Smash Burgers
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The quickest and easiest way to make flavorful burgers at home is by using this recipe for Smash Burgers! The burger patties are small and smashed thin, so they cook quickly and achieve a wonderful crust on the outside. Stack up two patties with burger sauce, pickles and onions, to make a seriously delicious burger in just 10 minutes!
Thanks to my friends at California Beef Council for sponsoring this post.
Table of contents
Growing up in Oklahoma, Onion Fried Burgers were one of the most popular dishes to come from my home state. We ate them regularly at home, and my uncle even owned an onion fried burger restaurant in my hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma.
A smash burger is essentially the same thing, minus the onions. The idea is that you get a griddle (or skillet) nice and hot, then smash ground beef on the griddle. This way it achieves a wonderful, browned, flavorful crust on the outside.
In addition to being totally delicious, one of my favorite things about smash burgers, is that you can literally make them in 10 minutes! They only cook for 1 minute per side, so you can have a delicious meal of smash burgers for the whole family in no time!
Feeding a crowd for a party? I’m also sharing how to make smash burger sliders in this blog post! They’re perfect for game day gatherings, birthday parties or backyard bbq’s!
Ingredients
- Ground beef – I recommend a ground beef that’s 80/20, meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. This will give you the perfect amount of fat to make flavorful, juicy burgers!
- Vegetable oil
- Hamburger buns – I love the flavor and texture of brioche buns, but feel free to use any type of hamburger buns.
- Salt + black pepper – to season the ground beef. Or level up the flavor with 2 teaspoons of this hamburger seasoning.
- American cheese – you can absolutely use sliced cheddar, swiss, or your favorite cheese. But for a traditional smash burger, good ol’ American cheese slices is where it’s at!
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
If you don’t already have burger spread prepared, be sure to prepare the burger spread before making the burgers following the link provided.
You can also purchase burger sauce already prepared at most major grocery stores. It will be found near the ketchup and mustard. I love Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce if I’m not making homemade sauce.
- Portion out the burger patties. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper, then portion out the ground beef into 2 ounce balls. (I recommend using a kitchen scale to get the precise measurement.)
- Prepare the buns. These burgers cook quickly because they’re so thin, so I always recommend toasting the buns first and assembling the toppings on the bun before cooking the burgers. To do this, heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to the griddle and place the buns face-down on the griddle. Toast the buns for approximately 1 minute, or until browned around the edges.
- Add the toppings. Spread the burger sauce on the bottom half of each bun, top with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced onions and 2-3 pickle slices (or your favorite burger toppings). Set aside and prepare the burgers.
- Add the balls of ground beef to a griddle. Heat a griddle to high heat. Spray the back of a large flat metal spatula with cooking spray. Place each of the balls of ground beef on the hot griddle. Use the back of the spatula to smash the ground beef into flattened burger patties. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the cheese. Flip the burgers and place a piece of cheese on half of the burger patties. Place the other burger patties, not topped with cheese, on top of the cheese-topped burger patties. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove the burgers from the griddle and place them on the prepared buns. Serve immediately.
How to make smash burger sliders
To make sliders, follow the instructions above, except form 16 one-ounce balls of beef, instead of 8 two-ounce balls. Smash the balls of beef on a griddle, just like you would with the full-size burgers. Cut a slice of cheese into 4 squares and top each slider burger patty with a 1/4 slice of cheese.
For serving the sliders, use sliders rolls or Hawaiian rolls, instead of hamburger buns. I like to simply add a little burger sauce and one pickle to each bottom slider bun, but feel free to add your favorite toppings, or no toppings at all.
Optional toppings
This smash burger recipe is delicious as written, but it’s also fantastic with some extra toppings! Feel free to add none, one, or all of them.
- Caramelized onions – one of my all-time favorite burger toppings. I love the pairing of caramelized onions with a juicy cheeseburger. (I credit In N Out for this!) While caramelizing onions does take a little time, it’s super easy! You can make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to one week, or the freezer for 3 months. Click the link above for my easy step-by-step guide to caramelizing onions.
- Burger sauce – this is the other topping I like to add to these burgers. I use this sauce on my Animal Style Burger recipe and now basically any other burger I make! Simply combine mayonnaise, ketchup, chopped pickles and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Click the link for the full recipe and ingredient amounts. Spread a little of this on the bottom bun before adding the other toppings for a delicious creamy, tangy addition to the burgers.
- Ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise – pick any of the classics to add to this burger instead of the burger sauce, if you’d like!
- Lettuce, tomatoes or raw onions – classic burger toppings that can all be added to these smash burgers.
- Bacon – add a salty crunch to these burgers by using my oven-baked bacon recipe to cook up some crispy bacon and add it the burgers. If you really want to get fancy, try adding candied bacon to the burgers!
Recipe tips
- Always prep the buns and toppings before cooking the burgers. These burgers literally cook in 2 minutes, so you want to make sure the buns are toasted and topped with sauce, veggies or whatever toppings you’re adding to the burgers, before actually cooking the burgers.
- To make these burgers “protein style”, ditch the bun and replace it with two large leaves of iceberg lettuce. This is also a great option to make the burger gluten-free and low carb.
- Always make sure the griddle is hot before adding the burgers. Adding burgers (or any food for that matter) to a hot surface is important for cooking safety. It will also give you a beautiful sear on the outside, while keeping the burgers super juicy on the inside. Smash burgers should be cooked over high heat, between 400-450 degrees fahrenheit.
- If you don’t have a griddle, you can make the burgers in a skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you’ll probably only be able to fit 2, or maybe 4, burger patties in the skillet at a time. I recommend a cast iron skillet, or cast iron griddle pan if you have one available. A cast iron skillet can be used on the stove, or on a grill, to make these burgers.
What to serve with them
Burgers and fries are a match made in heaven, but really any potato side dish goes well with these smash burgers. Try any of these recipes for the perfect pairing!
- Air Fryer French Fries – my favorite side to serve with these burgers! Especially when seasoned with my delicious fry seasoning.
- Animal Style Fries
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Red White and Blue Cheese Potato Salad
- French Onion Dip and Potato Chips
- Salt and Vinegar Potato Wedges
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
More burger recipes
Burgers are a delicious, quick and easy option for weeknight dinners. Be sure to try all of these scrumptious burger recipes!
Smash Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20), measured out into 8 – 2 ounce balls
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese
Optional toppings
- 12 dill pickle slices
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
Burger spread
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- If you don’t already have burger spread prepared, be sure to prepare the burger spread before making the burgers.
- To make the burger spread, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles (or pickle relish) and 2 teaspoons dijon mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Season the ground beef with salt and pepper, then portion out the ground beef into 2 ounce balls. (I recommend using a kitchen scale to get the precise measurement.)
- Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.
- Add the vegetable oil to the griddle and place the buns face-down on the griddle.
- Toast the hamburger buns for approximately 1 minute, or until browned around the edges.
- Remove the buns from the griddle, spread burger sauce on the bottom bun and top with 2-3 pickle slices, sliced onions and shredded lettuce. Set aside.
- Turn the heat on the griddle up to high.
- Spray the back of a large flat metal spatula with cooking spray.
- Place each of the balls of ground beef on the hot griddle. Use the back of the spatula to smash the ground beef into flattened burger patties. Cook for 1 minute.
- Flip the burgers and place a piece of cheese on half of the burger patties.
- Place the other burger patties, not topped with cheese, on top of the cheese-topped burger patties.
- Cook for 30 seconds, then remove the burgers from the griddle and place them on the prepared buns.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make smash burger sliders, follow the instructions above, except form 16 one-ounce balls of beef, instead of 8 two-ounce balls. Smash the balls of beef on a griddle, just like you would with the full-size burgers. Cut a slice of cheese into 4 squares and top each slider burger patty with a 1/4 slice of cheese. For serving the sliders, use sliders rolls or Hawaiian rolls, instead of hamburger buns. I like to simply add a little burger sauce and one pickle to each bottom slider bun, but feel free to add your favorite toppings, or no toppings at all.
- To make these burgers “protein style”, ditch the bun and replace it with two large leaves of iceberg lettuce. This is also a great option to make the burger gluten-free and low carb.
- If you don’t have a griddle, you can make the burgers in a skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you’ll probably only be able to fit 2, or maybe 4, burger patties in the skillet at a time. I recommend a cast iron skillet, or cast iron griddle pan if you have one available. A cast iron skillet can be used on the stove, or on a grill, to make these burgers.
Nutrition Facts
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3 Comments on “Smash Burgers”
These were a hit.. the burger sauce recipe is really great. I made sweet potato fries with it.
So glad you enjoyed it Melissa! Thanks for sharing!
Okay so I made these the other night and these are legit good! Definitely a new favorite. I’ve probably gone to In N’Out Burgers like 1k times in my life and without a doubt this recipe is the closest I’ve ever had to it, and I’m pretty confident to say if I did a blind taste test I wouldn’t be able to pick which one is which.