The Best Smash Burger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best blend for smash burgers? ›

Burger – Use 80/20 fat to lean ration ground sirloin beef. 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.

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. It is truly a thing of beauty.

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.

Smashed patties should be slightly wider than the burger bun. Season generously with salt and pepper and allow to cook until well browned and top is beginning to turn pale pink/gray in spots, about 45 seconds.

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.

A smash burger is a burger that is made by smashing the ground beef onto the grill or griddle with a spatula. Smashing the burger results in a sear on the outside of the meat, which locks in all of the juices and flavor.

The perfect fat ratio for a smash burger is between 15-20%. This ratio provides a balance of juiciness and flavor, without making the burger feel overly greasy.

Why do my smash burgers puff up? ›

Burgers have a tendency to swell up like a football as they cook. The edges of a patty cook faster than its center, causing the meat to puff up as it shrinks. You can avoid this problem through a few easy techniques, like pressing down on the raw burger patties with your thumb or by smashing them flat.

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.

Measuring the Meat

We like to use a basic food scale to make sure each patty comes out the same. 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.

Your cast iron skillet should be pretty hot when cooking cast iron smashburgers—preheat your skillet on medium-high to desired temperature of 400°F to 500°F.

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.

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.

Remove your burgers from the fridge or freezer and sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper. Place about 3 to 4 balls in the skillet, leaving room for them to be smashed down. After 30 seconds of searing, smash them all the way down until they can't be smashed anymore, with a large heavy skillet.

Got any Cheese?: While American cheese is a classic choice, Chef Kris recommends exploring other options like cheddar and Swiss to elevate your smash burger. Toast the bun: A key technique to level up your burgers is to toast the bun.