Burger King: Impossible Nuggets, Ghost Pepper Nuggets Join The Menu
Two new nugget innovations make their debut at Burger King this fall.
Before the chicken sandwich wars captured America's attention in late 2019, you might recall that Burger King was one of the very first major chains to embrace a different fast-food frenzy: plant-based meat. Since 2019, the Impossible Whopper has slowly been shifting Americans' conception of meatless fast food, and its success has signaled consumers' appetite for vegetarian options, whicht other fast food chains are now looking to cash in on. This week, Burger King has announced that it's expanding its partnership with Impossible Foods, becoming the first global chain to serve Impossible Nuggets Made From Plants alongside its regular Chicken Nuggets.
A press release sent to The Takeout confirms that the Impossible Nuggets will be available in select test markets beginning October 11, for a limited time. Only customers in Des Moines, Boston, and Miami will be able to order them for now, available exclusively as an 8-piece order with your choice of dipping sauce.
When we reviewed the Impossible Nuggets last month (read our full Taste Test here), we were impressed by how closely they replicate the product we're used to. This faux nugget has the same slight bounce, exterior crispness, and brothy flavor of white-meat chicken nuggets, without any greasy residue. In fact, in terms of uncanniness, the nuggets might come even closer to fooling meat-eaters than the Impossible Whopper. It'll be interesting to see how test markets respond to the rollout, and whether the price point will make sense for curious consumers.
One caveat for vegetarians and vegans: In its press release, Burger King notes that the nuggets will be "cooked in the same oil as meat and cheese products." You've been warned!
And there's more Nugget News to report, this time on the carnivore side: Burger King announced that October 11 will also see the nationwide debut of Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets, for a limited time. The description of these nuggets is brief yet promising: "Made with white meat chicken kicked up with fiery ghost pepper, Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets are the perfect balance between flavor and heat," reads the press release. Let's hope these nuggets bring some actual burn, and not the muted black-pepper notes of so much allegedly "spicy" fast food.
If you have the Burger King Royal Perks app, you can unlock exclusive access to the Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets today, five days before they're available to the general public, by ordering in the app. If you do taste these nuggets early, let us know what you think of them, won't you?