Fast Food Legends
Certain fast-food items have completely changed the industry, and we have them to thank for a lot of staples we have today. For example, McDonald’s started the burger assembly line, but who do we thank for milkshakes and breakfast sandwiches? Well, here are 20 iconic recipes you can enjoy today that absolutely shook the fast-food game.
1. McDonald’s Hamburger
When it comes to fast food empires, many people, rightfully so, think of the McDonald’s hamburger. While not the first joint to offer cheap burgers, McDonald’s was the first to scale up its system and introduce automation. Their factory-like approach to making burgers allowed them to achieve great speed and consistency and essentially started the fast-food craze.
2. Panda Express Orange Chicken
Panda Express essentially mainstreamed American Chinese food, which was eaten as takeout or in sit-down restaurants before this. They used orange chicken to create a standardized and mass-producible product. This fast-food format worked and helped inspire other fast-casual Asian chains.
3. In-N-Out Animal Style
So there’s a bit of history to how animal style came around. In the 60s, a customer asked to have what a cook was having, and so the cook created a burger with grilled onions and mustard-cooked beef. The customer loved this and asked how to order it again, and the cook told him to ask for animal style.
4. Wendy’s Frosty
The creator of the Frosty was inspired by the malt shakes offered up at the Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio. He set out to create a similar drink that was thick and creamy, but at the same time didn’t overpower the burger and fries’ appeal. With the inception of the Frosty came the current tradition of dipping fries into milkshakes.
5. McDonald’s Egg McMuffin
Nowadays, it’s pretty common to go to fast food places for breakfast, but McDonald’s was one of the very first to do this. The first McMuffin was served open-faced with a powdered hollandaise-water mixture and ham. They eventually switched that out, but people loved the breakfast dish from the get-go, and many other chains followed suit.
6. Popeyes Chicken Sandwich
Popeye's recently revolutionized fast food with its chicken sandwich wars marketing. They updated their sandwich and sparked a 2019 viral campaign as they competed with other chains. This showcased the demand for quality fried chicken and led to other brands diving in and profiting.
7. Taco Bell and Doritos
The Doritos taco shell at Taco Bell has quite a history, too, and it showcases how two brands worked together to advance the fast-food industry. Essentially, a Taco Bell executive and a Frito-Lay marketer began a years-long project that spanned 40 prototypes to create the shell.
When they did their original release, they sold over 100 million Doritos Los Tacos in 10 weeks alone.
8. Dairy Queen Soft Serve
Dessert wasn’t always a fast-food expectation, that is, until soft serve came along. Soft serve was so easy to make thanks to the machines, and there was certainly a demand for it. Dairy Queen is now known more so for its ice cream than its burgers and fries, showing just how successful the upsell was.
9. Taco Bell's Crunchy Tacos
Taco Bell is what you’d consider Tex-Mex rather than authentic, but they greatly contributed to Mexican cuisine through their hard-shell taco. This pre-formed shell was developed in 1962 and meant tacos could now be assembled in mass quantities quite quickly. This model was highly scalable, and the unique shell was a hit with consumers.
10. Domino’s Pizza Delivery
Now it’s very common practice to just pick up the phone and order a pizza whenever you’re hungry. We have Domino’s to thank for that, as their 30-minute delivery promise in the 80s was a game-changer. Fast food became even more convenient, as now it could show up right at your door in a reasonable time.
11. KFC’s Fried Chicken
Fried chicken seems synonymous with fast food, but that wasn’t always the case. That is, until KFC began pressure-frying chicken in the 40s and 50s.
This allowed them to cook it far faster than others, leading to a consistent quality and quick service. Now, fried chicken seems like a fast-food staple.
12. Chipotle’s Burrito Bowl
Chipotle’s custom assembly system is another revolutionary winner. They helped to create the fast-casual format of eating, where the food is still quick serve but a bit more relaxed. Their custom assembly line model would go on to influence other chains like Subway as well.
13. McDonald’s French Fries
Burgers and fries are a match made in heaven, but also in McDonald’s! This brand was responsible for perfecting the fry using frozen processing to get them out and on plates fast. Their use of beef tallow also lent the fries a uniquely addictive flavor and created competition across the industry.
14. Fountain Soda
Fountain soda is something that changed the face of fast food and numerous chains. With soda, fries, and a burger, the combo meal was finally created. This normalized the act of upselling and deals, which contributes to the profitability of these chains, which lure customers in with the promise of combos and fulfilling meals.
15. Burger King’s Impossible Whopper
For most restaurants, the veggie burger was usually an afterthought. That wasn’t the case for Burger King, as they boldly announced and advertised their Impossible Whopper. While it’s certainly not the best veggie burger out there, their marketing was a big moment for fast food that popularized the category of Impossible Foods in chains.
16. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte
Lots of food brands try to turn their items into a holiday go-to.
For instance, Coca-Cola has actively marketed itself as the go-to Christmas drink. Similarly, Starbucks hit gold by becoming the go-to autumn drink with their pumpkin spice latte. This iconic latte has enjoyed a stellar rise in popularity and is now an influencer favorite.
17. McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets
Is there anything McDonald’s can’t do? Burgers and fries were one thing, but then they went on to revolutionize the kids' meal, making it a fast-food staple. They turned to chicken nuggets, which were an affordable protein that could be prepared and packaged effectively. This started a bit of a chicken arms race between brands.
18. KFC’s Double Down
KFC certainly kept the ball moving by introducing even weirder but highly marketable items to their menu. The Double Down sounds like a crazy idea that we all have but know better than to actually try. Well, KFC made dreams come true when they placed a piece of bacon and cheese between two fried chicken “buns”. Despite being super unhealthy, its originality and uniqueness made it a marketing success.
Michael Saechang from Diamond Bar, USA on Wikimedia
19. Dairy Queen’s Blizzard
You’d think the soft serve craze would be enough for Dairy Queen, but then they went ahead and impressed audiences with their Blizzard. By combining all sorts of mix-ins, they expanded their menu and did it with little manual effort.
Additionally, the marketability of flipping the Blizzard over helped entice consumers.
20. McDonald’s Happy Meal
Burger Chef was the first chain to introduce kid toys with their Fun Meal, which used everything from bright colors to easy-to-eat food to lure in families. They were super popular for six years until McDonald’s launched their Happy Meal and stole the show. Now, it’s not uncommon for fast food to use perks like toys to target kids.
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