Americans love to eat, and that is obvious given how booming the food industry is in the country. There is a mind-boggling variety of foods to try, right from traditional cuisines to modern gourmet experiments. But no matter how vast the assortment, there are quite a few iconic fast foods that just cannot be replaced.
27 Iconic Fast Foods You Must Try Out in America
1. French Fries
French Fries are one of the most preferred side dishes in the US, so much so that an average American consumes nearly 14 kilograms of French Fries a year. Honestly, one cannot even judge, for these crisp munchies are simply too good.
2. Pepperoni Pizza
If you are amazed by the French Fry statistics, wait until you hear about America’s beloved pizza. Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping, with as many as 114 million kilograms of pepperoni consumed per year. Get a bit of this pizza, and we bet you’d be hooked to it for life.
3. Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Speaking of foods that get you hooked on, the wildly famous Spicy Chicken Sandwiches that Americans are so fond of is a must to mention here. Tender chicken chunks are doused in a hot batter and fried until a crisp, golden exterior is achieved. They are then sandwiched between brioche-style buns along with fresh veggies and barbecue sauce.
4. Onion Rings
A plate of Onion Rings is a classic deep-fried appetizer that you should definitely try. Rings of sharp, crunchy onions are coated with breadcrumbs along with a funky seasoning of salt and paprika. Paired with hot sauce or mayo, Onion Rings make for a delightful tidbit.
5. Sausages
Italian sausages sautéed with peppers, sweet onions, juicy tomatoes, and garlic- this dish is a favourite lunchtime street food with classic Italian-American flavours. Sausage and Peppers stand alone as a complete dish on their own, but it is also commonly paired with pasta or served as a bread roll.
6. Hot Dog
A quintessential item, the American Hot Dog, has an all-beef, seasoned, smoked sausage tucked into a soft bun sprinkled with poppy seeds. This dog is wildly popular among sports fans, and rightly so, for it has snazzy toppings of sweet green pickle relish, tomato wedges, onion, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. Fair warning, if you dare to top the dog with ketchup instead of yellow mustard, there may be dire consequences.
7. Waffle Fries
Waffle Fries is the food that is rising in might as potential competition to regular fries. Sporting the texture and appearance of a waffle, these russet potato delicacies are seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika.
8. Italian BMT Sub
First and foremost, the BMT in the title stands for Biggest, Meatiest, and Tastiest, which is pretty much what this sandwich is all about. Stuffed with spicy pepperoni, Black Forest Ham, and Genoa salami, the Italian BMT Sandwich is much loved by the Americans for its truly fulfilling nature.
9. Crunchy Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican celebration of flavours in crisp corn tortillas filled with versatile combinations of meat, veggies, beans, and condiments such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. America’s love for tacos is evident in the ubiquity of taquerias in the city. Right from Classic combos to bold Asian spins, tacos in the country should definitely not be missed out on.
10. Lemon Pepper Wings
You know how sometimes you eat something, and it’s so good that you cannot even pause for two seconds to say out loud that it’s yum, and you just go on and on devouring the plateful? Well, Lemon Pepper Wings is one such food in the US. I mean, crisp chicken wings swimming in a zesty lemon-pepper seasoning- it’s quite obvious, isn’t it?
11. Pumpkin Spice Latte
This drink is nothing but a big, warm, comforting hug for your tummy. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is loved by the Americans for its superlative combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove infused in espresso and steamed milk.
12. Broccoli And Cheddar Soup
Trust us when we say this- the Broccoli Cheddar Soup of the US can potentially make you fall in love with broccoli. That’s right, the soup is so sinfully rich and creamy and luxuriously indulging that there’s absolutely no way that you can hate broccoli after the experience. Flavoured with onion, garlic, and sharp cheddar, this soup is numero uno on the recommendations list.
13. Orange Chicken
Speaking of indulging foods, it’d be a crime to skip the mention of the Orange Chicken in this list. Americans are head over heels for this super zesty Asian plate of deliciousness. It is chicken drowned in a tangy, chilli-flake-dotted orange sauce that is nothing short of lip-smacking.
14. Mac & Cheese
The iconic Mac & Cheese is America’s go-to comfort food. It is fundamentally just Macaroni pasta literally dripping with a luxuriously creamy, cheesy sauce. Even in its most basic form, this dish is too enticing. Add spicy meat to the equation, and bam! There goes your diet plan, straight outta the window.
15. Nachos
These are triangular tortilla chips married to bold flavours developed from a vast selection of veggies, meat, and condiments. Let us list them out for you- lettuce, smoked salsa, queso sauce, sour cream, Serrano peppers, shredded cheddar, barbecue sauce, pulled pork, brisket, turkey. Need we say more?
16. Pancakes
American chefs have adopted the art of pancake-making and grown quite good at it because a mere sight of the heavenly pancakes is enough to make you go, “Oh. My. Gawd.” Different cafes use different amounts and types of cheese, heaps of mascarpone, for instance, to achieve the ultimate fluffiness and a silky soft texture. Fair warning- your decision to choose the syrup/s that goes on top will be one of the toughest ones you will ever make.
17. Whopper
This huge monster of a burger gets a lot of attention in the US and is probably the reason why Ross believes that Joey hangs out at Burger King too much. In the Whopper, savoury, flame-grilled meat is sandwiched between soft buns dotted with sesame seeds, along with juicy tomatoes, fresh lettuce, crunchy onions, cheese, a selection of sauces and mayo.
18. Crazy Bread
Crazy Bread is simply garlic breadsticks that are incredibly fluffy, with hints of pleasant buttery-ness. If you do not believe in magic, Crazy Bread will change your mind, for the moment it lands on your table, it disappears from being gobbled too fast.
19. Donuts
No other dessert beats the good ol’ comfort brought about by doughnuts in the States. They are fluffy, pillow-soft on the inside, and have a delightful crunchy texture on the outside, coated typically in a rich vanilla-bean glaze. There are so many other varieties of glazes to choose from that you would be too confused for words. No matter which one you pick, these doughnuts serve you a literal taste of perfection, especially when dunked in coffee.
20. Blizzards
Far from being a catastrophe, the Blizzard we are talking about is a heavenly dessert-ish drink. Basically a soft serve in a cup, the Blizzard has a blend of typical sundae toppings along with chunks of actual cookies, brownies, and candies. Talk of decadence, pfff.
21. Chocolate Cookie
If you think cookies are overrated, the Chocolate Cookies in America will turn your opinion right around. These cookies are crispier, thinner, less doughy, and have copious amounts of dark chocolate that is just too pleasing for words.
22. Chicken Nuggets
Another wildly popular fast-food item in America, Chicken Nuggets, fully and completely deserve all the love and attention they get. Tender, juicy pieces of chicken are either breaded or battered and then fried until an inviting golden hue develops.
23. Ice Cream
You will be surprised by the wide variety of ice creams one can find in American ice cream parlours. From truly exotic flavours to bold flavor combinations and pairings with items such as cakes, cookies, waffles, and milkshakes, trust us when we say that the ice cream here will legit make you scream with joy.
24. Cheese burger
The cheese burger in America is bang on. Apart from the deliciousness of the meat patty, the freshness of veggies inside, the fluffiness of the buns, and the savouriness of the sauces, what strikes most is the pleasing, creamy taste of melted cheese that is added on top of the patty at just the right moment to give it a rich, molten texture.
25. Sliders
Sliders are basically everything we just said about the cheeseburger but only compressed into a smaller size. These mini burgers are typically only about 2 inches long, making them one of the most popular appetizers in the country.
26. Burrito
A Tex-Mex flavour extravaganza, Burrito is a bold affair. The tortilla sheet is heartily stuffed with fillings such as chicken, beef or pork, rice, cooked beans, veggies, and condiments like spicy salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and/or crema.
27. Pretzel
This is a truly delightful snack that every American loves. Pretzels are simply dough twisted into a knot-like shape. With delicate sweetness from brown sugar, these knots are baked to golden-brown perfection.
Thus, America boasts of an absolute fast-food parade that you should unquestionably participate in if you are looking for a fun and darn satisfying culinary adventure.
Read also – 17 Indian Foreign Fusion Dishes to Try Out Once
