An all-time staple of American cuisine, sold billions of times each year, the Whopper is the signature sandwich that built Burger King. But in 2019, BK rolled out a plant-based alternative to its iconic best-seller as an option for those who love the timeless classic but would rather pass on the meat. The Impossible Whopper comes by virtue of a nearly decade-long partnership between Burger King and Impossible Foods, a brand that's by making plant-based foods that taste more like real beef.
The company is the force behind the Impossible Burger sold in grocery stores. Its frozen patties are essentially the same as Burger King's meatless Whopper, although Impossible Foods rounds the square-brick packages seen in stores and reshapes them to better fit the Whopper's mold. Impossible Burgers are designed to smell, taste and mimic the texture of the all-American beef classic, down to the red "blood" that drips out when you cut the patties.
The Impossible Whopper is dressed with the traditional fare of — as the old song goes — mayo, sliced tomatoes and onions, lettuce, pickles, and ketchup all heaped on a sesame seed bun. For those who don't want their plant-based patties cooked on the same flame-broiled grill the original Whoppers are made on, you can ask to have yours heated in the microwave. Vegans can also get their Impossible Whoppers sans mayo, which contains the animal-sourced ingredient eggs.
Beyond the bun: Making the impossible possible BK advertises its Impossible sand.