Smash Burgers
Double smash burgers with thin, crispy-edged patties pressed onto a hot griddle, melted American cheese, pickles and a tangy burger sauce on soft buns. Makes 4.
Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe
Smash burgers get their flavor from crust. Balls of ground beef are pressed thin onto a screaming-hot griddle, which browns the whole surface and creates lacy, crispy edges in about two minutes.
Two thin patties with melted American cheese between them make the classic diner-style double.
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80 percent lean), cold
- Salt and black pepper
- 8 slices American cheese
- 4 soft potato or brioche buns, toasted
- Dill pickle slices
Burger sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles
Instructions
- Prep. Stir the sauce together. Divide the beef into 8 loose 3-ounce balls; keep them cold.
- Heat. Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot.
- Smash. Place 2 or 3 balls on the skillet and immediately smash each flat with a sturdy spatula, pressing hard. Season with salt and pepper.
- Flip and melt. Cook 2 minutes, until the edges are crisp and deeply browned. Scrape up and flip, top half the patties with cheese and cook 1 minute. Stack two patties per burger.
- Build. Spread sauce on the buns, add pickles and the stacked patties.
Tips
- Use a piece of parchment between the spatula and beef so it does not stick.
- Do not move the patties until they are ready to flip.
Questions about this recipe
- What beef is best for smash burgers?
- 80 percent lean ground chuck; the fat helps the crust form.
- Do I need a griddle?
- A heavy cast-iron skillet works perfectly.
More beef and steak recipes
All beef and steak recipes | All recipes | Cooking guide and safe temperatures
