Restaurants spent a good chunk of 2025 chasing global flavors and elaborate plating, but the pendulum is swinging hard back toward the familiar. The National Restaurant Association just released its annual look at what chefs expect to be cooking and serving in the year ahead, and comfort food landed near the very top of the list — with one specific format leading the charge. If you’ve noticed smash burgers popping up on seemingly every menu from fast-casual chains to sit-down restaurants, that’s not a coincidence, and it’s a trend that’s just as easy to recreate in your own kitchen.
Comfort Food Is Chefs’ Second-Biggest Trend for the Year
In its 2026 Culinary Forecast, based on a survey of hundreds of chefs and culinary professionals conducted in October 2025, the National Restaurant Association ranked comfort foods as the No. 2 overall menu trend for the year, just behind local sourcing. “Comfort and value are the twin pillars shaping America’s menus right now,” said the association’s chief economist, Dr. Chad Moutray, in the group’s own release. Smashed burgers ranked separately at No. 4 on the same list, prized for blending retro diner appeal with the kind of customizable, high-flavor toppings that do well on social media.
The appeal is straightforward: a smash burger takes ten minutes, a hot pan, and a handful of ingredients most people already keep on hand. Here are ten ways to put that trend to work on your own stovetop.
1. The Classic Double Smash
Two thin patties, American cheese, griddled onions, and a soft potato bun. Press the beef hard into a screaming-hot cast-iron pan for a lacy, caramelized crust, flip once, and stack the patties with cheese melted between them. This is the baseline every other version on this list riffs on.
2. Smoky Bacon Jam Smash Burger
Swap ketchup for a spoonful of bacon jam — bacon simmered slowly with brown sugar, onion, and a splash of vinegar until jammy. Pile it onto a smashed patty with sharp cheddar and a few crispy bacon shards for crunch.
3. Nashville Hot Smash Burger
Brush the just-cooked patty with a cayenne-and-butter slick inspired by Nashville hot chicken, then top with pickle chips and a cool ranch or blue cheese drizzle to balance the heat.
4. French Onion Smash Burger
Cook onions low and slow until deeply caramelized, then pile them onto the patty with melted Gruyère. A dip of warm beef broth on the side turns this into a French onion soup in burger form.
5. Green Chile Smash Burger
A Southwest staple: roasted and diced green chiles folded right into the pan alongside the patty, topped with pepper jack cheese. Finish with a smear of chipotle mayo for extra smokiness.
6. Umami Mushroom Swiss Smash Burger
Sauté mushrooms in the same pan drippings after smashing the patty, so they soak up every bit of beef fat. Top with Swiss cheese and a few drops of Worcestershire for a deeply savory bite.
7. Korean-Style Gochujang Smash Burger
Mix gochujang into the mayo for the sauce, add a slice of American cheese, and top with quick-pickled cucumbers and scallions. The sweet-spicy glaze plays well against the crispy edges of a smashed patty.
8. Breakfast Smash Burger
Top the patty with a fried egg, a slice of cheddar, and crispy maple bacon, then serve it on a toasted English muffin instead of a bun. It works as easily for dinner as it does for a weekend brunch.
9. Pimento Cheese Smash Burger
A Southern spin: skip the sliced cheese and spoon on housemade or store-bought pimento cheese while the patty is still hot enough to melt it slightly. Add pickled jalapeños for a little bite.
10. Birria-Style Smash Burger
Season the beef with a touch of adobo and cumin, top with melted Oaxaca or Monterey Jack, and serve alongside a small cup of warm consommé for dipping — a nod to the birria taco trend by way of a burger.
The Common Thread
None of these require a smoker, a sous vide machine, or a trip to a specialty butcher. That’s really the point of comfort food’s return to the top of restaurant menus: after a few years of chefs pushing novelty and technique, both diners and home cooks are gravitating back toward dishes that feel familiar, cook fast, and reward a hot pan more than a fancy gadget. The smash burger format just happens to be the easiest version of that idea to pull off on a Tuesday night — one thin, crispy patty and whatever’s already in the fridge.
