Jollibee has built its reputation as a fried chicken chain, originating in the Philippines and then expanding to the U.S, now counting locations in 14 states. But burgers are embedded in Americans’ palates, and as the quick-service chain continues to expand, the menu needed a burger, believed Joy Cruz, vice president of R&D for Jollibee North America.
“We serve best-in-class fried chicken, so our mission was to serve a best-in-class burger,” said Cruz. “That meant bringing in high-quality beef.”
The challenge: Selling that high-quality burger at a fast-food price. Here’s how Jollibee did it.
Forging strong vendor partnerships
Jollibee had introduced a Yumburger in the Philippines years ago, so the chain was not a complete stranger to burgers. But that beef patty was mixed with other ingredients and had a Filipino flavor profile. This time, the goal was to create an all-American burger.
While Cruz started the R&D process by trying out different beef products, early on, she sourced Certified Angus Beef and didn’t look back. The flavor and texture were superior. But how could such a premium product fit Jollibee’s price point?
“We worked with our vendor to deliver the right format at a good value,” she said. “The burgers come in 4-ounce pre-formed, frozen pucks. In a blind tasting, there was insignificant difference in flavor or texture between frozen and fresh beef.”
Cruz explained that it’s the smashing and searing process that develops caramelization and gives the burger its elevated flavor and texture, and that is done in each store on specially calibrated griddles with proprietary seasoning and a proprietary smashing tool.
To create The Angus Cheeseburger, the first of three variations, Cruz used a 0.7-ounce slice of American cheese, “a slighter thicker slice that provides a better cheese-to-beef ratio,” she said. The seared patty is garnished with crisp pickles, thinly sliced red onions, ketchup and Jollibee's signature burger sauce.
There’s also The Angus Deluxe Burger, which layers green leaf lettuce and sliced Roma tomatoes on the original cheeseburger.
The Aloha burger has a Philippines island twist with its topping of grilled pineapple. | Photo courtesy of Jollibee
But The Angus Aloha Burger has a Jollibee twist. A little Filipino tropical flavor distinguishes the build with the addition of grilled pineapple, crispy bacon, leaf lettuce and a honey-mustard Aloha sauce. “We introduced a chicken sandwich with a similar flavor profile, and the bacon and pineapple were already in house” said Cruz. All three burgers are served on butter-toasted buns.
Perfecting the sauce, tools, technique and seasoning
Some of the toppings got ditched during the R&D process. White onions and regular round tomatoes were tried initially, but red onions and Roma tomatoes “elevated the flavor,” said Cruz. She also introduced a more artisan-style bun, specifically sourced for this line of burgers.
While the honey-mustard sauce made a smooth transition from chicken sandwich to burger, it took some trial and error to develop a signature sauce for the two cheeseburgers.
“We tested a sauce that was a little more like a remoulade,” she said, “but that didn’t work. “We wanted something that was developed specifically to complement the cheeseburger.”
Although Cruz wouldn’t divulge the exact recipe, she described it as a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce with some familiar flavors. “It highlights the richness of the beef,” she added.
The seasoning is Jollibee’s own blend that gets activated with heat. “It gives the burgers an enhanced beefy quality when smashed and seared on the grill,” Cruz explained. At each cooking station, the griddles are calibrated to a higher temperature than they are for other grilled items and a dispenser filled with the signature seasoning is at the ready. Each burger is seasoned and butter seared.
But to create the unique Maillard reaction that caramelizes and browns the meat as it cooks, Jollibee helped invent its own searing and smashing tool. “There are a lot on the market but none of them worked like we wanted them to. We had a target weight and thickness in mind,” Cruz said. “This one has the right cavity and is more ergonomic for the staff.”
Before the rollout at the end of March, Jollibee’s operations team trained and certified the teams at each U.S. location to make sure the ingredients, tools and techniques were mastered. “There’s not a lot of guesswork for the teams,” said Cruz.
The three Angus burgers are now on the chain’s permanent menu, “and we have lots of opportunities for LTOs and line extensions,” she added.