Some fast food items are known and loved the world over – burgers (in all their forms), for example, pizza, fries and hot dogs. Then there are those on-the-go foods closely associated with one place or country, like Aussie meat pies, English fish and chips and a variety of street food dishes that are cooked to order, in a flash. Here, we look at the world's best fast foods, counting down to the ultimate dish of all.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the most delicious fast food dishes around the world. How many have you tasted?
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each fast food item in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
Bitterballen – Dutch meatballs – are a soft and gooey fast food traditionally made with leftover pieces of meat from the weekend roast. Here, small pieces of beef in a béchamel sauce are covered with a crispy, crumbed exterior. They're rarely made in Dutch homes these days, but can be bought from takeaway spots all around the Netherlands (usually with a side of fries).
Humble yet tasty creations, these small crescent-shaped dumplings have been a feature of Polish food culture since the 13th century. They even have a patron saint: St Hyacinth. The dough is made from flour, water and sometimes egg and, once filled, the dumplings are poached then fried in butter. The choice of fillings is endless, but most popular are cheese and potato, cabbage and mushroom, meat, and soft fruits.
Ubiquitous on menus worldwide – from corporate events and weddings to restaurants and bars – the humble slider is a bite-sized hamburger. It dates to 1921, when Kansas-born Billy Ingram founded the US burger chain White Castle. Its small, square, five-cent hamburgers were central to the menu, and instantly popular. Today, thousands of these Original Sliders are sold daily, made in the same way: featuring a small, steam-grilled square patty with five holes (to help it cook quickly), served with onions and pickles.
Elote, or Mexican street corn, is ubiquitous in Mexico, where its history stretches back centuries. Its popularity has spread to the US, and especially southern California, where the dressed-up corn flies from food trucks and market stalls. The zingy, spicy snack – typically served on a stick – features a corn cob charred on the grill, slathered with a mixture of butter, mayonnaise, lime, chilli and coriander, and finished with an aged type of Mexican cheese, Cotija.
Sold at markets and on every street corner in Thailand, and at many restaurants around the world, pad Thai is an easy to cook, filling dish served with levels of heat from mild to mouth-numbing. Rice noodles, shrimp, egg and a handful of bean sprouts are stir-fried together with lime and chilli, and topped with crushed peanuts. Nutritious and cheap to make, it was created after the Second World War, when the country’s prime minister became concerned about the country’s high levels of rice consumption.
Chunks of skewered meat – usually chicken or pork – grilled over charcoal are the main ingredients of this tasty Greek fast food dish. They're served with salad and a dollop of tzatziki, either in a pitta or with one on the side. Its origins are believed to stretch back centuries; the oldest-known skewers, discovered on Santorini, were dated back to 2000 BC. There are also mentions of meat cooked over embers in Homer's epic eighth-century poem, Iliad.
The origins of this sweet and sour Indian street food snack aren't clear, with different theories linking it to cafés in Gujarat cafes or street hawkers in Mumbai. Popular at street food markets and often eaten at the beach, bhelpuri (or bhel puri) is made from puffed rice mixed with potatoes, onions, chaat masala – a type of spice mix – and chutney. Each mouthful contains a unique combination of sweet and salty, tender and crispy.
This Vietnamese fast food sandwich, with a French twist, is sold by vendors at street carts throughout the country (and is gaining popularity worldwide, too). It has roots in the 1860s when the French colonised the north, bringing various French food products with them. The baguettes are made using rice flour for a lighter, airier texture, often filled with pork seasoned with fish sauce or sausage, sardines and mackerel. Sour pickled vegetables, fragrant fresh herbs and spicy chillies are added for a distinctive flavour and texture.
Chǎofàn, or Chinese fried rice, is a typical street food throughout Asia that comes in any combination imaginable – egg, vegetables, meat, or seafood – and provides a quick, comforting, filling pick-me-up. Historians believe it originated during the time of the Sui Dynasty (589-618 AD) in Yangzhou, China, out of a need to use up leftover rice and other ingredients, which were then stir-fried together with soy sauce. It's also popular in Japan, where it's known as chahan.
This ultra-meaty fast food is thought to have originated during the Ottoman Empire. It’s available on every street corner in Turkey and throughout the Middle East, sold from food trucks to takeaway restaurants, and typically consists of a mix of lamb and chicken cooked on a rotisserie, sliced hot and wrapped in a flatbread along with pickled vegetables, salad and sauces.
The vada pav is a staple, must-try vegetarian snack of India’s street food scene. Packed with flavour, it’s a winning combination cooked fast to order, consisting of a deep-fried, spicy potato fritter served in a soft roll (or pav) with tangy chutneys. Its popularity throughout India is credited to Venkatesh Iyer, who started the fast food chain Goli Vada Pav, specialising in the tasty dish after seeing a tiny vada pav cart set up next to a giant McDonald’s in Mumbai.
This classic, comforting fast food originated in Greece, where it’s still easy to find at simple to-go spots. It’s made with small fluffy pitta bread packed with rotisserie meat, tzatziki, shredded lettuce and tomatoes. The dish is likely inspired by the Turkish döner kebab (see number 14 on our list) and is said to have links to Alexander the Great’s army, who roasted skewered meat on an open fire in the fourth century BC.
These long, finger-shaped doughnuts have been eaten in Spain for centuries and have become a street food staple worldwide; they're so popular, in fact, that they're among the highest-ranked recipe searches on Google. Churros are traditionally made with choux pastry dough, which is piped into hot oil through a thin star-shaped hole. They taste delicious served with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar and are often served with chocolate dipping sauce.
Spongy and delicate-looking, bao buns originate from Fujian in China. Each is traditionally made with a folded slice of lotus leaf bread, filled with sliced pork belly dressed in stir-fried pickled mustard greens, coriander and crushed peanuts. David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant chain, is widely credited for bringing the dish to the US and beyond in the 2000s.
The combination of flaky, battered, white fish and crispy, chunky chips is so ingrained in British culture, Prime Minister Winston Churchill left the dish off the rationing list during the Second World War, fearing morale would be seriously damaged otherwise. Some like theirs covered in salt and drenched in vinegar, while others opt for tasty accompaniments like tartare sauce, mushy peas or even a pickled egg.
This twist on a traditional German bratwurst (number 10 on our list) is one of the most popular fast foods in the German capital of Berlin, where it originated. The story goes that, in 1949, German housewife Herta Heuwer traded some spirits with British soldiers for ketchup and curry powder, which she mixed and doused over a grilled, sliced bratwurst. Today, the resulting currywurst is widely available at food carts around the city.
Believed to originate in northern Mexico (though counter theories claim they may be from the American Southwest), burritos are up there with the world's best handheld foods. Traditionally small and thin, they’re made with flour tortillas containing only one or two ingredients, which can include meat or fish, potato, rice, beans, asadero cheese and red or green chilli. Nowadays, nearly anything goes, with fillings crammed in to the max, special breakfast wraps, and burritos served smothered in sauce.
Although Berlin is famous for currywurst, it's the döner kebab that takes the top spot in the German capital's fast food scene. The dish has origins in the Ottoman Empire though, in Turkey, the meat was typically served on a plate with rice and vegetables (and no wrap). The popularity of the dish outside of the Middle East, and the addition of a pitta or flatbread, is widely credited to two Turkish-German immigrants, who started selling it on the streets of West Berlin in the early 1970s. Nowadays, Berlin is home to more than 1,000 eateries specialising in döner kebabs.
Essentially a curry on the go, bunny chow – or bunny, for short – is one of South Africa’s favourite street foods. This unique creation consists of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with a mutton, lamb, chicken, bean or vegetable curry, which soaks into the sides of the bread for a hearty snack. The dish is said to have been invented by migrant Indian workers in the 1940s; looking for a way to transport their lunch to the plantations, they stored their curries inside bread rolls until it was time to eat.
While the roots of this fast food favourite are undoubtedly Mexican, their exact origin is hard to pinpoint. Some cite ancient indigenous cultures in Mexico as the first to eat soft corn tortillas loaded with offal and fish, while others reference Mexican silver miners as a cheap and filling workday meal. Nowadays, tacos are widely available, especially in southern California, where in the 1920s, ground beef replaced offal and extras like cheese piled on top. Hard taco shells were also first used here in the 1940s.
Pies may be a globally popular comfort food, but they hold a special place in the hearts and bellies of many Australians. A popular snack while watching sports and a must on any road trip, the classic Aussie pie is made with minced beef cooked in a rich gravy, encased in a shortcrust base with a puff pastry lid and served with a dollop of tomato sauce. The history of the pie can be traced back to the First Fleet – ships that brought the first British colonists and convicts to Australia – and you’ll find pie-lined trays at every bakery and petrol station.
You won't struggle to find bratwurst in Germany – it's sold by street vendors and in restaurants and sausage houses nationwide. The sausage is made from pork and spices like coriander seed, ginger, pepper, mace, or nutmeg, and is served on a roll, usually with mustard. Evidence suggests it was first served in 1313 in Nuremberg, a city still internationally renowned for the fast food (and home to the Bratwurst Museum).
The first written mention of samosas dates back to the 11th century, though it's believed these tasty, triangular snacks have been around much longer than that. Some even suggest the samosa is the first fast food item. It originated in what's now Iran, served as a snack at the great courts of the Ghaznavid empire, and was filled with minced meats, nuts, dried fruit and fried until golden and crisp. Migrants took it to India, where it was tailored to local tastes and often made using vegetables instead of meat.
One bite of this Canadian soul food – fries studded with cheese curds and smothered in gravy – is enough to soothe your soul. Poutine was first served in the 1950s in rural Québec, although by whom is debated. Most stories reference it originated at a local restaurant, Le Lutin qui rit, after owner Fernand Lachance noticed customers ordering a side of cheese curds with their fries and gravy.
California claims to have invented plenty of iconic dishes, but its most legendary creation must be the classic cheeseburger. Food historians date its conception to 1924, when 16-year-old Lionel Sternberger decided to melt a slice of cheese onto a hamburger at his father’s sandwich shop, the now-closed The Rite Spot, in Pasadena, California. The rest is fast food history.
Although an enduring staple of Southern USA, where it can be traced back to a recipe printed in 1824, this delicious fast food originated in Scotland as early as 1747, and was brought to America by Scottish plantation owners. It was enslaved people who made it the flavoursome favourite it is today, adding spice and seasonings. Then, of course, KFC paved the way for the world’s obsession with fried chicken in the 20th century.
Depending on which origin story you believe, this simple hand-held snack, often associated with America, originates in either Austria or Germany. It arrived in the USA with German immigrants in the 1800s; by the late 19th century, hot dog stands were commonplace nationwide. The best-known chain was founded in 1916 by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, who founded the beloved Nathan’s Famous in New York City. Nowadays, almost every state offers a different take, from the fully loaded Chicago dog to the classic Coney Island, while there are variations on hot dogs cooked and served around the world.
The origins of one of the world's most ordered fast food dishes is a blend of English, Scottish and American influences: Englishman John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who first ate meat in bread; the Scottish, who first to fried chicken in breadcrumbs; and the Americans, who gave it flavour and added a bun. The first sold by a fast food chain was Chick-fil-A’s Original Chicken Sandwich, a toasted buttered bun, a breaded chicken breast and two pickles. It hasn’t changed since launching in 1964.
Pizza goes back millennia, but the modern form took shape in the southern Italian city of Naples in the late 1700s, after a population boom. Street traders sold it topped with salt and garlic as a quick, cheap, convenient meal. Toppings got fancier when Italy’s Queen Margherita, with a taste for the dish, visited in the 1800s (and had a pretty famous pizza named after her). Nowadays, it’s a ubiquitous global fast food available in many styles, from Chicago deep dish to floppy slices in New York City.
This culinary fast food favourite has roots in the 13th century, when the Mongols spread the idea of minced meat dishes across Europe, which included Germany and specifically Hamburg, where cooking beef in patties with spices became popular. German settlers in the late 1800s brought it to the US. The creation of the modern burger is credited to two people: Louis Lassen of Louis’ Lunch in Connecticut, who served a patty between two bits of bread, and Walter Anderson of White Castle, who invented the burger bun.
Although French in name, the origins of the world’s hugely popular potato snack are murky. Some believe they originated in Paris, while others cite Belgium. President Thomas Jefferson is said to have introduced them to the USA in 1780 while working as the American Minister to France (though it was his slave, James Hemings, who cooked them). Their popularity grew exponentially in the 20th century, when they became a staple at McDonald’s (in 1949) and, later, Burger King.
Now read our ranking of the world's greatest ever fast food burgers