What’s a Smash Burger? Only the Most Delicious Homemade Burger Ever!!

What’s a SMASH BURGER!?? What’s a SMASH BURGER!!!??

You can’t be serious…..Well to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t all that long ago that I had no idea what a homemade smash burger was either. But I had joined a Blackstone Cooking Facebook group and before long I was seeing them everywhere. Even so though, I still didn’t know what the difference was between a smash burger and a regular burger.

A smash burger is a unique way of making a hamburger patty, designed to load the hamburger with juicy flavors and a caramelized crust on the outside. To make it all happen, all you need is some hamburger meat, your favorite spices and a hot grill.

Homemade smash burgers are excellent for cooking up for large gatherings since the thinner patties cook in minutes, meaning you can keep them rolling off the grill in no time.

Differences between smash burger and regular burger

How to make smash burgers

To start off, the hamburger meat is rolled into equal sized balls and placed aside. If you prepare them early, you can cover them in parchment paper and put them in the fridge or a cooler at the campsite for later. 

Next you want to preheat your griddle so it’s good and hot. A griddle temperature of around 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect for getting the outside of the patty sizzling, while still cooking the middle of the burger to perfection.

Once that griddle has reached the optimal temperature, place the hamburger balls, evenly spaced, on the griddle. Make sure to leave enough room between each ball so that there is still a gap between each after smashing them. 

Smashing a smash burger

Now you’re ready to smash those burgers down to the perfect burger size. To do this, all you need to do is use a burger press or a spatula. To avoid having the meat stick to the press, place a piece of parchment paper over the meatball and press down on the meat with your burger press until it is down to around three quarters of an inch thick or so. Hold that position for around 20 to 30 seconds. You may need to move the press around to make the patty an even thickness.

Complete this same process for each of the burgers.

That meat will instantly begin cooking and forming a hard crust from the hot griddle. While that magic is happening, you can infuse some of your favorite flavors to the top of the patties. Sprinkle on a mixture of spices and rub on some barbecue sauce. 

You should notice that the juices start bubbling up to the top of the burger. That is really what smash burgers are all about. Rather than the juices escaping out of the bottom and sides, they cook to the top, leaving you with a delicious, juicy burger.

Flipping a smash burger

You only want to flip the burger once when cooking and there is a little secret to flipping it so you don’t ruin your work. With a spatula, scrape underneath the burger, making sure to get underneath all of the caramelized crust so you don’t break it apart. Then flip it over and cook the other side. The spices and sauce will form another delicious crusted end.

Throw on some sliced cheese to a few of the patties or all of them if you prefer. When the meat has cooked through to your liking, remove it and make your perfect burger.

Griddle vs Grill

Smash burgers are meant to be cooked on a flat surface. This allows every inch of the burger to directly touch the hot surface, allowing it to form that browned, crispy edged patty that you’re looking for. 

The best way to accomplish this is by cooking smash burgers on a griddle. A flat top griddle gives you a nice big area to cook up a bunch of patties at one time. You’ve probably seen plenty of people making smash burgers on Blackstone griddles. 

If you don’t have a griddle, you can still make smash burgers on the grill instead. The best way to do it is by adding a portable griddle or a cast iron skillet to the grill grates. You can usually find a griddle that will fit over your grill quite nicely, so there is limited wasted space. Using a cast iron skillet over your grill is a nice option for cooking up a few burgers, but the limited space means you won’t be able to cook for as many people at the same time.

Smash burger press

You can use anything you like to press the burger down, whether it be a spatula, a small pot, or a dedicated burger press. The good thing about using a burger press is that you will always get a nicely rounded patty with an even thickness. Using a spatula is a fine option as well, but it can sometimes be difficult to get an even pressure on the patty, so you might have to press down on the spatula with a meat mallet. 

Homemade smash burgers recipe

This is only one of many great homemade smash burger recipes that you are sure to love. Mix in as many ingredients as you like and try different variations to find the combination you love.

Ingredients

Smash Burger Patties

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

Salt, added to taste

Black pepper, added to taste

Garlic powder, added to taste

4 slices medium cheddar cheese

Burger Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp yellow mustard

Toppings

4 burger buns

2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

2 dill pickles, cut into thin slices

8 slices of bacon, fried

Instructions

Divide the Beef and Form the Patties:

Divide the beef into 8 even portions by loosely rolling them into balls. Then cover them with parchment paper and refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients. You want the meat to be cold when it hits the grill. This will make for a juicier burger.

Prepare the Toppings and Buns:

Finely shred the iceberg lettuce and slice tomatoes, onions, and pickles.

Fry the bacon and set aside.

Butter and toast buns over medium heat until golden on the buttered side.

Cook the Patties:

Increase griddle to medium/high heat. Place 2-4 burger balls onto the hot griddle. Working quickly, place parchment paper over the meat and firmly smash straight down into a thin patty. I like them to be around a half to three quarters of an inch thick.

Once patties are smashed, peel back and discard the parchment paper. Next, season the patties with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add 1/2 teaspoon of burger sauce and spread over the patties. Cook 2 minutes on the first side or until seared and juices start to come to the surface.

Scrape under the burger with spatula facing down at a 45˚ angle to get under the caramelized part and flip over. Cook another 1 minute or until burger is cooked as desired. Top half of the patties with sliced cheese and place a second patty on top for double cheese burgers. Repeat with remaining burgers and transfer them to a serving platter as they finish cooking.

Assemble Burgers:

Place sauce on bottom of bun. Top with bacon, sliced pickles, shredded lettuce, tomato slices and sliced onion. Top with a bun and serve.

Smash Burger Recipes

There could be hundreds of different variations and recipes for smash burgers. If you’ve got one special one that you particularly enjoy, I would love to hear about it. Drop me a line or leave a comment and let me know your favorite recipe.

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