Here’s What’s Plant-Based at Burger King, Including What’s Not on the Menu

Burger King might’ve been one of the most unexpected candidates to lead fast-food restaurants into the plant-based territory. The burger chain shook the market when it released its meatless Impossible Whopper back in August of 2019. Partnering with Impossible Foods, Burger King changed what plant-based consumers could expect from their fast-food. Instead of simply ordering french fries on a road trip or when everyone else wanted to hit the drive-through, plant-based eaters could suddenly order a full burger meal. (Though vegans were disappointed by the fact that even if you held the cheese and special sauce the patty was cooked on the same grill as meat which made it an untenable option.)

The Impossible Whopper may have introduced plant-based consumers to the chain's menu, but if you find yourself at Burger King, there’s more than just the Whopper to order. Although Burger King doesn’t provide the most robust plant-based menu, the company continues to add new meatless items and move in the right direction. Partnering with Impossible Foods and other alternative protein companies, Burger King plans to push its menu to be 50 percent plant-based by 2031. The Swedish branch of Burger King recently debuted a plant-based Chicken Royale sandwich with hopes to expand its plant-based chicken substitute across its locations globally.

Burger King no longer limits its legendary burger to being cooked on the grill, since "have it your way" means you can ask for it to be microwaved, making the Whopper accessible to any consumer. The Impossible Whopper comes with everything that the staple burger contains, but to make the Impossible version completely plant-based, just ask to remove the mayo and hold the cheese.  There are rumors circulating that Burger King will debut a vegan mayo in order to give plant-based eaters the full Whopper experience. For now, the tasty burger packs a punch, and in some locations can is available for a 2-for-$6 dollar deal, so encourage a burger-loving friend to give the plant-based patty a test drive.

An obvious addition to the list, but an important one to remind fry lovers. Burger King uses vegetable oil, so when ordering your Impossible Whopper you can make your order into a meal with no worries about what the fries are cooked in. There is something surreally comforting about a full-service fast food experience, so don’t miss out on ordering the whole meal, because it's probably been a while.

The Garden Salad at Burger King is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind at the fast-food place, but it's an important part of the menu. The salad contains lettuces, cherry tomatoes, corn, and cucumber with a balsamic dressing. At the precipice of healthy, the Garden Salad remains an easy and reliable choice for a nutritional light option at BK.

The biggest sweet surprise for plant-based diners at BK is the French Toast Sticks. Burger King does not publicize that the French Toast Sticks as vegan because more than likely that benefit was purely accidental. Usually, French Toast recipes contain butter, eggs, or milk (or all three), so a recipe that creates a golden brown, delectable breakfast treat is something to celebrate. There’s not another fast-food place that can pull off the vegan French Toast, marking another significant victory for Burger King. If you aren’t feeling the French Toast Stick, another quick breakfast trick is to order the oatmeal with water instead of milk. Although most people don’t think to order the oatmeal, Burger King offers an affordable cup of Quaker Oat’s maple-flavored oatmeal.

No one can ever get enough crispy potatoes. If you are swinging by Burger King early or need a quick snack to start off your road trip, the hashbrowns will always remain a perfect choice. The hashbrowns come in bite-sized pieces, deliciously crispy, and can come in multiple sizes. The best way to go is to order a large because once you finish the small, it leaves you craving more.

Although not advertised, the impossible burger patty can be transferred to any burger on the menu. As long as you ask for the sandwiches to come without cheese, bacon, and mayo, the impossible burger can be substituted for any meat burger on the menu. The super-secret is the Rodeo Burger, an already off-menu burger that any regular Burger King customer has heard of. If you order the Rodeo Burger you can get it without the onion rings and cheese to get a doubly off-menu barbecue burger. Okay so holding those items may be a little bit of a disappointment, if you want to shake up your burger experience, keep in mind that the Impossible burger is a versatile option and can turn most items into a plant-based meal.

Even though the Impossible Crossain’wich is not completely plant-based, it is important to mention its introduction to Burger King’s breakfast menu. Burger King released the breakfast sandwich as a limited-time offer, but after initial success, the company decided to roll out the plant-based sausage to store nationwide. The sandwich itself comes with an egg, cheese, and a non-vegan croissant, but the inclusion of a plant-based breakfast patty shows signs towards Burger King's full plant-based shift. The sandwich will be the first time Impossible Foods’ plant-based sausage will be available nationally. Although not completely plant-based, it gives meat eaters the option to reduce their meat intake one breakfast sandwich at a time.

Burger King’s plant-based future shines bright. After predictions that 50 percent of the menu will be plant-based by 2031, consumers anticipate a number of sustainable products. The chain plans to debut meat-free nuggets and a plant-based Chicken Royale. Burger King UK will spearhead the release, but Swedish Burger Kings already featured an “Unbelievable Chicken Royale” in 2019. Development for plant-based products continues to grow in the fast-food sector, and Burger King seems to want to keep its place in the front of the pack. The plant-based chicken will remain in Europe, but the success the company’s plant-based model has seen leads us to believe we will see a plant-based Royale Chicken or Spicy Chicken sandwich in the drive-thru stateside soon.