The Sheer Number Of Ways To Customize A Burger King Whopper Is Staggering

Burger King's motto is "have it your way," and it's safe to say that the fast food giant is pretty committed to it, allowing for an extensive amount of modifications to your order both online and in-person. BK is so committed, in fact, that one ad campaign by the fast food joint proudly claimed that there were a whopping (no pun intended) 221,184 different ways to enjoy a Whopper. The craziest part is that several people online took it upon themselves to crunch the numbers, and the actual amount of possible modifications turned out to be even higher.

First, the basics: You can obviously add bacon or cheese, and choose whether or not to include tomato, onion, pickle, or lettuce, for which you can have "light," "regular," or "none," jalapeños, and/or onion rings. You can also choose which sauces to spread on your Whopper, from classics like the ever-popular pairing of ketchup and mustard, to more complex ones like honey mustard, BBQ, or even buffalo sauce, for which you can also request "none," "light," "regular," or "extra." 

Some people also suggested swapping out the sesame seed bun for a brioche or sourdough bun, which, while not possible for online orders, may be an option if you request it in person depending on your cashier and store location. You could get your burger well done, or cut in half, or add a second or third patty too. And honestly, that's probably not all — there's really no end to how creative people get when inventing the best Burger King secret menu combinations.

So, are there really more than 221,184 different potential Whopper combinations? Several people have done the calculations with varying results, but if you really lean into the "extra" and "light" sauce and topping designation possibilities, the number of combinations really starts to skyrocket. Honestly, a lot of it is going to depend on the cashier who takes your order, and their willingness to explore all the buttons they can press on the register, as well as how long the line behind you is and just how impatient the other hungry customers are. And, of course, the Whopper costs a lot more today than it did back in 1957 when it was first introduced — and all of these creative little additions are going to up the price even further.

In the interest of crafting a relatively affordable but still delicious meal, let's explore the best of the 221,184 options. If you're into spicy food, build your own version of the sadly discontinued Angry Whopper by adding jalapeños, bacon, and hot sauce to your burger. If you're a vegetarian, try Burger King's meat-free Impossible Whopper, and add mushrooms and caramelized onions for some gourmet veggie goodness. If you're just really hungry, pile your Whopper high with three meat patties, and then as many of your favorite condiments and toppings as you like.