Is Burger King Halal? (all you need to know)
Followers of the halal diet require that the meat they consume be slaughtered by Muslims, who bless it with specific Islamic prayers.
Followers of the halal diet require that the meat they consume be slaughtered by Muslims, who bless it with specific Islamic prayers.
There are only a handful of mainstream restaurants that cater to the Islamic Halal diet in this way. So, is Burger King among them? Here’s what I found!
Is Burger King Halal?
Burger King does offer Halal-certified food items in various Middle Eastern, European, and Asian countries; however, Burger King US does not offer a full Halal menu. Additionally, Burger King partnered with Impossible Foods in 2019 to develop a halal-certified, plant-based Whopper, the start of a broader Muslim-inspired menu.
To learn more about Burger King’s current and future halal policy, read on below!
Why doesn’t Burger King USA offer a full halal menu?
Since Burger King is a large food chain, they must comply with USDA standards on how their meat is processed. In traditional halal methods, animals are slaughtered and bled.
This has created health and safety concerns, making it difficult for Burger King to mass-produce blessed halal beef for all of its restaurants.
As a workaround, Burger King teamed up with plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods to create a beef-like patty.
The major grocery chain is also developing meatless options for its nuggets and patties, expanding its certified halal menu.
Will Burger King America offer a full halal menu?
For a limited time, Burger King plans to open an all-vegan, kosher and halal-certified restaurant in Cologne, Germany. During the trial run, they will be working with The Vegetarian Butcher, a Dutch plant-based meat company.
Mainstream restaurants can use the success of the Cologne store as a template for similar specialty Burger Kings around the world.
In which other countries does Burger King offer halal food?
Burger King was one of the first major food chains to enter the growing consumer market, offering halal meat at many of its international locations in the early 2000s.
For example, Burger King in France has been catering to the country’s 5 million Muslims and growing consumers since 2013. The development makes France one of Burger King’s largest markets in the world.
In addition, Burger King has established Halal-certified restaurants in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and markets outside of Europe, where it holds a market-leading position.
Does Burger King India serve halal meat?
According to Burger King India’s official Twitter account, the restaurant does offer halal-certified options, including Whoppers.
In the US, BK India also appears to have to abide by local safety and health measures.
For this reason, not every option on the menu is fully halal, as many items are cooked with Haram (non-halal) food.
Does Burger King Middle East serve Halal food?
In general, many Middle Eastern restaurants offer certified halal menus; Burger King is no exception.
Still, Islamic customers are advised to ask about halal certification before buying anything from the Burger King menu, no matter what part of the world they are in.
As an added measure, you can also ask whether halal meats are grilled with non-halal items.
This fact may significantly affect the parameters of a strict halal diet.
Does Burger King Mix Haram and Halal?
According to Islamic food orthodoxy, halal food must be prepared according to the edicts of the Quran.
Primarily applicable to meat, this usually means that the animal must be healthy before slaughter.
A Muslim meatpacker then lets the blood flow from the beast’s carcass and blesses it with prayers.
Halal food must also:
- No animal fat, lard or broth
- Does not contain any ingredients from pigs – including bacon or ham
- No Raptor Animal By-Products
- not soaked in alcohol or other narcotics
For this reason, many Burger King businesses mix Haram (non-halal) with halal and may not be fully halal. When in doubt, ask if any menu items are cooked with fasting.
Does the Islamic Food Council endorse Burger King Halal?
With a vegan-friendly promotion on the Impossible Whopper, Burger King opened the door for American Muslims seeking halal options from national food chains.
According to Impossible Foods’ website, their Impossible Burger and 14-ounce Impossible Sausage Roll are certified halal by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA).
This fact indicates plans to imitate the successful combination of Haram and Halal products in the American Burger King food chain in the near future.
Besides Burger King, which American companies offer halal food?
With the market growing significantly, more and more American restaurants are serving halal food. They include but are not limited to:
- Texas Chicken — Texas Chicken has franchises worldwide, including in the United States. Every restaurant serves Halal food.
- Pizza Hut – Some branches of Pizza Hut offer halal options. Call your local franchise and ask.
- Crown/Kennedy Fried Chicken — KFC competitor, Crown and Kennedy Fried Chicken has 120 locations, serving halal food.
- Krispy Krunch Chicken – The Islamic Society of Washington certifies Krispy Krunch’s chicken as halal.
- Halal person — Based in New York City, they claim that their 37 locations serve 100% halal food.
- Subway – Subway surpassed McDonald’s in franchising and now offers customers halal options in more than 120 restaurants.
- KFC — KFC officially offers halal food at 78 locations.
Some fast food restaurants may be partially halal but tend to be halal friendly. Make sure the restaurant you choose carefully distinguishes between halal and illegal food.
If you want to learn more, you can also check out our posts on Does Burger King Have Shakes, Does Burger King Have Apple Pay, and Does Burger King Have Ice Cream.
in conclusion
Burger King has long offered kosher and halal menus in various countries. However, demand for halal-certified food in the United States is growing slowly, but emerging.
The internationally recognized food chain currently offers halal options in the U.S. and abroad, including Impossible Whopper. Even so, finding the one closest to you in the US can still be a challenge.
Anyone who wants to abide by the Koran and eat food according to Sharia law should look for halal options at their local Burger King, which proudly offers such products.
