Burger King May Have A New Sandwich For Vegans Soon

There used to be slim pickings for vegans when dining out, but now, plant-based options have flooded the food scene, even at notoriously meat-heavy fast food restaurants. Burger King and White Castle were the first fast food chains to offer plant-based alternatives to their burgers with the Impossible Whopper and Impossible Slider, respectively (via VegNews). Other chains quickly followed suit, either partnering with Impossible Foods or its main competitor, Beyond Meat.

You would think that Burger King's longtime rival McDonald's would have been quick to jump on the trend, but the chain didn't unveil the McPlant until two years later, in 2021 (via The Beet). According to The Beet, even though McDonald's was late to the game, the burger chain was a large contributor to the 630,000 animals that were saved in 2021 due to the rise of plant-based options at fast food restaurants. Burgers were a relatively easy way for fast food restaurants to dip their toe in the plant-based pool, but now, Burger King is once again leading the industry and incorporating meat alternatives into other sections of the menu (via VegNews).

Burger King is a clear leader in the plant-based movement for fast food restaurants. The chain works closely with Impossible Foods and was the largest fast-food brand to test Impossible's Chicken Nuggets made from Plants last year (via VegNews). Now, the burger chain is entering a new contestant into the never-ending chicken sandwich wars: the Impossible Original Chick'n Sandwich (per VegNews). According to Impossible Foods' official website, the plant-based chicken patties have 10 grams of protein per serving and 50% less saturated fat than the leading animal patty.

Burger King's newest plant-based sammie features the Impossible Chicken Patty, shredded lettuce, and "creamy mayonnaise" on the company's signature toasted sesame seed bun (via ChewBoom). To make the sandwich completely vegan, customers can omit the mayonnaise. This new sandwich is currently being tested at BK locations in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Impossible Chicken patties will be available in the freezer section later this month (via VegNews). This is just the beginning of BK's plant-based journey, as the chain hopes to make half its menu in the U.K. plant-based by 2030.