Burger King Expands Plant-Based Menu to Include Impossible Nuggets

The new addition follows the huge sales success of its Impossible Whopper.

Impossible Nuggets

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Burger King is read to embrace the Impossible—again. The fast-food giant, hot on the heels of its successful partnership with Impossible Foods on the plant-based “Impossible Whopper”, is hoping for lightning to strike twice with its new Impossible Nuggets

“This isn’t the first time we’ve teamed up with Impossible to make waves in the industry. In 2019, we became the first quick-service restaurant to serve the award-winning, plant-based Impossible patty and offer the iconic Impossible Whopper,” Ellie Doty, Chief Marketing Officer for Burger King North America, said in a release. “So, it’s only fitting we’re the first global QSR to test the Impossible Nuggets. We’re excited to hear what our guests in the test markets think of this latest innovation.”

Similar to its test rollout of the Impossible Whopper in St. Louis, MO, in spring 2019, Burger King will first gauge customer reaction to its new Impossible Nuggets in Des Moines, Boston, and Miami. Starting October 11, customers will be able to purchase an eight-piece order of the plant-based nuggets with a choice of dipping sauce. 

Tastes Like Chicken

After being announced earlier this year, Impossible Foods officially launched their new chicken-free nuggets in September. The rollout, which started small and has slowly been ramping up to include grocery stores like Walmart and Safeway, has been enthusiastically received—with many reviewers finding it challenging to differentiate them from the real thing. 

In a taste test of Impossible Nuggets for The Takeout, Marnie Shure said they have a “perfect exterior and interior texture” and that a surprisingly “brothy chicken flavor permeated both the breading and the filling.”

Even better? These nuggets likely won’t leave you smearing everything you touch afterwards with grease. “They’re somehow juicy and tender, yet so grease-free that there’s no residue at all left on your fingers after eating,” she added.

Created using mostly soy protein and sunflower oil, the new vegan nuggets, according to the company, have no cholesterol, 40% less saturated fat, and 25% less sodium than their animal-based counterparts. 

Based on the previous demonstration timeline for its Impossible Whopper, Burger King will likely wait until the end of 2021 before deciding on whether or not to introduce Impossible Nuggets nationwide. In all likelihood, however, we’ll be enjoying plant-based nuggets at the drive-thru by this time next year.