The Classic Chain That Still Flame Grills Its Burgers

There's no doubt a burger made on the stove in a pan will be delicious. But the smoky taste that comes from cooking it over fire takes it to the next level and why people love barbecue so much. It's no surprise chain restaurants want to replicate that flavor, even though they can't have workers out in the parking lot manning rows of grills. But Burger King has been bringing flame-grilled flavor from the very start and has never stopped doing it.

The grilled taste is BK's signature that makes it stand out from other competitors. In a company Q&A with workers in its test kitchen, culinary team analyst Matt Schwab said, "One of the biggest drivers for our brand is the flavor impact of a flame-grilled burger. This is something that I have learned to harness, appreciate, and enhance through my work."

All of BK's burgers are flame grilled, including the plant-based Impossible version, and of course, the Whopper, which topped our ranking of the chain's best burgers. One Redditor talked about how the smoky taste is part of the flagship sandwich's appeal, saying, "It's always been a solid party, and the flame broil tastes like cookouts in the backyard to me." In another Reddit thread about why BK fans like it better than other competitors, how the all-beef patties are cooked was a common response, with one person saying, "Flame broiled is the only way, imo, to eat a burger."

Despite what some people might think, Burger King gets grilled flavor into its burgers by actually cooking them over fire. One Redditor said, "I always thought the 'flame broiled taste' was liquid smoke or something added to the meat." In fact, the restaurants use enclosed upright broilers with real flames inside. The uncooked patties pass over them after being loaded onto a chain-linked grill that moves like a conveyor belt and then drop into a tray when they're done.

BK's sales have been on the rise, so more people have been experiencing the flame-grilled taste. Among burger chains, it passed Wendy's, landing in second place behind McDonald's in 2026. The higher sales came after Burger King made a few changes to the Whopper in February of the same year. It switched to a higher quality bun and better-tasting mayo and began serving it in a square cardboard box instead of wrapped in paper to better protect it. You can improve it even more by following our ordering tips to get the best Whopper. (You can also try making the Whopper at home.)

For flame-grilled lovers, BK began testing flame-grilled chicken in some California markets as of summer 2026 with three versions of sandwiches and wraps — classic and spicy for both, along with bacon and Swiss for the sandwich and honey mustard for the wrap.