Burger King Menu Items You Can Only Find Outside The US
Burger King, the home of the Whopper, is not only the second-largest burger chain in America but also the world. It now boasts more than 19,700 locations in over 100 countries. But when it comes to innovation on the menu front, it seems that the U.S. isn't number one after all. International Burger Kings are putting us to shame with interesting and wonderful recipes that will make you question everything you know about fast food.
Incorporating gourmet ingredients, traditional influences, and fusion twists, Burger King abroad seems to be on top of its game. From seaweed chicken fingers in Vietnam to ghost pepper nuggets in Mexico, there is a whole world of flavor waiting at a Burger King far from you. Let's go on a journey across the globe to see all the best Burger King menu items not found in the U.S. The next time you're traveling internationally, you might want to stop at a Burger King to sample some "local" fare.
Matcha Pie - Japan
It seems like the matcha-mania that swept across the globe is not over. One of the OG creators of this iconic green powder, Japan, is still reinventing what can be done with this ingredient. At Burger King Japan you can sink your teeth into a matcha pie. This delectable dessert is far from your regular fast-food sweet order. Burger King Japan's description has our mouthes watering: "A smooth matcha cream with an elegant sweetness and moderate bitterness is wrapped in a crispy matcha pie dough, and the cream is sprinkled with azuki beans from Hokkaido"
The pie's Japanese name, "Watakushi no Matcha Pie" translates to "My Matcha Pie". But the pronoun "my" is in its formal form, lending the pie an air of elegance. The pie was created in collaboration with highly respected Koyoto-based green tea producer Morihan, sourcing the finest matcha powder. Considering the quality of the ingredients and the pride taken in creating the perfect matcha pie, it might be safe to assume this is one dessert we won't soon see on U.S. Burger King menus.
Belgian waffles and brownies and blondies - Across Europe and Asia
Although Burger King in the USA served Maple Waffle Sandwiches in 2019, you still can't get a classic waffle in its desert section. But a few forward-thinking countries in Europe and Asia have jumped at the opportunity and Ireland, Malta, and Singapore's Burger King serve light and fluffy Belgian Waffles at selected locations. "Warmly delicious. It's sweet and crunchy, and you know that's all you really want" Burger King Ireland writes.
The sweet treats don't stop there either. Burger King in Ireland, Switzerland, and Malta all serve warm brownies with molten chocolate centers while some countries like the Netherlands also serve blondies. "Its warm melted-chocolate heart will do the same to yours" Burger King Malta claims. Youtuber Food Travel Dude reviewed the brownie back in 2017 in the Netherlands and rated it an undeniable 5/5 thanks to the brownie's gooey steaming center.
Rice - Vietnam and Thailand
Regional cuisine has been known to make its way onto international fast food menus from time to time and rice is a constant staple on some of Burger King's menus in Asia. Burger King Thailand and Vietnam have made rice a permanent fixture on their respective menus, each offering a different selection of proteins to go with it. In Thailand, Burger King focuses on fried chicken with options like spicy chicken with teriyaki sauce or jaew sauce and Gai Klua Kruea (salty chicken) on sticky rice.
In Vietnam, you can get your rice served with hamburger patties or a single fried chicken wing. Popular Youtuber, Quang Tran reviewed these unique offerings and praised the fried chicken. He also added that the whopper patties on rice reminded him of the popular Hawaiian dish loco moco, where hamburger meat is served on rice with brown gravy and egg. Countries like the Philippines and Sri Lanka have also been known to serve rice on occasion.
Fishy features - Cambodia, Vietnam, and Korea
Americans have to make do with plain old french fries, mozzarella sticks, and chicken nuggets as sides but the folks in Asia have a literal smorgasbord of side dishes to choose from. One of the most exciting additions to catch our eye is seafood. You can order coconut shrimp in Korea with a sweet chili dipping sauce and Ben Deen reviewed these bite-sized sides on YouTube, proclaiming that it was his favorite thing on the menu. You can also order a few types of shrimp burgers there that feature a breaded and fried shrimp patty, including one that combines beef and shrimp.
In Cambodia, Burger King sells shrimp balls — small deep-fried balls of bright pink shrimp meat. Burger King Vietnamserves up fish sticks rolled in seaweed, battered and deep-fried. You can also try Burger King Vietnam's take on surf-and-turf with small chicken strips wrapped in seaweed.
Swiss Selection - Switzerland
With the Swiss having an appetite for the finer things in life, it is no surprise that highbrow dining has crossed over into the country's fast food. Burger King in Switzerland offers a Swiss Selection consisting of two gourmet burgers loaded with indulgent ingredients. The Rösti Burger features a crispy hashbrown-style patty on top of a quality Swiss beef patty. It all comes together with nutty Appenzeller cheese, caramelized onions, arugula, and mustard.
The second is a Whiskey Burger with Gruyère cheese, bacon, and aromatic whiskey sauce. Arugula is added for crunch along with red cabbage and tomato. Both burgers are served on delectable brioche buns. This is the newest offering from this high-end menu and previous interpretations included a Le Gruyère burger with mushrooms and an Appenzeller burger. Fast food critic duo Junkfully gave high marks to the latter two burgers in 2021 but the Whiskey burger failed to impress them and only scored 6.5 out of a possible 10. Let's just say their refined Italian palates couldn't handle the sheer awesomeness of a whiskey burger because that sounds pretty fire to us!
Indie Tikka Whopper - India
The idea of a burger chain in India might have you scratching your head but Burger King in India is surprisingly popular. The burger giant has close to 320 stores across India and it has swapped traditional beef patties for mutton, chicken, or veggie options. The Inidie Tikka Whopper was launched in April 2022 with a wildly inventive campaign on Facebook. Burger King sees the Tikka Whopper as a fusion of Eastern and Western flavors. "Inspired by those who pair their lehengas with their sneakers" the chain joked in the ad.
The Thakur Sisters reviewed the burger on YouTube and revealed a massive burger with fried chips and an extra crispy-looking patty. There is also creamy makhana sauce, jalapenos, and regular Whopper veggies like lettuce and tomatoes. A trip to an Indian Burger King sounds like an experience but one you might regret the next day. Other menu items include peri-peri fries and fiery hell dipping sauce, but the mango thick shake might help you wash away the pain. If spice scars you off, there is always the super crunchy chicken or veg taco for a fun Burger King-Taco Bell cross-over.
Chilli Cheese Bites - U.K. and Estonia
The fact that Burger King in the U.S. doesn't have Chilli Cheese Bites yet is borderline outrageous. They are simple and unbelievably satisfying: perfect for the American market. The bite-sized cheesy nuggets are crispy on the outside with a core of molten cheese and jalapeno, everything you need to accompany your Whopper. This side has become a staple in several countries but is yet to reach the USA. Burger King Germany even took it one further and created chicken burger cheese bites for a 3-in-1 snack sensation.
British food reviewer Food Review UK tried the cheesy bites and was blown away by the aromas released from each nugget once he broke through the crispy shell. He didn't hesitate to rate it 5/5 and a reporter from the Liverpool Echo compared them to McDonald's nacho cheese wedges, wholeheartedly awarding Burger King the crown. "The flavors in the Burger King Chilli Cheese bites were a lot stronger, and they had much more of a satisfying crunch. Although they weren't quite as spicy as the Nacho Cheese Bites, they were still miles better in terms of taste in my opinion" she wrote. Honestly, we would take a bite from either if we had the chance.
Fun nuggets - Around the world
Burger King in the U.S. only offers regular chicken nuggets as a side order but several competitors have stepped up to the plate to up the nugget game. Plant-based nuggets have been made available in several countries including South Africa and Israel. The U.K. took it one further and even offered Dirty Vegan Nuggets for a limited time, topping soy protein nuggets with crispy onions and BBQ sauce. France offers a goat cheese nugget as a vegetarian option too.
Other countries are putting a fun twist on chicken nuggets. In Mexico, you can order ghost pepper nuggets with a side of ranch if you are feeling spicy. Canada goes to the other side of the flavor spectrum with its dill pickle chicken nuggets. Furious Pete tasted them on his YouTube channel and raved about the punchy flavor and spot-on aroma. It seems like a round-the-world chicken nugget-tasting tour is in order.
Breakfast - Malaysia and Thailand
It's not just the main Burger King menu that gets the international treatment — there are some tasty breakfast options abroad too. Burger King in Malaysia is bringing something new to the fast food breakfast game with a range of Rye Melts. "Ryes up to the new morning with our new Breakfast Menu," Burger King Malaysia wrote on Facebook in 2022. Choose from mushrooms with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, chicken-based ham, or beef bacon on top of a soft rye bun with a folded omelet. Why aren't any U.S. fast food outlets serving breakfast sandwiches on rye bread?
Burger King Thailand has more localized breakfast options available in addition to a vast range of croissants but it is the congee bowls that are utterly unique. Congee is a type of rice porridge and at Burger King Thailand, you can order it with pork balls, crispy chicken, truffle and pork, or flame-grilled pork.
Loaded fries - Canada, Mexico, Japan, and South Africa
This is another Burger King menu item that we now want to classify as essential. Burger Kings across the globe are offering loaded fries and we want in on this deal. From South Africa to Mexico and Japan you can find classic Burger King fries slathered in queso sauce and bacon bits. Mexico's supreme potatoes even come with a choice of BBQ or Pepper Jack sauce and Japan went full Texas by creating chili cheese fries (in an XL size to boot). Why are these international locations doing American junk food better than Burger King U.S. is?
Then we have Canada doing the most Canadian thing imaginable. Burger King Canada sells poutine where the fries are served with hearty gravy and delectably salty cheese curds. You can also upgrade your order with bacon or mushrooms for an irresistible plate. How about you sneak some of those over the border for us, Canada?
Avocado - Japan, Argentina and Mexico
We aren't completely over our avocado toast obsession yet but sometimes we crave something a little more substantial. Burger King in Japan and Mexico is keeping its burgers on trend by offering avocado or guacamole on some of the burgers. In Mexico, Burger King's Guacamole Crunch King pairs the avocado with bacon bits, jalapeños, crispy fried onions, and Monterrey cheese on top of two beef patties.
Japan's rendition, ironically called "The Mexican Avocado Whopper," gets fancy with its newly created Mexican flakes. These custom cornflakes are covered with 9 spices creating a signature Mexican flavor: red pepper, paprika, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, garlic, black pepper, thyme, and mace. The flakes bring the crunch while the avocado evens things out with a creamy texture. If all else fails, you can always go back to basics in Argentina with an avocado and pancetta on toast, or in this case, a toasted burger bun.
French fry alternatives - Nigeria
Nigeria is one of the latest countries to join the Burger King family, with its first location opening at the end of 2021. It didn't take long for the menu to feature some local favorites and in April 2023 the newest African Burger King outpost announced three delicious-sounding sides. No Whopper is complete without a side of crispy french fries but we are more than willing to give the sweet potato cubes, plantain cubes, or yam fries a go.
Yams originated in Africa and have a more neutral taste than sweet potatoes. Fried plantains are a popular snack on the Nigerian table and are locally known as Dodo. Burger King Nigeria has put together the Dodo Royale meal where your plantains are served with a Chicken Royale sandwich — a crispy tender chicken patty on a long sesame bun. We are slightly ashamed to admit that we will be heading straight to Burger King once we land in Lagos — local delicacies can wait.
Salad burger - New Zealand
Vegetarian and vegan options are becoming more common at Burger Kings across the world, but New Zealand's salad burger is one we haven't seen before. Plant-based eaters might want to cheer from the back but unfortunately, this burger isn't actually certified vegetarian-friendly due to the cooking methods used during preparation. We're guessing the onion rings probably share the same fryer as meat items, so whether this item is appropriate for you depends on how strictly you keep to a vegetarian diet.
Bite into crispy onion rings, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and cheese, all topped with delectably creamy mayonnaise but don't fool yourself by thinking you are taking the healthy option. The salad burger has almost twice as many calories as many of the beef burgers served at Burger King New Zealand. At least Kiwis can't complain that there aren't cruelty-free options available, even if they are a bit more calorie-dense.
Bondiolita King Pickle Cucumber - Argentina
Burger King Argentina brings street food indoors with this juicy sandwich. Its Bondiolita King Pickle Cucumber oozes flavor and carries the slogan "made to get dirty." Vamos Spanish explains that La Bondiola is a popular street food in Argentina made from a specific cut of tender pork from the shoulder and neck. The Burger King edition features shredded pork meat with BBQ sauce and mustard, pickles, and onions. There is also an XL version with sautéed bell pepper.
Just the sight of the juicy drippings from this burger is enough to send us into a tailspin but the deliciousness in Argentina doesn't stop there. The South American chain offers a stacked burger with 5 patties, tuna salad, churros, and 20 different ice-cream creations including a soft-serve with a chocolate-filled cone. Please cry for us Argentina, we have none of these fabulously indulgent options Stateside.