Burger King Fries: What To Know Before Ordering
Burger King is a brand that is renowned for its incredibly mighty burgers, crazy advertising campaigns, and uncanny ability to enrage its rivals with constant jokes and jibes. In fact, according to Forbes, the company that has been flipping huge chunks of meat since 1954 has been involved in "Burger Wars" with its biggest competitor, McDonald's, since the 1970s.
As the report notes, Burger King has been extremely apt at annihilating the reputation of McDonald's in order to boost its own image, generating gimmicks that have included encouraging customers to get burgers tattooed onto their arms, launching a campaign against clowns, and denouncing the size of Ronald McDonald's hamburgers.
Alongside the brutality of Burger Wars, Burger King is fighting 21st Century battles, such as competing to stand out in the vegan food market (via Women's Health). But through all of the decades of turmoil (and too often overshadowed by beef-stuffed buns), one creation has stood tall and strong: Burger King's fries. Acting as the most essential of sides, BK's strips of fried potatoes also come packing loads of important facts that you should know before buying
There are different varieties of 'fries' to choose from
The ordinary French fry is a truly underrated hero. Aside from being able to effortlessly survive the vicious slicing of potatoes, each one selflessly jumps into pans of steaming salt and fat just so humans can briefly satisfy their overactive taste buds.
Burger King fries are perhaps some of the most superior of all (the King would certainly testify that). Served in tiny white bags or cute cardboard boxes, the chain's Classic Fries are available in options of varying sizes that range from Value (the smallest) to Large, with Small and Medium holding center ground (via Burger King's website). Women's Health reports that because the fries are cooked in vegetable oil, they are suitable for vegans (and, according to The Independent, have received crucial approval from the Vegan Society).
Unsurprisingly, BK is not content with only offering traditional Classic Fries. Alongside this lineup are the inspiring Chicken Fries (you guessed it – they're chicken that's been covered in batter, dunked in mild spices, and sliced into thin rectangles). Chicken Fries can be bought on their own or as part of a small, medium, or large meal (via Burger King's website).
How much do Burger King fries cost?
Even though they are only chopped-up potatoes, those fries have got to be cooked, seasoned, and packaged – and someone has to be paid to do it. The cost of Burger King's fries, therefore, should reflect the effort put into crafting them into the beauties that they are, as well as their quality.
Based on estimates by Fast Food Menu Prices, it costs $1.39 for fries on the Value menu, 1.79 for Small, $2.19 for Medium, and $2.39 for Large. But prices vary for different parts of the country (so, yes, you can save if you shop around). Per the Burger King website, Classic Fries can also form part of a limited-time 2 for $10 Meal Deal (a choice of two entrees plus a pair of small drinks and small fries). Burger King makes it clear that having food delivered may increase the overall cost. In fact, delivery orders placed in California come with a geographical fee. Meanwhile, a 9-piece Chicken Fries order costs $6.79.
Nutritional information
It is fair to say that fast food chains do not have the best reputation when it comes to providing nutritious meals. Burger King's nutritional details are posted on its website, showing immediately that all of its French fries can be served without added salt, which is a burst of good news for chugging hearts.
However, devouring packets of crispy fries was never going to be the key to nutritional success. BK's Value fries can be considered the least concerning for your body, but only because they're the smallest serving. Value fries contain 220 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 210 milligrams of sodium. Each larger installment of Classic Fries sees an increase in these values in comparison to its size, culminating in the Large fries being filled with 430 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 410 milligrams of sodium. (And keep in mind these numbers are for the unsalted fries.)
This means that Burger King's fries take a significant chunk out of an adult's recommended daily limits of between 2,000 and 2,500 calories (for women and men respectively, via Insider) and 2,300 milligrams of sodium (via the FDA). The company's Chicken Fries don't offer much of an improvement, doling out 280 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 850 milligrams of sodium.
What do they taste like?
Sure, an apple would be more nutritionally beneficial than a stodgy snack from BK – but would it be as enjoyable? If the culinary acumen of Insider is to be believed, Burger King's fries would definitely be superior. The site described the Classic Fries as a "pleasant surprise," being thickly cut, perfectly crisp, and freshly made.
The fries aren't rated so highly by Eat This, Not That!, however. It judges Burger King's fries to be the worst out of a line-up including McDonald's, Arby's, Five Guys, Shake Shack, Wendy's, and Chick-fil-A, highlighting them as not having enough salt. The review went further, concluding that they had a "fake potato" taste.
The King's Chicken Fries achieved a better performance in a review that categorized them as nuggets, a designation that makes sense. Eater declared them "gorgeous" and despite classifying them as nuggets, argued that they "are best enjoyed like regular fries, with nothing on them, as they're fast-food perfection in their own right." Brand Eating said that the secret to the Chicken Fries' success is in their breaded covering but that overall they lack enough chicken to make a really impressive impact.
Burger King's Classic Fries can be made at home
Copycat recipes are available as a convenient way to satisfy urges for Burger King's French fries, which are particularly useful should they ever become discontinued like cheesy Shake 'Em Up Fries and reduced-fat Satisfries (via So Yummy).
Taste of Home recommends a copycat recipe of seasoned fries, featuring Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt. The Taste at Home recipe instructs to you bake frozen shoestring potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and mix the other ingredients together. Sprinkle the mixed ingredients over the potatoes once they're cooked. The potatoes should then be baked for additional time.
Kitchn offers further advice, suggesting that frying is the best way to achieve fries akin to Burger King's offerings. Potatoes should be fried in hot oil (at approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit) before being removed and left to cool. Afterward, fry them for longer to achieve a wonderfully bronzed complexion.