The Best Smash Burger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes smash burgers better? ›

Minced chuck steak is gold for Smash Burger. Secondly, it's the smash that really makes it. When you smash the burgers down on a super-hot grill, the fat has nowhere to go but back up into the burger patty meaning you're essentially cooking your burger in its own beefy juices.

Seasonings – I like to use a combination of salt, pepper, paprika, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce. In addition, finely minced bacon makes it into my best smash burger recipe. Cheese – American cheese is used for the smash burger.

The mustard caramelizes on the griddle, softening that piquant quality mustard can have, and creating an even crispier crust as the burger patties get smashed. It is truly a thing of beauty.

Because nothing melts like American cheese, and with a smashburger it's important to use the cheese as a binding agent to prevent the patties from falling apart. A good smashburger is held together with nothing but love and American cheese.

Cook without moving until a golden brown crust develops, about 1 1/2 minutes. Use the edge of the spatula to carefully scrape up and flip the patties one at a time, making sure to get all browned bits removed from the skillet. If using cheese, add now.

The burgers at Five Guys are smashed, which makes them unique, and according to one employee, this also makes them more desirable.

To create the best smash burger at home, you'll want a loose ball of ground beef, preferably 80% beef, 20% fat. The fat is crucial for flavor and the recipe only needs salt and pepper to make beef sing.

Since most of the meat is pressed down onto the grill and browned, you're getting more Maillard goodness than when cooking a regular burger. Remember: maximum browning equals maximum flavor.

Gently roll the meat into a ball, smash it, and grill it. This is key, because overworking the meat can make the proteins too tough, delaying the Maillard reaction and keeping the juices from soaking back up into the burger.

Four-ounce patties are the ideal size for making smash burgers. If you really like the crispy surface, you can cut the patty size down to two-ounce portions and then just double them up on the bun.

Do you cook smash burgers on high or low heat? ›

In order to get your burgers to form that perfect crust, you want to put them over high heat and then let them do their thing. Once your burgers hit the pan, grill, or flat top, no matter how tempting it might be, don't touch them for a few minutes.

Position your Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle on the stovetop or grill. Preheat on high heat for 10-15 minutes, looking for a surface temperature of 400-425 degrees F.

Smashing down on the burger patties within the first 30 seconds of hitting a hot skillet ensures maximum juiciness and a flavorful, well-browned crust. Using a well-heated, heavy-bottomed skillet helps the crust brown evenly.

You smash them, with a spatula. I use a salt shaker to press down on the spatula while smashing. Once smashed, they always stay that way, for me anyhow. If your smash burgers are balling up after you've smashed them, you might want to get an exorcism of your kitchen, or something, because that's otherworldly.

Ultimate Smash Burger

Use brisket trimmings and run them through MEAT! grinder to make an 80% meat to 20% fat grind for patties. If you have wild game to grind, use that as your meat. Otherwise, grinding fresh beef sirloin is also a great option.