I Tried And Ranked 8 Burger King Sides

Burger King may be home to the Whopper, but there are a lot more menu options beyond that. For example, the fast food chain sells a number of chicken products (my favorite was the complex but pricy Bacon and Swiss Royal Crispy Chicken), as well as random drinks for you to purchase. I've tasted all of its burgers, too, but this time around? I opted to try every side I could get my hands on.

Now, since the Half-sies are just a blend of fries and onion rings, I skipped those, so I didn't literally try every side listed on the menu. But I still have a good idea of the best from the worst after trying every other available option. I mainly based my rankings on how the food tasted, how well it delivered the advertised ingredients and flavors, overarching textures, and whether I would go back to Burger King specifically for that item. With all of those factors in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by four options. Keep reading to discover which Burger King sides were my favorites. 

Burger King's tacos are made with seasoned beef, American cheese, lettuce, taco sauce (which tastes more like sweet barbecue sauce), and a tortilla shell. I live in San Diego, so I'd probably never go to Burger King for crispy tacos. And after trying them, I don't think I'd ever buy them again, which is why they're in last. They weren't particularly bad, but nothing stands out enough to justify another purchase.

The crispy taco tortilla shell is surprisingly good, and looks genuinely fried (not like a stale, pre-made shell from the grocery store). There's some personality and lumpiness, and it's not quite as uniform as a factory-made appearance, but I could be wrong. Between that, and perhaps the beef itself, there was a lot of oiliness dripping onto my hand and down my arm — plus a pool of oil in the taco bag that made them even more prone to cracking.

The beef is kind of a nondescript, like plain beef mush, if you will. After browsing the ingredients, I found it's made with beef and textured soy flour, so it doesn't have the heartiness and mouthfeel of standard 100% ground beef. Some people love these tacos, so don't take this side's ranking personally. But some of the upcoming sides are a little more interesting or unique enough to Burger King to lure someone into purchasing them from the fast-food restaurant chain.

I like cheddar, ranch, and tater tots, but for whatever reason? The Cheddar Ranch Tots from Burger King didn't impress me. Ultimately, it boils down to an imbalance; there's a lot of breading without much flavor. The interior is soft, slightly wet, with a super crisp, thick breading. The company website describes them as fluffy, but I'd say the interior is mushy. While I like textural contrast, my tongue didn't really know what was going on in this dish.

On top of the jumble of textures, I couldn't taste much. It's like there's a drop of cheese and a sprinkle of ranch, but not enough to discern in a blind taste test. In fact, I had to figure out which side the cheddar ranch tots even were after tasting them because they were relatively flavorless little balls.

Surprisingly, there's a lot of dairy and cheese in the product, including pasteurized processed cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, dried cheddar and semi-soft cheese, sour cream, and a bunch of seasonings like dried garlic and paprika. It sounds like a recipe for success, but it's more ho-hum than anything. Honestly, it is hard to make out that there's any potato in here at all. Even if I'd pick the cheddar ranch tots over the relatively tasteless beef tacos, I likely wouldn't buy them again.

Though Burger King's chicken fries have a cult following, some customers feel as though the quality has gone down in recent years. In fact, they came in last place in my aforementioned Burger King chicken rankings because they were so dry and bland compared to everything else. Luckily, they fared a bit better when pitted against other sides. I still found the chicken portion quite dry (if not a bit chewy), which kept it from ranking higher. But I can appreciate the chicken and breading combination that makes it enticing to customers.

Of course, it's obvious that the Chicken Fries are made even better with dipping sauce. I've been to BK three times in the past couple of weeks, and this time, the employee was extremely generous, loading me up with a range of dipping sauces that genuinely enhanced virtually every side I tried. This side's peppery exterior is only made better with something herby like ranch, Buffalo sauce, or even the sweet tomato-y marinara. It didn't make the top five, but I prefer the chicken base and slightly peppered breading compared to the tots.

I love french fries and potatoes in all forms essentially (save for the cheddar ranch tots). Burger King's fries are slightly thicker than those at McDonald's, with a crisp exterior. They're hot and crisp with a touch of salt to give them the edge they need. But they quickly lose their flavor. While many items on this list retained warmth or were okay at room temperature, the fries seemed to get cold the fastest, thus losing their charm, and keeping them from ranking higher.

Now, you can obviously just scarf them down quickly to avoid any issues. Because other than that, I don't have any major problems with these. It's a standard side akin to hash browns at breakfast (which ranked fourth among 14 Burger King breakfast items). And unlike the three lower-ranked options, there's not much to critique about the chain's fries. They just don't live up to some of the more complex flavors and textures found in the top four menu items.

I think a Burger King burger is perfectly complemented by a side of fries because it's such a classic combination. Since Burger King's fries may be a little old, too, one trick to get fresh fries is to order them unsalted to ensure a new batch is prepared for you.

Jalapeño and cheddar make a tasty combination. While I wondered if it would translate well into Burger King's bite-sized form, I'd say they're a solid snack. These jalapeño cheddar bites are gooey and melty on the inside, similar to a viscous queso dip — not runny, but not totally set either. If I tilted it upside down, the interior would slowly come out. Unlike the cheddar ranch tots' mundane and muddled taste, I could taste the cheesiness and jalapeño in these bites.

I initially thought the bites had nicely diced jalapeño pieces in each little fried pocket, but it turns out they're green bell pepper pieces (according to the ingredient list). Maybe they're meant to make you think you're getting more jalapeño. Either way, they bring a slight texture break from the crisp exterior and gooey center. They're small, but they provide an uplift to the overall consistency. Additionally, the bites contain process Monterey jack cheese, pasteurized process cheddar cheese, dried cheddar and semi soft cheese, as well as cheese flavor to create an actually cheesy-tasting center.

These rich and spicy bites really deliver everything they say they will, which gives them a pretty high fourth-place position. I might prefer the top three, but I'd definitely pick these over the fries for an average order.

Some people online really love Burger King's onion rings, and I have to admit: They surprised and delighted my taste buds. Despite the amount of breading, the onion flavor is very clear and prominent. The slightly sweet onion profile shines through, cutting the fattiness of the fried exterior, and helping these place third among Burger King sides.

These pair really well with any dipping sauce, particularly marinara and ranch. Both of those sauces add a lot of flavor to the O-shaped onions, though you don't need to dip them in anything for it to be good. They're delightfully crunchy and oniony, and reheat particularly well in the air fryer, too. Plus, if you're wondering what exactly is inside Burger King's onion rings, they're made with dehydrated minced onion, onion flavor, and other ingredients.

I was also pleased with the sheer number of onion rings I received, and would happily pick these up again. However, it seems BK planned to roll out new onion rings in March 2026, and some don't think the switch is for the better. I appeared to receive the "older" rings, as the "newer" ones appear to be larger with a lighter-colored, thinner batter. As it stands, while the batch I received couldn't best the top two, I think these were delightfully crispy and pretty good overall (and wonder where the revamped ones would rank).

Chicken nuggets are hard to mess up, but that doesn't automatically mean they're always good. Thankfully, Burger King's are a pleasant nugget, and worthy of a purchase. The crown shape is the first thing I noticed, and it's not one I've seen before; I personally like the crown shape and think they're cute. Of course, the flavor is the most important thing here, and the Crown Nuggets are quite tasty.

Now, they aren't revolutionary, and likely won't have you proclaiming your adoration for the poultry dish. But it's a good BK side, and one of the best items I tried from the restaurant (though not the best overall). They have a center made from boneless, skinless chicken breast with rib meat. However, you'll also find chicken powder, chicken fat, and other ingredients to add further dimension. You can see something pepper-esque in the breading, for instance. The center is supple without being mushy or soft, while the breading has a surprisingly tasty and crisp contrast.

The Crown Nuggets are hearty enough to double as a mini meal, too, particularly if you get the 8- or 16-count and pair them with another side. It's excellent with ranch and Buffalo sauce if you prefer something to pack on the heat. The crown shape also makes it incredibly easy to nibble on or rip apart, since it almost serves as a perforated line.

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall flavor and texture of Burger King's Mozzarella Fries – enough so that they find themselves at the top of this ranking. These were perfectly crisp with a terrific, evenly-coated breading, ensuring you get a crunchy bite the whole way through. It's made better because the interior cheese remains soft and gooey, and each fry has an epic cheese pull despite being somewhat thin compared to a standard mozzarella stick.

Interestingly, the fries don't include mozzarella alone. You'll also see Parmesan and Romano cheese included in the ingredients list, further enhancing the flavor. When you pair it with marinara sauce, it offers a complex, tasty side I'd never expected from Burger King. The marinara leans a bit sweet, but there are some herbs and umami tomato notes to round it out, which I find work nicely with the creamy cheese center. They're a terrific balance of crunchy and soft, with herby notes and milky cheese.

Even though I'd like to see more cheese, it's still a good product that my entire family enjoyed. I'd venture to BK to grab them not just for their taste and texture, but because mozzarella sticks — or fries rather (my bad) — aren't too accessible at your average fast food restaurant. They're tasty, unique, and interesting enough to deserve the accolade of being the best Burger King side.

I ordered every side item in-store at Burger King and ate it right away at the restaurant for peak freshness. I tried a piece of each side (one fry, one tot, one ring, etc.) and drank water to cleanse my palate as needed. To determine my ranking, I was primarily judging the sides on their taste and whether they delivered the promised flavor notes. Texture, and how likely I was to repurchase the side, were also factored in.

A side dish ranked higher when it was flavorful with a balanced texture that I'd happily come back to buy again. Food ranked low if it was bland or didn't especially offer what it advertised. My top four had the most intrigue, but the fifth-ranked side was also a solid pick because they go well with just about any Burger King order.