Burgers and fries are timeless fast food classics for good reason, but that doesn’t mean that's all there is. Around the globe, there's a host of unusual options gracing fast food restaurant tables, from dishes created to cater to local tastes to obscure desserts and strange snacks. Here we look at the weird and wonderful fast food items that have appeared on menus around the world, counting down to the most unusual option of all.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the most unusual fast food items of all time.

We've based our ranking on the stand-out strangeness of each fast food item and the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

If you think chicken tikka should only be served with rice or in a flatbread, think again. A popular choice on the Domino's menu in India, the Indi Chicken Tikka pizza combines juicy masala–spiced chicken tikka bites with onion, paprika and mint mayo. Similar versions have also been available in the UK and Australia as part of limited-edition menus, but there are no known plans to bring this delicious-sounding pizza to other markets just yet.

German fast food chain Nordsee is a haven for seafood lovers and anyone who loves tangy, pickle-heavy dishes. The menu is packed full of fishy delights, including this crispy baguette filled with Bismarck herring, onion and gherkin slices. It's something of an acquired taste, so those not entirely enamoured by the ocean’s bounty may want to give it a miss.

Swapping the traditional carb base for fried chicken, KFC first launched its Chizza in the Philippines in 2015 and, after huge success there, it’s had limited-edition stints across the globe, most recently launching in the US in February 2024. While it might sound slightly odd, the Chizza is actually delicious, featuring two crispy fried chicken fillets topped with marinara sauce, melted mozzarella and pepperoni.

A breakfast item sure to divide the crowd, this curious McMuffin is found on McDonald's menus throughout Poland. Instead of the usual suspects (sausage, egg, bacon and American cheese), this breakfast bun is filled with sliced radishes, cottage cheese and rocket leaves. Although it's quite a classic combination across Eastern Europe, it's still not what many would expect from a McMuffin.

While most items on this list feature somewhat overwhelming flavour combinations, this fast food offering from MAX Hamburger in Norway stands out because of just how underwhelming it is. Introduced to offer a healthier option to diners, it's simply the usual beef patty and burger toppings wrapped in a salad leaf. Pretty disappointing if you've been dreaming about a classic cheeseburger, but a decent option for anyone avoiding gluten or carbs.

If you love McDonald’s signature crispy apple pie shell, then the Thai version of the dessert, which sees the apple filling replaced with sweet and salty creamy corn, might just tempt you. After the dessert became a favourite treat with Thai customers, it was also introduced in South Korea – and later, Malaysia.

Originally launched in the US in 2015, the finger-lickin' Double Down garnered a cult following at KFC outlets across the world. This bun-free beauty featured two Extra Crispy Chicken Fillets encasing two slices of cheese and two pieces of hickory-smoked bacon. The much-hyped dish has since made several returns to menus in the UK, Australia and the US, most recently delighting American fans with a short-term reappearance in March 2023. The UK KFC website states that 'it's goodbye for now but not forever', so here's hoping it'll return soon.

Rather different from the McDonald's meals you might be used to, this combination of crispy fried chicken leg and spaghetti topped with minced beef in tomato sauce is a hugely popular order in the Philippines. Introduced more than a decade ago, as its legions of fans will attest, the pairing really does work.

If you love McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, the Bai Shrimp Filet-O might just appeal. Instead of the signature square of breaded and fried fish, the item showcases a crispy, breadcrumb-covered prawn patty topped with lettuce and Thousand Island dressing (a bit like a prawn cocktail in burger form). What’s not to like?

Crispy chicken cartilage is a common bar snack throughout Asia – and with its Deep Fried Chicken Cartilage offering, KFC Hong Kong brought nose-to-tail dining to mainstream fast food menus. Introduced for a limited time in 2021, it was said to be chewier than KFC's Original Recipe pieces, but perfectly seasoned and nicely crunchy.

Sold by popular Japanese fast food chain MOS (Mountain Ocean Sun) for more than 15 years, rice burgers are hugely popular across Asia, with McDonald's even offering its own version. While the idea is simple – two fried rice patties replace the usual bread bun – it's what you put inside that counts. MOS's offerings include the Kaisen Kakiage (a seafood tempura mix) and the Yakiniku, packed with barbecued meat.

In May 2024, Pizza Hut stepped out of its usual lane and unveiled the Cheeseburger Melt, a Parmesan-crusted base folded and loaded with all your typical burger fillings – think beef, applewood-smoked bacon, onions, mozzarella, Cheddar and a helping of tangy burger sauce. This pizza-burger hybrid replaces the usual bun with the chain’s signature crispy thin crust and, weirdly, it kind of works. Available for a limited time in the US only, we're rather hoping it’s rolled out globally.

First introduced in 2013, and regularly making comeback appearances, this limited-edition option from KFC Indonesia consisted of a regular glazed doughnut topped with shredded Cheddar and Swiss cheese – and it was described as a salty, savoury sensation. Paired with a cup of coffee, we think this one might just work.

On the subject of unusual deep-fried treats, how does a dried pork and seaweed doughnut sound? Offered on the speciality menu at Dunkin' China, the classic glazed doughnut is topped with dehydrated pork and sprinkled with seaweed for an extra flavour hit. The outlet also offers its popular Munchkins (doughnut holes) in variations you won't see elsewhere in the world: spicy, roast and pizza.

Seven Brothers Gourmet in Long Island, New York introduced the world to pickle sandwiches in January 2024. These salty, tangy sandwiches turn tradition on its head, with deli meats, cheese and salad encased between two large, hollow pickles. After the curious combination went viral on TikTok, people travelled from far and wide to try it – and it proved a huge hit. The store started selling as many as 200 pickle sandwiches a day.

Struggle to nail down your choice of toppings when ordering pizza? Domino's Japan's 34-topping pizza might just be for you. Unveiled in 2022, the limited-edition, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Best 34 Pizza was divided into quarters to accommodate its many, many toppings and finished with three different sauces. Ingredients included octopus, mussels, teriyaki chicken, asparagus, corn, Hokkaido Camembert, rice cakes and beef ribs.

How does a burger bun loaded with 20 slices of American cheese sound? Not overly appealing, right? That didn’t stop Burger King in Thailand from launching The Real Cheeseburger in summer 2023. This meatless, all-cheese burger may have lacked a patty and sauce (and garnered some scathing reviews), but it certainly got the internet talking.

One for the pickle juice fiends out there, Sonic’s Pickle Juice Slush first launched in 2018. The divisive drink combined Sonic's classic sweet slush with a salty pickle brine in a beverage that, according to the national chain, 'tastes just like you're sipping out of the pickle jar'. Sweet yet tangy, the fluorescent green beverage turned out to be quite the hit with customers and made a brief comeback in 2022 due to demand.

Offered on and off since 2018, bonito fries are definitely divisive. A Singaporean take on loaded fries, and looking more than a little like poutine, the dish consists of golden, hot-out-the-fryer fries drizzled with lashings of katsu sauce and mayo and finished with a generous sprinkling of bonito flakes (made from dried, fermented and smoked bonito fish). While the salty, savoury flavour of this dish is a hit with many, others are put off by the strong aroma.

First introduced in 2018 as part of a 'Taste of Asia' campaign, KFC’s Salted Egg Chicken matched a crispy fried chicken thigh burger with salted egg yolk dressing. A national delicacy in Indonesia, the rich, savoury gravy was said to complement the juicy chicken perfectly. Riffing on the success of the dish, in April 2023 a seasonal special known as the Goldspice (Hot & Crispy Chicken coated in a blend of salted egg yolk, curry leaves, chilli and sweet basil) made its return to menus for just a few weeks, while a similar spicy item became available in Brunei in spring 2024.

Pasta for breakfast, anyone? The morning menu at McDonald's Hong Kong might just raise an eyebrow or two. Featuring twisty pasta served with grilled chicken, sausage and egg, or ham and egg, all orders come with a hash brown (there's nothing like double carbs to start the day) and a hot drink. It's basically a hybrid of a pasta dish and the contents of a McMuffin, and we're on board with that.

Introduced in Singapore in autumn 2020, Pizza Hut’s limited-edition Cheesy 7 Durian Pizza turned out to be a big hit with customers. Known for its pungent smell, durian fruit brought a sweet and slightly savoury tang to the creamy, cheesy sauce base, made with mozzarella and six other types of cheese. Given the success of this particular pie, we reckon it may well make a reappearance in the future.

In early 2024, Pizza Hut Japan set out to blow its customers' minds by combining two of their favourite dishes: pizza and noodles. The Kotteri-fuu Ramen Pizza was a limited-edition collab between Pizza Hut and ramen chain Tenkaippin. It featured a thin, crispy base topped with noodles in a thick chicken broth, which Pizza Hut spent six months getting to the perfect texture for a pizza topping. The chain didn't stop there when it came to odd combos, though: a ramen/grilled cheese hybrid hit the menu in July 2024.

KFC introduced Golden Durian Mochi to menus in Malaysia in 2020 and, due to popular demand, brought the item back again in 2021, 2022 and spring 2024. The fruity dessert features crispy, deep-fried shells filled with D24 durian – a much-loved variation of the fruit. However you feel about the pungent ingredient, its popularity is undeniable, with the item selling out every single time it's featured on the menu.

Perhaps the most divisive herb around, coriander is famous for tasting like soap to around one in five of us. Even those with a soft spot for the herb might feel challenged by this dessert from McDonald’s China, which fused the brand's classic vanilla soft serve with bright green coriander syrup and a generous scattering of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Tempted to try it? Unfortunately (or fortunately, for some) it was only available for five days in 2022, though there's still a chance it'll make a comeback.

The list of quirky McDonald’s desserts doesn’t end with coriander ice cream. Taking things in an even more unusual direction was the Chilli Paste Pork Ice Cream that launched in Thailand in 2022. It saw the ice cream base garnished with chilli paste sauce and light and fluffy shredded pork floss. This one might just be a case of ‘don’t knock it until you’ve tried it’, though, as intrepid tasters reportedly loved the combination of sweet and savoury flavours.

Does everything taste better with chocolate? Burger King Thailand certainly seems to think so, as the Chocolate King menu returned to outlets across the country for the third time in spring 2023. The delicious collaboration between Burger King and Hershey's featured Hershey's Choco Pies, Iced Chocolate, Milkshakes and even a Whopper Jr., served in a chocolate bun with Choco Fries (fries drizzled with Hershey's Premium Chocolate Sauce).

A limited-time option introduced in 2023 for Chinese New Year, Pizza Hut’s range of seafood-inspired pizzas showcased toppings such as shrimp, calamari, diced octopus, salmon and mackerel. The Luxurious Scallop & Abalone Pizza – featuring scallops, mullet roe, XO sauce, pork and cheese dumplings and the prized delicacy abalone – could be considered a stroke of genius or an acquired taste.

Is it a burger? Is it a pizza? Who knows, but diners keep coming back for this wacky invention. Krave It’s World Famous Cheeseburger Pizza sees a pizza base covered with 16 mini burgers, a fried egg, French fries, bacon and chipotle mayo. You'll probably have to enlist a group of friends to help polish off this mega meal, but that's exactly what Krave It (in Astoria, New York) is known for. Its three-course pizza was another talk-of-the-town creation, with fries, onion rings, cheeseburger sliders and (for dessert) fried Oreos piled onto a single pizza base.

Now discover these special McDonald’s menu items from around the world

Last updated by Luke Paton.