The Results Are In For Burger King's Million Dollar Whopper Finalists 2024

Icons are icons for a reason. But sometimes, even icons need to reinvent themselves, and when Burger King wanted to give the Whopper a new look, it turned to the people who know it best: the fans. Burger King launched the Million Dollar Whopper contest in February of 2024, allowing BK's most passionate consumers an opportunity to submit their ideas for the next Whopper. The winners will take away a $1 million prize and some serious status points — not many people can say they invented a Whopper for Burger King. While all three Million Dollar Whopper finalists will be available to purchase for a limited time, only one can be King. Consumers will get to vote on the three finalists to crown their winner starting in mid-November.

Burger King sifted through more than a million submissions to narrow it down to three final burgers: the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, created by Fabian of California; the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper, created by Calvin (also from California); and the Mexican Street Corn Whopper from Kelsie of Nebraska. I tried all three Whoppers and am ranking them in the order of my preference, based on flavor and the ingredient combinations used, but for what it's worth — I'd eat every one of these again. Which one will make it to the final Whopper coronation and be crowned King? Well — you'll have to try them all to decide.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

The Mexican Street Corner Whopper plays off a popular food that is quickly gaining momentum across America: Mexican street corn. This Whopper includes the ¼-pound flame-grilled beef patty you know and love on a toasted sesame seed bun. But then it gets interesting. This burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, crunchy Southwest seasoned tortilla crisps, spicy queso, and a street corn spread. Visually, this is the most fun burger to look at (street corn on a burger — genius!), and customers will appreciate the ingenuity behind this Mexican food and burger mashup.

The queso had some kick, and the tortilla chip strips brought an unexpectedly satisfying crunch factor to the burger (when eating this, I realized burgers don't normally have crunchy ingredients, and maybe we need to change that). The spiciness in this burger is a nod to BK fans' love for heat — the recent BK Fiery Menu was a hit with consumers. The only reason this burger came in third was that it gave me strong taco vibes. Fans of this Whopper might argue that's the whole point, and the beauty of it all. This isn't the first time Burger King has combined a burger with Mexican food. The ill-fated Whopperito wasn't a hit, but I expect that Kelsie, the creator of the Mexican Street Corner Whopper, is going to redeem BK with this newest Mexican-themed burger.

Submitted by Calvin from California, the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper was a delight. And while it was the most traditional of burgers offered (I felt like I have had similar burgers at other places), it did add some fun twists to keep it fresh. This Whopper comes with a ¼-pound flame-grilled beef patty on a toasted sesame bun and is topped with maple bourbon BBQ sauce, bacon, maple bacon seasoning, American cheese, and crispy onions and jalapeños. The crispy onions and jalapeños added some savory flavors that were a nice offset to the sweetness of the barbecue sauce, and the crispiness of these little fried veggies was divine.

The burger had just the right amount of spice for me (some of the testers commented that the jalapeños were so mild as to be undetectable, but if you're sensitive to spice, I think you'll notice them in just the right way). A highlight was the barbecue sauce, which was sweet and reminiscent of maple and bourbon but in a pleasant, mild way that won't offend those who don't do bourbon. I expect this burger will be popular with the masses.

The winner was clear for me, based on my love of one particular food: fried pickles (ok, it didn't stop with the pickles — I also love bacon and ranch). The Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, submitted by Fabian in California, brought together the classic ¼-pound flame-grilled beef patty on a toasted sesame bun while introducing something new to the equation: fried pickles and pickle ranch. The Whopper was also topped with lettuce, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Fried pickles are a popular appetizer, but, as it turns out, they also make for a fantastic burger topping. The pickle fries were breaded in a crispy coating with a punchy, slightly spiced brine.

BK presents the fried pickles in a new format — fried pickle fries (please, Burger King, make these a menu item on their own — we need some new "fry" options to replace the discontinued funnel cake fries that we are still sad about). The fried pickles, bacon, and pickle ranch showed up in every bite. While I'll need to go back to Burger King and try all the Million Dollar Whoppers again so I can officially vote, at the time of my initial tasting, I would have crowned Fabian's burger King.

I attended a Burger King event and tried the three Million Dollar Whopper finalists in a tasting experience with nine people. The burgers tied for first place in a three-way tie, and I anticipate the nationwide voting will be similar. 

I ranked these burgers in the order of my preference, based on flavor, ingredient combinations, and how well I felt like they represented the famous Whopper. For what it's worth — I'd eat every one of these again. And which one will make it to the final Whopper coronation and be crowned King? Well — you'll have to try them all to decide.