Whataburger Just Released A Crunchy New Burger For Halloween Season

While Halloween season might be prime time for candy apples, chocolate, and chewy candies galore, the popular Southwest burger chain Whataburger wants to open your eyes to the savory side of autumn indulgence. This year, Whataburger aims to make your spooky season tastier than ever with the timely release of its newest Whataburger Chili Cheese Burger.

This new release features the same 100% fresh beef patties that are the foundation for all the chain's burgers, but with a comforting, crunchy new twist that is perfect for cool weather. According to QSR Magazine, in this new offering, two all-beef patties are decorated with American cheese, loaded with hearty beef chili made from an original recipe, flavored with zesty mustard, and topped with crispy onions and a layer of corn chips for a satisfying, savory crunch that rivals that of the leaves starting to gather on the ground.

Arriving just in time, this new menu option saves you from deciding between a comforting fall staple and a more convenient fast-food burger. And based on the positive responses this Whataburger Chili Cheese Burger has been receiving on social media, it seems the chain just might have a new seasonal hit on its hands. One excited fan on Instagram, fernflobot, called the item "y'alls best burger yet," with jazmine.s23 going so far as to term it "the most Texas style burger" they'd ever seen. And in case you were wondering how all the ingredients play together, user aliecrle assured us that "the chili doesn't make the bread soggy and the Fritos stay crispy."

So just what is it about this Chili Cheese Burger that makes it so popular? Well, according to food experts, it might have something to do with that extra crunch. Josh S. Allen, a USC research scientist, revealed to NPR that humans are hardwired to like crunchy foods, in part because it indicates freshness, like when we bite into a crisp apple or carrot. Allen also explained to My Recipes that crunchiness adds a more "complex sensory experience" that is pleasing to our brains.

What's more, the noise itself actually adds something to the eating experience, Charles Spence, Ph.D. of the University of Oxford explained to Food 24. "A crunch will draw your attention to what you're eating, making you concentrate on it. Noisy foods make you think about them."

And it seems that Whataburger thought a lot about the burger as well. Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, explained to QSR that this "bold new burger" seeks to "deliver an experience that's all-new and yet somehow satisfyingly familiar." The new burger will be available in both standard and Jr. sizes, as KIII 3 News reported.