Burgers rounded out the top five items consumers craved or missed most from restaurants when polled back in May of 2020, but the demand was steadfast before COVID-19 hit and will continue after. In fact, Seventy-nine percent of consumers eat burgers away from home at least once a month (an 11% increase since 2015) according to Datassential’s recent 2021 Burger Keynote Report. Classic burger builds will always be a staple, but this full report dives into the top burger trends that operators should consider when it comes to creating new burger concepts. We wanted to share a few of these trends along with recipes our culinary team has dreamt up for refreshing the burger section of your menu.
A great beef patty is key to any burger menu, but premium patties are an opportunity to stand out and charge a higher price point. Of course, grass-fed beef is an upgrade to the standard, but entirely different proteins may be just what your patrons are looking for as they return to restaurants and are looking for memorable, unique experiences. Try this Chihuahua Burger, for instance, that utilizes a patty made of ground pork and chorizo. Authentic flavors are then piled on top including chipotle jalapeno relish, poblano peppers, chihuahua cheese, and lettuce. How about seafood? A jumbo lump crab cake is used as a patty and topped with harissa tartar sauce, smoked tomato, mango, and corn jalapeno relish in this Spicy Crab Burger.
Capitalize on the forty percent of consumers who are interested in trying breakfast burgers and create a build that blends dayparts. The simple addition of an over-easy egg may be just right for your operation or go all out with a premium build. Our Champion Burger will shine on from brunch through dinner with its beef burger patty, black forest ham, swiss cheese, smoked bacon, fried egg, and grilled onions. An addition of Custom Culinary® Gold Label Kentucky-Style Bourbon Sauce brings bold flavor through notes of brown sugar, cider vinegar, molasses, authentic Kentucky whiskey and a hint of garlic, onion and pepper.
We’d be remiss to not mention plant-based burgers as the growth of plant-based items continues to skyrocket. Black bean burgers are a nourishing option, while also being very familiar to patrons increasing the likelihood of trial. Southwest or Tex-Mex flavor profiles maintain that familiarity for most American consumers, but feel free to push flavor boundaries. Whipping our Custom Culinary® Gold Label Harissa with mayonnaise easily creates a spread for a Moroccan Black Bean Burger that’s finished with thick roasted tomato slices, lettuce, and caramelized onions on a herb focaccia bun.
If you’re focusing on BOH ease and simplifying inventory, you can still deliver signature flavor with versatile condiments and toppings. Our line of Gold Label Ready-to-Use Craft Toppings™ and Sauces may be just what you need to elevate menu items with a hand-crafted touch. This guide is loaded with recipe ideas utilizing these ingredients across dayparts in burgers, sandwiches, side dishes and more. One final place to stop before you brainstorm new burger concepts is our Burgers Beyond Beef spotlight that is filled with insights and menu inspiration. We hope you’re feeling energized to get in the kitchen and create something new. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
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