Arby's Doesn't Cook Its Burgers Like All The Other Fast Food Chains

Arby's made headlines in 2022 when it announced that it was serving a burger for the first time in its history. While this was notable news in and of itself, the team at Arby's was also very keen to point out that this burger was cooked in a way that was unique, at least among mainstream fast-food chains. The patties that went into the Wagyu Steakhouse Burger were cooked sous vide by the fast food chain's meat supplier before being delivered. They were then cooked to order in the fryer for less than two minutes. This final step both heated the patty up and helped it develop a charred texture.

While resulting in a well-cooked and crisp burger, Arby's initially chose the sous vide and frying method for the simple reason that it does not have grills in its restaurants. (The chain did not want to have to fit grills to all of its locations just to serve burgers.) That being said, the cooking technique worked so well that Arby's decided to use it to cook its Big Game Burger which was launched in 2023. The Big Game Burger received positive reviews. Many people noted that the patty was extremely flavorful. However, it was also said to be quite dry.

Since both Arby's Wagyu Steakhouse Burger and the Big Game Burger were well received, the fast food chain took the plunge and introduced a range of permanent burgers to its menu in 2024. While Arby's made a point of announcing that its previous burgers were cooked using a sous vide and then finished in the fryer, no such statement was made when the permanent burgers were launched. What's more, there is no information as to how the burgers are cooked on Arby's website.

To further confuse matters, a person writing on Reddit claimed that Arby's now cooks its burgers in the fryer from raw. This individual wrote, "They are actually pre-formed patties that we receive uncooked and bloody. We have to open the package and pick off all the fat and they are fried to order in the deep fryer [...] They are cooked for one minute and forty-five seconds and then they are brought up and left to cool and drip for twenty seconds."

At the moment, it is impossible to know for sure whether Arby's burgers are cooked sous vide before they are delivered or if they are simply fried from raw in the restaurants. Either way, the chain can still claim that its burger-cooking method is unique among mainstream fast-food chains.