Burger King Is Adding 3 All-New Burgers to the Menu—and I Tried Them First

Everyone knows that you can always “have it your way” at Burger King, however, normally, that means customizing your flame-grilled Whopper to remove the onions, add extra mayo, or swap in a different cheese. You can’t just go into the fast food restaurant and ask for something that’s not on the menu—obviously.

However, earlier this year, BK let its customers do exactly that with its Million Dollar Whopper Contest. In February, the chain announced the competition, wherein anyone could submit their dream Whopper using any (reasonable) ingredient and Burger King vowed to bring that Whopper to markets and give the winner $1 million. 

After sifting through over a million submissions, BK has narrowed the burgers down to three finalists, which will hit restaurants nationwide this week for real-life customers to taste and decide which Whopper should win the million dollar prize.

Burger King Is Adding 3 New Whoppers To Menus

The finalists of the Million Dollar Whopper Contest include a Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, created by Fabian in California; a Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper, created by Calvin in California; and a Mexican Street Corn Whopper, created by Kelsie in Nebraska. The three Whoppers will be available starting on Nov. 14 for a limited time at all BK restaurants, so customers can try them all before deciding on their favorite.

I tried all three imaginative burgers at the Burger King HQ earlier this year—here is my honest review.

My Honest Review of Burger King's Million Dollar Whoppers

I’ll preface this review by saying prior to visiting Burger King's HQ, I’d never had a Whopper before. So, one of these Million Dollar Whopper builds was actually my first taste of the flame-grilled burger. I can confidently say that my first Whopper experience was a pleasantly delicious surprise, and choosing my favorite Million Dollar Whopper offering was actually harder than expected.

The Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper is made with a 1/4-pound flame-grilled patty, pickle ranch, lettuce, fried pickles, bacon, and Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. I thought it would be my favorite burger by far since I love pickles. However, compared to the other two burgers, it falls flat in flavor for me. The pickle ranch is tasty, but mild, and the fried pickles become a bit soggy on the burger because of the ranch.

While I’ve never had a real Whopper, you could tell me this bacon and Swiss cheeseburger was a traditional Whopper, and I’d believe you. For all intents and purposes, it’s delicious, but because I’m looking for an extra innovative burger, I’d have to cast my vote elsewhere and just order a side of Pickle Fries with my Whopper of choice.

The Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper features a 1/4-pound flame-grilled patty with maple bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy onions and jalapeños, maple bacon seasoning, bacon, and American cheese on a sesame seed bun. This burger has it all: crunch, sweetness, savoriness, and even a bit of heat. It’s one of those burgers that’s extra messy to eat, but you can’t bring yourself to put it down to wipe your hands off because it’s so delicious.

The Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper tastes like something you'd get at a fast casual restaurant, not a fast food restaurant, which is a nice change from some of the other sad, soggy burgers you find in the fast food space.

The sauce is the winner for me here, with a good level of sweetness and smokiness, and while the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper didn’t get my Million Dollar vote, I think it will be the most crowd-pleasing of the three—so I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes out on top.

The Mexican Street Corn Whopper has a 1/4-pound flame-grilled patty topped with street corn spread, lettuce, tomato, Southwest-seasoned tortilla crisps, and Mexican spicy queso on a sesame seed bun. For me, this was the most unique of the three burgers. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen at a fast food restaurant before, which is part of the reason I loved it so much.

The street corn spread and Mexcian spicy queso offer a different Tex-Mex flavor that I thoroughly enjoy. It also has the freshest taste out of the three burgers, thanks to the lettuce and tomato. Sure, you’re not going to a fast food restaurant for “health” foods, but it’s nice to have some crisp lettuce and tomato.

This is the Whopper I would cast my vote for in the contest—though, I understand it might also be the most divisive with its out-of-the-box flavors. But, to those who might not try the burger because of the ingredient combo, just think of it like Burger King and Taco Bell had a delicious fast food baby. It absolutely works.

Truthfully, you can’t go wrong with any of these burgers. I was at BK HQ with multiple other journalists and we had a three-way tie for our favorite, so it really comes down to personal preference or what you’re craving that day. The good news is that the three Whoppers should be on menus for a little while, so you’ll have enough time to try them all before picking a favorite.