Burger King’s Impossible Whopper has been around since the fall of 2019 and yet, still one of the questions we get asked the most is whether or not the Impossible Whopper is vegan.
To be fair, the question has it’s merit because the answer is a little bit complicated.
The Impossible Whopper is vegan if ordered with the correct modifications and with the awareness that cross-contamination is an almost certainty (unless specially ordered).
What modifications are needed? What is the cross-contamination situation you should be aware of? How can it be specially ordered and finally, can you get some Burger King fries to go with your Impossible Whopper?
I’m about to answer all of those questions for you here.
Burger King’s Impossible Whopper
What is the Impossible Whopper made of?
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s briefly take a look at the Impossible Burger itself. The Impossible Burger is a soy based product that includes coconut oil and sunflower oil. Totally vegan-friendly.
For a full list of ingredients of the Impossible Burger check out their website here
Impossible Whopper Modifications
For starters, the Impossible Whopper comes with the Impossible Burger, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, Onion and… mayo.
So, make sure to ditch the mayo ordering your Whopper.
I also specifically order my Whopper with no cheese as well. It’s technically not even supposed to come with cheese, but I’ve learned over the years to nip potential problems in the bud before they even get a chance to be one.
Cross-Contamination
The issue of cross-contamination is where the vegan community gets a little divided on the Impossible Whopper.
The Impossible Whopper shares a grill with all the other grilled items at Burger King, including the meat.
Here’s our take on this issue.
If you’re disgusted by the idea of meat being cooked with and interacting with your food and therefore you would never order an Impossible Whopper, we totally get it and don’t blame you one bit.
However, we still consider the Impossible Whopper vegan even with the cross-contamination issue.
Why?
Because no harm was done to any animals by me ordering an Impossible Whopper. On top of that, we believe that by supporting these kinds of menu items, it shows demand.
Demand keeps the menu items on the menu and gives the opportunity for vegans and non-vegans to choose an item that doesn’t lead to animal suffering.
For these reasons, we consider the Impossible Whopper vegan and at least for me (Ryan), something that I order on a pretty regular basis from the Burger King around the corner from our house.
Special Order?
But, what if you want to support this vegan option at Burger King, but you just can’t get around the idea of your food sharing a surface with meat.
We have heard (from multiple people) that you can order an Impossible Whopper and have them cook it in the microwave instead of the grill. What this tastes like, I honestly don’t know as I’ve never done it myself, but it is an option for you.
Are the Fries at Burger King vegan?
What about those fries at Burger King? Are they vegan?
Yes. Burger King’s are absolutely vegan (and one of the best vegan fast food fries if we do say so ourselves). Burger King has a dedicated fryer for their potatoes. So, the only thing that the fries share a fryer with are the hash browns.
Is it possible that cross-contamination could still happen somehow? Sure, it’s always a possibility at any restaurant (especially fast food) that isn’t 100% vegan, but considering the fries have their own dedicated fryer it’s a pretty good option.
What Else is Vegan at Burger King?
Other than the Impossible Whopper and French fries, there’s not a whole lot vegan on the menu to choose from.
If it’s breakfast time, there are the French toast sticks and the aforementioned hash browns.
Outside of breakfast, there is a Garden Salad if ordered without cheese or croutons and applesauce which I think is a pre-packaged applesauce designed for the kid’s menu.
Burger King used to have Dutch apple pies. Amazing, delicious, packed with who knows how many grams of sugar, apple pies. But, for whatever reason, they decided to take them off the menu a while back.
For a complete look at everything vegan at Burger King, check out our Burger King Vegan Options Guide.
Final Thoughts
We know that the Impossible Whopper is not the perfect vegan food. But, for a fast food restaurant that specializes in burgers and fries it’s a great step in the right direction too.
The popularity of the Impossible Whopper has also, we believe, opened the door for many of the vegan fast food options you see popping up on menus today.
It’s never left the menu since debuting almost 3 years ago and has shown the plant-based options do have demand if restaurants will consumers a choice.
