The Whopper has anchored Burger King's menu since 1957 and now spans everything from a 330-calorie Jr to a Texas Double north of 1,600. Every published version is below, so you can see exactly what the cheese, the second patty or the Impossible swap costs you.
Where the Whopper came from
Introduced 1957
Burger King co-founder James McLamore created the Whopper in 1957 and sold it for 37 cents. The build has barely moved since: a flame-grilled quarter-pound patty on a sesame seed bun with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and sliced onion.
- For the 2008 "Whopper Virgins" campaign, Burger King ran taste tests in places chosen because people there had never encountered Burger King or McDonald's, including parts of Thailand, Greenland and Romania.
- The 2020 "Moldy Whopper" ad showed a Whopper decomposing over 34 days to make the point that artificial preservatives had been removed. It generated 50 percent more awareness than the chain's 2019 Super Bowl spot.
Making one at home
The distinguishing feature is flame-grilling rather than griddling, which is what gives the patty its char. A quarter-pound patty cooked over an open flame, sesame seed bun, mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, tomato slices, dill pickles, ketchup and raw sliced onion. No cheese unless you ask — the standard Whopper does not include it, which is why the two are listed separately below.
A homemade version will not match the figures above — those are Burger King's own
published numbers for the restaurant item.