The Best Smash Burger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best blend for smash burgers? ›

Smashed burgers should have a higher percentage of fat in the meat as mentioned above. Accordingly, we have settled on using a fatty blend of short-rib brisket and sirloin for our burgers.

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.

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.

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.

If you don't want to lose juices, you must smash within the first 30 seconds of cooking. When ground beef is cold, its fat is still solid and its juices are still held firmly in place inside small, chopped up segments of muscle fibers.

To Make the Patties:

Place a cast iron over medium-high heat. Preheat the pan until hot and then add about a teaspoon or two of oil. Add two patties, spacing them about 4 inches apart, and then smash them flat with a spatula to form patties that are 4-inches in diameter.

Beef burgers need nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, preferably kosher salt, to cook up juicy and delicious. Some black pepper is also welcome, and there's no reason not to branch out with any number of hamburger-friendly seasonings: herbs, spices, onions and more.

Season the outside of the burgers right before cooking rather than adding the salt to the meat mixture. Without any binders in the meat mixture (like my steakhouse burgers have), salt will give the burgers a strange texture (read the scientific explanation on Serious Eats here).

Use a very thin metal spatula to scrape and get under that edge before flipping. Once flipped, cook the patty on that side no longer than 1 minute, ideally 30 seconds or less, just enough to put cheese(optional) on and melt it. A proper smash burger should be well done in my opinion.

With 70 percent of your daily max of recommended sodium, 113 percent of the daily fat max and 145 percent of the daily saturated fat max (based on a 2,000-calorie diet), this seemingly healthier burger is way out of calorie, fat and sodium control!

Why are my smash burgers tough? ›

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.

Preheat on high heat for 10-15 minutes, looking for a surface temperature of 400-425 degrees F. To test the surface, sprinkle a few drops of water on top of the surface; they should “dance” rapidly across the hot surface, evaporating in moments.

Unlike with regular burgers, you actually want to work this meat a little bit and help it bind together. Some gentle massaging, followed by packing it into two-ounce balls, is all it takes. For cooking, I use either a stainless steel or a cast iron pan, with my preference leaning toward the former.

(Smash burgers cook fast, so toppings need to be ready ahead of time!) 3. Pre-heat skillet on medium-high to desired temperature of 400°F to 500°F. No oil necessary.

Searing the Burgers

Now that you've pressed down the patties, let them cook just until the edges are getting crispy, then flip. Use the spatula to scrape around the edges before getting the patty onto the blade. This keeps the patty from falling apart.

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.

Place the burgers on the skillet one at a time, firmly smashing them flat with a metal spatula until about ¼-inch thick before adding and smashing the next one. Let cook for about 2 minutes until nicely browned and crusty on the bottom. Flip the burgers. Top the burgers with the cheese.