 as the Impossible Whopper. There's also been plant-based chicken nuggets, vegan cheese bites, vegan ice cream, among other items. Burger King even trialed an all-vegan location that didn't last long in the U.K. The trial was successful, with people raving about the options, but it wasn't quite as popular as Burger King's usual meat-filled menu.
Crunchy Cheese Whopper: U.K.
How could Burger King, an international fast food outlet known for making pretty good cheeseburgers, make its offering even better? Well, by adding more cheese, of course. But we're not just talking about another slice of yellow American cheese (as much as we love it). We're talking about adding a deep-fried cheese patty, coated in breadcrumbs.
The Crunchy Cheese Whopper is a pretty self-explanatory name. In 2015, Burger King in the United Kingdom started with a Whopper base — a large, fire-grilled beef patty, lettuce, onions, tomato, ketchup, and bacon — and crowned it with a large cheese patty, which may or may not have been made with mozzarella, according to Burger Lad. Sadly, it was only a limited-edition offering as part of Burger King's "Eurotrip" promotion. Maybe North American outlets will realize how much everyone loves mozzarella sticks, and relaunch the Crunchy Cheese Whopper over here. We can only dream.
SufganiKing: Israel
The SufganiKing was Burger King Israel's take on the so-called "Luther Burger," with a bit of a religious twist. During Hanukkah, donuts are a traditional seasonal food. The holiday commemorates the time of the Maccabean revolt, when a tiny quantity of oil lighting the temple's menorah miraculously burned for eight days. As donuts are cooked in oil, they're a food that has become part of the tradition, as per Tablet. In Hebrew, the language of Judaism, the word for "donut" is "sufgania," thus giving rise to the SufganiKing, a Burger King Israel menu item for the 2016 Hanukkah season.
Instead of traditional burger buns, the SufganiKing featured two glazed and sugar-dusted donuts. All the usual Whopper ingredients — beef, pickles, lettuce, tomato, ketchup — were still inside. For a final flourish to this sweet and savory masterpiece, the SufganiKing featured a dollop of red on top. This is to mimic the jelly on sweet donuts, except it's ketchup.
Bacon Lover: France
A bacon cheeseburger is so commonplace that it's easy to take for granted. On Burger King's U.S. menu, bacon can be found prominently featured on items like the Bacon King, Bacon Double Cheeseburger, and Texas Double Whopper. But unless it's by special request (and extra charge), you're only likely to get one slice — maybe two — on any bacon burger.
Burger King France decided to take the bacon love to new heights. With its "Bacon Lover" menu in 2018, even the fries saw an extra sprinkling. Accompanying an order of King Fries — Burger King's regular fries topped with a healthy serving of bacon bits — came the Bacon Lover Sandwich, with two beef patties (each with its own slice of cheese), plus three pieces of bacon. But it didn't stop there. Burger King then embedded small pieces of bacon into the bun itself, ensuring a porky taste in every bite.
Sprout Surprise Whopper: U.K.
Is there a vegetable more polarizing than Brussels sprouts? People either love or hate them. It could be in the preparation, with balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts, or maple-Dijon Brussels sprouts sounding much more appealing than boiled ones. However you like (or don't like) them, they're a common sight on tables in fall and winter, and a key part of the Christmas feast, especially in the United Kingdom.
Burger King's U.K. division wanted to change the minds of those who hate the vegetable and celebrate the joys of Brussels sprouts, adding it to a hamburger (per Marketing Week). In 2010, the Sprout Surprise Whopper launched, a limited-edition offering found in Burger King outlets in the cities of London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh. A roast dinner might include beef and sprouts, so too did the Sprout Surprise Whopper. Right in the middle of a classic, familiar Whopper, came a flat disc made out of chopped, seasoned, and breaded Brussels sprouts.
Garlic Meat Beast: Japan
Nothing says "summer" like garlic, and a lot of meat? Well, that's how Burger King Japan saw things in 2013 with the launch of the Garlic Meat Beast. Monstrous in name, monstrous in the sheer amount of food Burger King Japan managed to stuff between the buns. It started out with a classic quarter-pound fire-grilled beef patty, which was then topped with a seasoned pork patty, which was then topped with a chicken patty. All of that was covered in fried garlic slices, red miso and green onion sauce, teriyaki sauce, lettuce, onions, tomato, and mayonnaise. It sounds like a delicious, saucy mess. Although we're still not 100% sure why it was released as a summer special.
At the same time, Burger King Japan also added the Double Garlic Cheese to its menu — a slightly more conventional offering with two regular beef patties, fried garlic, cheddar cheese, and a spicy pepper Caesar sauce.
Shrimp Spicy Ugly Burger: Japan
First, there was the Cheese Ugly Beef Burger, which — despite its name — was the best-selling item for Burger King Japan in 2020. Then came the Teriyaki Ugly Beef Burger, which featured a rich teriyaki sauce layered between the patty, condiment, and other fillings. This was followed up by the Shrimp Spicy Ugly Burger. With the "Ugly" range, Burger King promised to focus solely on the taste of the burger, and not worry about how it looked.
In spring 2021, the Shrimp Spicy Ugly Beef Burger joined the menu, with a four-cheese bun made with gouda, egmont, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses (as per Hypebeast). That same bun was used for the other two "Ugly" burgers. In between the buns is a beef patty, cheddar cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mayonnaise, plus garlic shrimp covered in a special spicy sauce. It sounds messy, and tasty.
Hashtag Burger: Thailand
Sometimes with food, simplicity is key. Burger King Thailand took that idea to heart and to its menu in the spring of 2002, with a sandwich that added a slightly new and fun twist to a classic cheeseburger. According to Foodbeast, Burger King Thailand took internet parlance into the real world with the Hashtag Burger. There's the usual base — a flame-grilled Australian beef patty, American cheese, mayo, a smoky BBQ sauce, all on a sesame seed bun.
What was so special about Burger King's Hashtag menu is that the whole burger was then stuffed with waffle fries, also known as criss-cut fries, which of course, resemble a hashtag. Chick-Fil-A waffle fries are beloved, and they're not usually found on menus at Burger King, so this was a special treat for fast food fans in Thailand. As well as adding the waffle fries to the burgers, they were also available as a side.
Pregnancy Whoppers: Germany
Burger King Germany took flavor combinations to the extreme in May 2022. Sadly, we'll never know the delights (or horrors) of its creations, as they were only available at a single Burger King outlet in Berlin, Germany, and only for one day. According to Gizmodo, Burger King ran a Mother's Day promotion, advertising burgers inspired by the idea of various cravings often experienced by pregnant women. The "Pregnancy Whopper" wasn't just one topped Whopper sandwich — it was a line of nine burgers (per The Daily Hive).
On that glorious (and potentially traumatic) day, adventurous Burger King customers could sample Whoppers topped with fried eggs and banana; bratwurst and chocolate sauce; currywurst and fried herring; cake, raspberries, and frosting; fish sticks and applesauce; cucumber and jam; vanilla ice cream and green olives; whipped cream and pickles; and, probably the most palatable out of the entire list ... strawberry ice cream and french fries.