Quick & Easy Smash Burger Recipe
Crispy edges and juicy insides, these smash burgers are easy to make and come together in a FLASH! The burgers are cooked through (well done, no pink inside), but because they are so thin, they stay flavorful, tender, and juicy.
What makes these burgers so good:
Juicy & flavorful: searing the chilled meat in a hot pan locks in the flavor and the juices. Melty, creamy American cheese: a classic choice for any smash burger! But you can always use something else like cheddar, pepper jack, etc. I honestly usually stay away from American cheese, but there’s something classic about it’s creamy texture against the burger. Easy 4-ingredient smash burger sauce: my favorite part! This is optional, but I highly recommend adding it (takes 30 seconds to make). Toasted buns: toasting the buns in butter adds another incredible dimension of flavor. Feel free to use my burger buns or potato buns here. Endless toppings: fresh tomato, crisp lettuce, tangy pickles–go wild!
The best part about my smash burger recipe is that you don’t need a fancy flat top grill or burger press. I simply use a flat cast iron skillet and a combination of large spatula and mallet to press my burgers. Trust me, they taste amazing this way. Hooray for homemade!
What You Need
My smash burger recipe is about as simple as you can get while still maintaining mouth-watering flavor. Here is everything you will need to make them:
Ground beef. The magic of the smash burger (that crisp, caramelized crust) comes from the combination of high heat and the high fat content of the burger. Because of this, smash burgers don’t work as well with a leaner ground beef, so aim for an 80-85% meat to fat ratio. Ground chuck would also work wonderfully here. Cheese. While I’m typically a cheddar cheese girl, I think processed American cheese is best on a smash burger. Feel free to use whatever type of cheese you like here though! Buns. Toasting the burger buns in butter on the skillet adds even more flavor to this smash burger recipe. You will only need to cook the buns very briefly–they toast quickly! Toppings. Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or all of the above! I also love adding caramelized onions; I’ll make a batch in advance and reheat when I’m ready to serve. They are sooooo good, and everyone go nuts for them! Sauce. My easy smash burger sauce combines mayo, ketchup, relish, and paprika. It’s optional, but I feel that it is what really takes this smash burger recipe over the top (and it’s much better than just ketchup and mustard)!
SAM’S TIP: A cast iron skillet or griddle is best for cooking the smash burgers, though a stainless steel pan could also work. Lightly oil your pan before using and let it get HOT and smoking before you cook your burgers. You will definitely want to turn on your stovetop kitchen fan while cooking! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make a Smash Burger (and my custom sauce)
SAM’S TIP: Caramelization is the magic of a smash burger! It adds flavor, keeps the inside juicy, and adds such a lovely texture. Whatever you do, DON’T lose that crispy caramelization when flipping the burgers! Use your spatula to scrape as you go under the patty to be sure to you get every last bit of that caramelization. SAM’S TIP: Once you smash the burgers, do not re-smash! Also, resist the urge to peek underneath to check for caramelization; doing this could actually ruin any caramelization that has formed. I know this smash burger recipe is about as far as possible from my usual cookies and cakes, but I seriously can’t wait to hear how you like it! Enjoy! Let’s cook together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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