Spicy Food News: Burger King Texas-Sizes Its Whopper, Wingstop Kicks Up Its Lemon Pepper, and More

BK Adds New Whopper Lineup

Burger King is trying any of a number of promotions these days in order to move back up in the fast food rankings (they slipping to Number 8 based on 2025 sales rankings). Among those, they have been offering variations on their iconic Whopper, and their latest brings some Texas-sized flavor. Here is the rundown from the website:

The Texas Whopper features ¼ lb. 100% flame-grilled beef patty, topped with melty American cheese, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, sliced white onions, crunchy pickles, jalapeños, creamy mayonnaise, yellow mustard on a toasted sesame seed bun.

(My advise is to drop the mayo, it has no business on a burger, and the mustard works well with the jalapenos to kick up the heat.) This is also available as a Double Whopper, a Whopper Jr., and an Impossible Whopper. The Whopper version sells for $7.99 in my area, which is a buck more than the regular Whopper with cheese. These are available for the dreaded limited-time-only, but all the ingredients are in the kitchen, so you can reassemble it through customizing (though the price will be higher).

Wingstop Is Winging It with New Lemon Pepper Trio

Wing season is about to kick into high gear with the pro and college football kicking off, and they have a two new variations on their Lemon Pepper flavor joining the menu. Here is the rundown from the press release:

NEW Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch: The signature Lemon Pepper dry rub finished with a crispy Korean chili crunch for craveable texture and a lingering kick.

NEW Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze: A bright, citrusy glaze with sweet heat, topped with crispy Korean chili crunch for a bold, saucy twist on Lemon Pepper.

These will be available to Club Wingstop members beginning September 10th, and then they will be rollout nationwide starting on September 15th. They are only available for a limited time, but I expect they will stick around through most of football season.

Knorr Adds Hot Ones to Its Rice and Pasta

Knorr is the latest company to team up with Hot Ones, adding a kick to its rice and its pasta. Here is the rundown from the press release:

Knorr Mexican Rice: We reimagined our classic Mexican Rice and kicked it up to a perfect medium heat. Inspired by the tangy, zesty brightness of Hot Ones’ Los Calientes Verde, this savory rice delivers a vibrant burst of flavor that instantly rescues you from the boring dinner routine.

Knorr Cheesy Cheddar Pasta: We’ve taken our cheesy and delicious pasta and dialed up the heat in a big way. Crafted in the spirit of the legendary fire of Hot Ones’ The Last Dab, it’s a rich and intensely satisfying dish that proves comfort food can have an attitude. Go on, we dare you.

These are currently available on Amazon (see links above) in 3-Packs for $8.99 or 8-Packs for $14.99, and they will only be around for a limited run.

The Hot Italian Is Back on the Menu at Jersey Mike’s

This sandwich chain apparently noticed that Subway brought back its Hot Honey Italian Sandwich, and they are countering with their own spicy version which was previously available. Here is the description from the website:

Mike’s Hot Italian: Mike’s take on a hot Italian made to perfection with ham, salami & pepperoni with melted provolone cheese. Grilled and chopped to perfection, topped with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and finished with our signature Chopped Pepper Relish

This is back for the dreaded limited-time-only and it sells for $8.95 for a regular ($16.95 for a large) in my area.