Smash Burgers are a popular style of hamburger served at certain burger joints (like, surprise- the aptly named Smashburger, or our local favorite, Freddy’s.) They’re known for their signature thin patties that are literally “smashed” onto the grill, creating lacy caramelized edges and intense beefy flavor. Smash burgers are incredibly easy to make at home and they’ve become a family favorite at our house because they mimic our favorite dining-out burgers. As the resident family cook, I love them because they take almost zero prep (no pre-seasoning the beef mixture!) and they cook in just a couple of minutes, with very little effort. Everyone loves these and you can top them however you like!
Ingredient Notes
Hamburgers
- Ground Beef – The beef here is important. You’ll want to use 80/20 ground beef, this is not the place for lower fat options. The thin smashed edges cook in the fat released from the meat, which is what gives it those signature edges.
- Seasoning – I recommend steak seasoning, but you can always just do kosher salt and black pepper as well.
- Cheese – American cheese is the best style of cheese to use here (we’re talking the plastic-wrapped singles trust me!) because it melts incredibly fast and gives you an almost sauce-like finish that’s great with a diner-style burger.
- Hamburger Buns – We love Brioche buns at our house, but any burger buns will do.
Fry Sauce (AKA Burger Spread)
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Dill Pickle Brine – Yes, the juice from the pickle jar!
Desired Toppings
You can choose your favorite burger toppings. These are the basics we always use at our house.
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Sliced Tomato
- Sliced Dill Pickle
- Sliced Onion
How to Make a Homemade Smash Burger
Preparations
This process happens REALLY FAST, so it’s imperative that you have everything ready to go from the start! Before you even start your burgers, prep the following:
- Toast your buns. We love Brioche buns the best, but any burger buns will do. We brush them lightly with butter and either broil them in the oven, or toast them on a flat top and then set them on a rack in the oven to keep warm.
- Prepare your toppings. Make your Fry Sauce (doubles as burger spread), wash and prep romaine lettuce, slice tomatoes and red onions and pull out dill pickle slices.
- Lastly unwrap your cheese from the wrapper so it’s ready to go.
Cook Your Burgers
- Smash: Place a 4oz ball of beef in a hot pan, immediately cover with a square of either foil or parchment paper and place a strong, large spatula or burger press over the top and press down. Burger should smash down to about 4″ in diameter or about 1/3″ thick.
- Season: Peel off the foil and set aside and immediately sprinkle the top of your burger with either kosher salt and pepper, or your favorite steak seasoning. I just use a simple pre-mixed store-bought steak seasoning. These burgers cook incredibly fast, so after about a minute or so, flip your burger over.
- Top with cheese: After your burger is flipped, Sprinkle a little more seasoning on remaining side and immediately top with cheese. Because these patties are so thin, they will cook incredibly fast, probably in about a minute!
- Assemble: While that first side is cooking, you can quickly prep your buns with toppings so they’re ready to go. Definitely slather in burger sauce because it makes all the difference! Pop that hot and juicy burger on the bun and you’ll feel like you’re at your favorite restaurant. Try these at home and see if you love them as much as my family does. We probably have these at least once a week!
Use extra burger spread as a dip for french fries! I love grabbing a pack of frozen french fries and cooking them in my air fryer or oven.
Tip for Making Smash Burgers for a Crowd
- The best way to make a bunch of burgers for a crowd is a large flat top- on an outdoor grill or an indoor option if you have it. It’s a great option to turn out lots of burgers, quickly! I’ve demonstrated the method in this extra large 14″ skillet just one at a time. I use this pan if I’m making just a few burgers at home since I can fit 3-4 in there at a time.
Storing and Other Tips
- These burgers are best made and eaten fresh. If you’d like to plan ahead, you can wash, prep, and refrigerate any veggie toppings you plan to use earlier in the day.
- Feel free to use a 3-oz portion if you’d like them slightly smaller, or stack 2 burgers with cheese in the middle for a double-stack!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do smash burgers taste different than regular burgers?
Because you’re smashing the burger patty and cooking over high heat, there is more surface area on a smash burger to get brown and crispy, which is where all the flavor comes from in these burgers!
What if my burger is just cooking but not getting crispy?
Either you haven’t smashed your patty thin enough or your heat is too low!
These Smash Burgers pair well with:
Smash Burgers
Homemade Smash Burgers rival any favorite restaurant! Making them at home is quick and easy and great for a crowd.
Servings burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
Fry Sauce/Burger Spread
- 2 tablespoons ketchup if you like yours more ketchup-heavy, feel free to add more. Some people like it as much as a 50/50 mayo-ketchup mix!
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoons dill pickle brine yes, this is the juice from a pickle jar!
Hamburger Patties
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- steak seasoning or just kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese such as Kraft singles
- 4 hamburger buns
Desired Toppings
- iceberg lettuce
- sliced tomato
- sliced dill pickle
- sliced onion
Instructions
Fry Sauce
- Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Smash Burgers
- Divide beef into 4, 4-oz balls. Do not roll super smooth, just roughly shape into round forms.
- Cut or tear 4 sheets of parchment or foil into about 5″ squares.
- Prepare all burger toppings and buns and set aside ready.
- Heat a large flat-top grill pan, or large cast iron pan to medium heat. Once hot, brush lightly with a neutral oil. Place one portion of beef on pan at a time, place parchment square on top, place sturdy large spatula on top and immediately press down, using hand to push clean spatula, smashing beef to a thin patty, about 1/3″ thick.
- Remove parchment/foil and sprinkle seasoning on top. Repeat with remaining burgers. Let cook until golden browned on bottom and edges, about 2-3 minutes. Flip burgers, season remaining side, and immediate top with cheese. Cook for additional 1 minute or so.
- Spread sauce on buns, place cooked burgers on prepared buns and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to use a 3-oz portion if you’d like them slightly smaller, or stack 2 burgers with cheese in the middle for a double-stack!
- The best way to make a bunch of burgers for a crowd is a large flat top- on an outdoor grill or an indoor option if you have it. It’s a great option to turn out lots of burgers, quickly! I’ve demonstrated the method in this extra large 14″ skillet just one at a time. I use this pan if I’m making just a few burgers at home since I can fit 3-4 in there at a time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger, Calories: 589kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 796mg, Potassium: 410mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 246IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 304mg, Iron: 4mg
Calories: 589kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
our favorite singles to use are the velveta brand of cheese singles! theyre right by the other american cheese singles in the store. SO GOOD. we only use them on burgers, and sometimes in scrambled eggs. we tear it and add the small pieces to the eggs when theyre about halfway done.
I have never thought of trying to make these at home. Thanks for the great steps!