How many times have you sat down at the table, ordered a burger, and after three bites, accidentally stained your clothes with the gallons of sauce flowing freely? We know it's happened to you at least once—there's no need to lie. Well, if your laundry bill becomes more expensive than your restaurant bill, it means you've never tried the latest gastronomic invention: the Ufo burger. In recent years, food-related phenomena launched by social media have become a constant in our lives: ideas that start from a "scrollable" reel on Instagram or TikTok and end up on menus in half the city. The U.S., has always been open to welcome new food trends, and after the incredible hype and success associated with the smash burger, this new product has literally "landed" and is sure to be a hot topic. The UFO (or space) burger, whose name recalls something Martian, is nothing more than a "pressed" sandwich whose outer crust closely resembles the classic UFO ring.
What is The UFO Burger And Where Does This Trend Come From?
The space burger phenomenon draws inspiration from a fundamentally simple yet visually intriguing idea: transforming the classic hamburger into a shape reminiscent of a flying saucer. By pressing the bun through a special machine, all the ingredients inside are "sealed," a gimmick that minimizes the chaos that occurs when all the sauces spill out while you chew. But where else could this new pressed version have originated if not in Asia? The UFO burger is, in fact, an invention born in 2021 in South Korean restaurants, particularly in Seoul, where machines that press and seal the bun were patented. This creates an outer ridge on the bun, allowing for that classic UFO shape.
Unlike the smash burger, whose fame stems from the cooking technique that flattens the meat to create a caramelized crust and a juicy interior, the space burger was born more as a practical and visual revolution. Within a few years, also (obviously) thanks to social media, the space burger conquered first all the neighboring Asian countries, then the United States, and then the West. The first European country to embrace this innovation was the United Kingdom in early 2025, thanks to Manchester's Outer Space Burger. In short, if you search "Ufo Space Burger" on social media right now, you'll find vertical content from countries like France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Portugal, a sign that this trend is spreading quite widely.
The Space Burger Conquered the U.S.
Originally appearing in online conversations or in influencer videos showing the sandwich perfectly "closed" and ready to eat, the space burger has made its triumphant entrance in the U.S.. Just like the smash—which, as we mentioned, won over palates with its crispy crust and simple reinterpretation of a classic burger—the new sandwich is officially ready for launch.
There are many reasons for this initial positive reception, first and foremost its incredible Instagrammability, both closed and cut in half. It's not just the internet that's driving this trend; some US chains like Hamerica's have included it and made it the star of their menus. This trend has also reached e-commerce, where specific gadgets have appeared, such as presses for creating homemade sealed buns, so much so that enthusiasts are calling it the next must-have for DIY burger lovers. It's worth noting, however, that there are some dissenting voices. True American cheeseburger aficionados point the finger at what should be the space burger's strong point: its airtight seal. Some say that the steam trapped inside the bun ends up compromising the texture of the fresh ingredients, making the lettuce and tomatoes too soft and moist. But social media has chosen its side, and now we just have to wait and see how far these new sandwiches will go.
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