The paleness of the turkey patty used in Burger King’s limited time only Turkey Burger may make it look a little unappetizing and tofu patty-ish, but think of it this way: it’s pretty much the same color as the white meat turkey you’d eat on Thanksgiving and the turkey leftovers you’d eat for many days after Thanksgiving.
Although Burger King is not the first fast food chain to sell turkey burgers (Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s had/have turkey burgers), they are the first of the big three burger chains to offer one. And, to be honest, I’d like to see McDonald’s and Wendy’s attempt their own versions, especially McDonald’s since they’re always trying to create healthier fare.
Yes, a turkey burger is supposed to be a healthier option and it was in Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s case. But what about Burger King’s Turkey Burger? Let’s dish the digits and compare nutrition facts, shall we?
A Burger King Whopper has 630 calories, 35 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 980 milligrams of sodium. A Burger King Turkey Burger has 530 calories, 26 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, and 1,210 milligrams of sodium. As you can see, BK’s Turkey Burger is mostly better nutrition-wise when compared to a Whopper. However, a Burger King Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich, which has 470 calories, 18 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 1330 milligrams of sodium, makes the Turkey Burger look like a Whopper.
But how does Burger King’s Turkey Burger stack up against another turkey burger?
Hardee’s Original Turkey Burger has 390 calories, 17 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 860 milligrams of sodium, so it’s significantly better for us than Burger King’s Turkey Burger. However, the reviews for the Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. Turkey Burger haven’t been glowing.
To be honest, those reviews had me worried about Burger King’s Turkey Burger. But after tasting it, it turns out I shouldn’t have been concerned.
My sandwich with the pale fire-grilled turkey patty was supposed to be topped with almost-as-pale lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, ketchup, and mayonnaise on a premium, artisan-style bun. I say, “supposed to” because instead of red onions, my sandwich came with onion rings, which I took out and placed on the side before eating the burger.
The turkey patty had a mouthfeel somewhat similar to a beef patty and was slightly juicy. While it’s the same color as white meat Thanksgiving turkey, it doesn’t quite have the same flavor. It’s flavorful, but my taste buds didn’t immediately register it as turkey. It turns out that it’s not 100 percent turkey. According to the ingredients list, the turkey patty contains a smidgen of dried chicken and dried chicken broth.
Dammit! If Burger King added some dried duck, they could’ve had a turducken patty!
The lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayonnaise did an awesome job of falling out of the sandwich and/or getting all over my hands. But the ketchup was also one of the dominant flavors in the burger, masking somewhat the patty’s flavor.
Overall, my Burger King Turkey Burger was surprisingly tasty, even without the red onions. I’ve had better turkey burgers at casual dining places, but for fast food, it’s good. I enjoyed it enough that I hope Burger King decides to create other turkey burger variations.
(Nutrition Facts – 530 calories, 240 calories from fat, 26 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 27 grams of protein.)
Item: Burger King Turkey Burger
Purchased Price: $4.89*
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Nice flavor, although doesn’t instantly register as turkey. Surprisingly tasty. Better for you than most BK burgers and sandwiches. Burger King continuing to release a slew of new products on a regular basis.
Cons: Pale turkey patty may look unappetizing to some. Messy ass sandwich. Pale lettuce. Ketchup masks the patty’s flavor. No dried duck to make it a turducken patty. Burger King location messing up an order.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the price I paid is probably much higher than you’ll pay.
Needs duck bacon
http://www.finecooking.com/assets/uploads/posts/10206/duck6_lg.jpg
I dunno it was ok. But personally I think the turkey burgers from Hardees and Andersons taste better. Next time I go to BK I would probably go with the Tendergrill chicken sandwich over the turkey burger. It was just kinda there, no wow factor for me. It did its job in that it filled me up and it didn’t taste bad. I think that pretty much sums it up.
I just had the turkey burger tonight, while my fiance had a delicious Whopper. I was really disappointed and extremely jealous of the whopper right next to me. After reviewing the nutrition facts vs. a whopper, I wouldn’t hesitate to order a flame broiled delicious whopper!
Heard that Burger King was now offering a Turkey Burger and supposedly, sweet potato Fries. Went over to try out the new limited time offer, What can I say, except disappointed. I don’t think that I have ordered anything other than a salad from a fast food restaurant in over 20 years. Coffee tasted burnt, small fries, over salted and a $6.00 Plus Turkey Burger with Cheese. I call this Burger King taking advantage of a non-educated society. Trust me, I thought that I misheard the cashier when she asked me for $9.26 for the above mentioned ordered. No, true, $9.26. Appalled, however, I figured I should try it before I make a judgement. Yeah, not worth the trip or the expense or the calories. Just sayin.
I have not eaten beef for about 16 years. So I was quite excited to hear that Burger King was offering a Turkey Burger. I used to love the Whopper when I did eat beef. I often prepare turkey burgers at home with all the fixings and they are delicious. However, I must say that when I took the first bite of the turkey burger from B.K. I could tell immediately that it was not 100% turkey. It had a rubber taste to it and I was quite disappointed, it literally made me nauseous. Although, I have not had a Whopper in years, I still believe it’s the best thing that B.K. has going. Sorry:-(
Looks like a clone of the Chicken Whopper, when that ChickenRun movie came out.
I have one work for the BJ Turkey Burger, Horrible. I was so excited to try it and it was dried out and hard to eat. I threw it out.
I had the BK Turkey burger– and although a bit of a turkey burger snob, I would say wasn’t bad. Of course I had bbq sauce and onion rings (2) added and substituted a sesame seed bun but I was also STARVING– much like I am RIGHT NOW. So consider that as well.
Nevertheless, have had tastier and worse and other places. Good if you’re in a pinch- but DANG THOSE CALORIES & FAT! GEEZ!
😉
Best part about it was the bun. Carl’s Jr slams this one. That fat count doesn’t make me feel that I’ve really chosen the “healthy” alternative. Won’t be trying it again.
I tried the turkey burger today on my lunch break, mostly for convenience, but wanted to look up the calorie content after eating it.
I’m not surprised it’s not 100% turkey, it was pretty good tasting, but did not taste like any turkey I’ve had before.
I am not surprised that they put chicken in it, but I probably won’t eat it again.
Thanks for posting this! The commercial looked appealing but after reading this, it appears to be something that I wouldn’t enjoy at all. I’ll make my own beef or turkey burger…save a few bucks, excess sodium, etc….plus no stark white burgers (yuck).
I’ve had them 3 times. The first time the meat was mostly white and not much flavor to it. Two I had had what I guess was some dark meat as well.I guess I was hoping for a grilled flavor like the whopper. Maybe if they smoked them as well or as an option? idk But the Whopper or the lettuce etc. gives me gas even though I typically have a regular or two junior whoppers ONLY and with water.
I’ve had regular grilled chicken sandwiches at various places and they usually taste processed or flavored like lunch meat, which I don’t care for. Boston Market chicken was like that as are other store bought rotisserie chickens and didn’t care for it either with so much salt.
I would buy a grilled over a fried simply because of the added calories and fat I don’t need AND the heartburn.
You can no longer get turkey burgers from Hardee’s. They are discontinued, along with jalapeno fries.
I always get disturbed when I see turkey burgers that are this pale. I eat only turkey burgers and mine are never this pale color. The ones I prepare are nearly the same color as ground beef and I’ve had beef eaters tell me they are just as juicy and flavorful. The key is to use regular ground turkey, not white meat. White meat is dry and flavorless so it would make an equally dry, flavorless and unappetizingly pale burger. Regular ground turkey, on the other hand, has the help of the juicy dark meat which acts more like its red meat counterpart. With that being said, I never did get to try the Burger King Turkey Burger and since I’ve never been able to get a fast food burger since none of the fast food joints where I live offer turkey, so I wish they would bring it back.