Learn how to create a double-stack smash burger, featuring juicy, crispy beef patties and a delicious four-ingredient burger sauce.
Drew and I love a good burger. We often judge a restaurant by how good its burgers are, and generally, this rule of thumb always holds true. Over the years, we have found that our favorite burgers have been smash burgers and they can easily be made at home!
With a smash burger, you generally have several patties stacked between melty cheese rather than one thick patty. The benefits of a Smash Burger are that it has a crispy caramelized exterior while still achieving juicy results. Through smashing them, I have found it makes for an even more flavorful burger!
I’m excited to show you this simple method that will make your burgers shine at your next summer gathering!
Ingredients
Ground beef. The best ground beef for burgers is 80% lean and 20% fat.
Buns. I prefer a brioche-style burger bun, but you can use any type you like.
Toppings. We love red onion, tomato, cheddar cheese, and iceberg lettuce. However, you can customize this to suit your preferences. See below for more burger toppings!
The burger sauce. To make this simple sauce, you’ll need mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, and sweet relish.
How to Make Smash Burgers
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1
Warm the burger buns. Place the buns inside facing down in a little butter on the warm pan for a minute to slightly brown and warm the inside.
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2
Smash the burgers. Get the burger pan piping hot (not burning), grease it evenly across the pan along with greasing the burger press. Place two patties with a good distance apart, and press down to flatten them completely.
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3
Season the burgers. Once they’re smashed, season the burgers with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
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4
Carefully lift the edges of the burgers. Use a thin spatula to lift the edges of the burgers, if they stick to the pan that’s a good thing. Just work the edges with the spatula until it lifts.
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5
Flip the smash burgers. Then flip the burgers, they should have a nice browned caramelization on them.
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6
Add the cheese. Once you flip them, add the cheese slices and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Then stack the burgers and add to the bun with the toppings and burger sauce!
How to Layer Smash Burger Toppings
Rather than toppings, we’re doing “bottom-ings.” This way, the toppings won’t slide off!
- Sauce first, spread a decent amount of burger sauce on the bottom bun.
- Next, add the tomato slice and lettuce.
- Then add the smash burgers, more sauce (if you like it saucy), and red onion and pickles, then top with the bun.
Tools Needed
Although smash burgers can be accomplished without any special tools, two specific tools are worth having to make the smash burgers the best they can be.
A burger press – this is a cast-iron burger press that I like to use to smash the burgers as flat as possible, effectively. It’s not essential, but I have made smash burgers without one and found it challenging to cover enough surface area and get it as flat as possible.
Swap – you can use a flat spatula instead, or a smaller cast iron skillet and use the bottom of the pan to press down on the patty.
A flat top – I like to use my Lodge cast iron flat top to make smash burgers (either on the grill or stovetop). You need a big enough surface to cook at least two patties at the same time.
Swap – if you don’t have a flat top, you can use a large cast-iron or stainless steel pan.
The Keys to a Successful Smash Burger
The thinner the better. The goal with Smash Burgers is to literally smash them and have them be as thin as possible. This will create the ultimate crispy, caramelized exterior, resulting in a juicier burger overall.
If it sticks to the pan, that’s a good thing. Don’t be afraid if the burger sticks to the pan, carefully use a thin spatula to encourage it all around the edges to release. However, while it sticks, it helps develop that perfect crispy exterior.
The pan needs to be hot. To achieve a proper sear on the burger, the pan needs to be piping hot (not too hot, though). I recommend preheating the pan for several minutes on medium heat before adding the burgers; otherwise, they won’t achieve the right browning and won’t develop a deeper flavor.
Salt after smashing. To prevent the burgers from steaming, add the salt once they’re smashed. This will season the beef properly. If you salt the meat before adding it to the pan, it can result in the burger steaming.
Grease the smasher. The patty can stick to the burger press. I like to ensure the burger press itself is greased and to gently turn and release the patty after pressing.
Side Suggestions
Wedge Salad – one of my favorite salads to pair with any grilled recipe!
Pasta salad – a great side to pair with it, especially if you’re throwing a barbecue and need some filling sides.
Fries and potato salad are also excellent choices!
Smash Burgers
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 is recommended
- salt & pepper
- 3 burger buns, I used brioche-style buns
- 4-6 cheese slices, mild or sharp cheddar, Swiss, or American cheese works
- iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1 medium to large tomato, sliced
- red onion, sliced
Burger Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 Tablespoons Ketchup
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons sweet relish
Instructions
- Make the burger sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and relish. Then set aside in the fridge while preparing the rest of the smash burgers.
- Weigh and divide the burgers. Use a scale to divide the ground beef into 2.5-ounce balls. I like to throw the meat back and forth into my hands to get the meat to come together, then roll it into a smooth ball. Set the beef in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes before smashing/cooking them.
- Warm the burger buns. Heat the pan you'll use to cook the burgers on, then add a little butter. Next, lay the burger buns into the pan with the inside of the buns facing down. Let the buns brown for about 1 minute, then remove.
- Smash the burgers. Ensure the pan is heated for the burgers, then evenly coat the pan with oil and lightly grease the burger press. Place two beef patties on the skillet with enough space between them, and use the press to flatten them completely. Then, slowly and carefully pull the press away. Sometimes the burger can stick to the press. I like to slightly rotate the press to help the beef release and slowly pull away from the patty. Then immediately salt and pepper each patty. The patty needs only two minutes to cook per side. Use a spatula to gently lift the edges of the burger. If it is sticking to the pan, that's a good thing, just keep carefully working around the patty until you can flip it. Once you flip it, add cheese and cook until it's completely melted. Then stack the patties and transfer to the bun.
- How to layer a burger. On the bottom of the bun spread a layer of burger sauce, a sliced tomato, lettuce, the stacked smash burgers, more sauce if desired, then onions (and pickles if desired). Then enjoy!
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