Wendy's New Black Bean Burger Is Spicing Up The Plant-Based Game

Back in 2019, when the Impossible burger suddenly became possible and even the most dedicated of carnivores were willing to go Beyond their usual burgers to try a plant-based version, everyone wondered when Wendy's would be jumping on this new trend. While the chain didn't exactly go all Arby's and start touting "we have the meats!", they did tacitly acknowledge that they didn't want to buy in on those "plant-based creations [that] have spawned a bland reputation for the category," as they put it in a press release sent to Mashed. And Wendy's wouldn't be Wendy's if they didn't throw a little shade by adding, "looking at you McImpossible."

Instead, Wendy's chose to go with a more basic veggie burger based on beans instead of ... whatever that Impossible stuff is. But the Spicy Black Bean Burger isn't just any old bean patty. John Li, Wendy's Vice President of Culinary Innovation, said that rather than trying to mimic meat, Wendy's wanted a tasty non-meat burger that could stand on its own. "I'm a flex eater," he told Mashed. He added, "I don't miss eating meat when I eat [this] burger ... that's what we used as our [goal]." Li said this burger "really is craveable," and is "a culinary creation that turns the notion of a tasteless, texture-lacking black bean patty on its head." As to the heat level, he called it "approachable ...on the low end." It gets its spice from paprika, chipotle pepper, chipotle jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, and a smoky chipotle sauce loaded on top. The Spicy Black Bean burger is slightly less incendiary than Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich, according to Li.