Smash Burger Recipe

A smashed burger is at the key to replicating your favorite fast food joint’s irresistible burger. Thin juicy beef patties topped with cheddar cheese and stacked for the most amazing homemade double cheeseburger you will ever make.

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Smash Burger Recipe

We’ve all fallen in love with the new trend of slightly upscale fast-food burgers. A smash burger or smashed beef patty is at the key to replicating your favorite fast food joint’s irresistible burger. Thin juicy beef patties topped with cheddar cheese and stacked for the most amazing homemade double cheeseburger you will ever make.

This smash burger recipe is incredibly easy to make at home, in fact, they’re easier to make than your typical burger and taste even better. Patty and I both agree it’s the burger recipe we’d choose if we had to eat one burger for the rest of our lives

What Is A Smash Burger?

Smash burgers are made using the process of placing a round ball of ground beef on a hot cast iron cooking surface and smashing it with a spatula to yield a thin beef patty. The result is a juicy thin burger with a nicely seared exterior.

What Makes Smashed Burgers So Good

  • Smash burgers cook quickly, about two minutes per side. This keeps your burgers really juicy and prevents them from drying out from overcooking. Since we’re not cooking on a grill, we’ll retain all of the beef’s juices.
  • Because smash burgers are thin, the cheese to patty ratio is just right. You can also easily stack two for a really tender double cheeseburger (my favorite).
  • Smash burgers are usually made with 80% or 85% lean ground beef, giving them lots of flavor. 90% is too lean.
  • Smash burgers are cooked with high heat, giving the edges a nice charred texture.

Griddle Verses Skillet

Smash burgers must be made on a flat cast-iron surface for even cooking and the best results. Anything with grates or grooves could cause the beef to stick. For a small group, a cast-iron skillet is the best pan for the task. You can cook 4 patties at a time in a 12-inch skillet. Because the burgers cook so fast, you could easily cook 2 batches in under 10 minutes.

A flat griddle works well for a larger volume of burgers. I usually place my griddle directly on the grill and turn the heat to medium-high heat with the cover down to preheat. Just note, when you cook the burgers, always cook with the grill cover up to prevent overcooking.

Smash Burger Recipe

You’ll Need A Flat Spatula

Smashed burgers are flattened directly on the cooking surface by firmly pressing down with a flat spatula and smashing the burger into a thin 1/2 inch thick patty. Beef will stick to a slotted spatula and prevent a perfect flat patty. Here is what I bought. At a minimum, wrap your spatula in aluminum foil to cover up any holes.

Keep Smash Burgers Simple

I only season my smash burgers with salt and pepper. Toppings should be kept really simple. Pickles, ketchup/mustard/mayo, and red/yellow onion.

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Smash Burger Recipe
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How to Make Smash Burgers

  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 patties 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

A smashed burger is at the key to replicating your favorite fast food joint’s irresistible burger. Thin juicy beef patties topped with cheddar cheese and stacked for the most amazing homemade double cheeseburger you will ever make.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound 80-85% lean ground beef
  • 1–2 tablespoons vegetable/canola oil, for cooking
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Burger toppings

  • Sesame buns
  • Mild orange cheddar cheese
  • 1 sliced Red/yellow onion (try caramelized)
  • Ketchup/mustard/mayo
  • Dill sandwich chip pickles

Instructions

  1. Roll the beef into 2-inch diameter balls. I was able to get 6 patties out of 1 pound of ground beef. Shoot for that for the proper size. Set aside.
  2. Bring a skillet or flat cast iron griddle to medium-high heat (on the stove or on the grill). Let get hot and brush with a little oil.
  3. Place beef balls on the hot skillet and immediately press down firmly (use two hands) with a flat spatula until the patty is smashed into a uniform 1/2 an inch thick patty (or just under). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 2 minutes. The edges may split and won’t be perfect. This is OK and actually preferred as it adds texture.
  4. Flip burgers, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes (burgers will be cooked medium and no longer pink). In the last 30 seconds, top each patty with cheese. Remove from the heat and serve with toppings/buns. These are the perfect size for double cheeseburgers.

 

Notes

Don’t guess about the timing! I use my phone to calculate exactly 2 minutes per side. This yields consistent results and prevents overcooking.

If you don’t have a flat spatula, wrap a regular spatula tightly in a THIN layer of aluminum foil. This prevents beef from sticking in the spatula slots.

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