This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
Learn how to make juicy, flavorful Smash Burgers at home with this foolproof copycat Smashburger recipe! With minimal ingredients, it’s all in the technique, which couldn’t be easier. Whip up a batch of 3-ingredient Smashburger Sauce for the full experience!
If you’ve never had a burger cooked this way, you’re probably wondering what the hype is about. These burgers live up to it; they are juicy and flavorful every single time!
What Makes a Burger a Smash Burger?
True to its name, a smash burger is nothing other than a smashed burger!
Let’s get into it.
If you’ve ever been to the Denver, Colorado-based fast-casual burger joint called Smashburger (which has hundreds of locations across the U.S. and Canada), you’ll know exactly what it is! But did you know that despite this chain popularizing this type of burger, they didn’t actually invent it?
According to Huffpost, Bill Culvertson, owner of the original Dairy Cheer hamburger shop in Ashland, Kentucky, is to thank for the discovery that a smash burger is better! As the story goes, one of Culvertson’s employees smashed a burger with a can of beans. As they say, the rest is history.
What Makes a Smash Burger Taste Better?
You know how when you’re sautéing vegetables or searing meat, you’ll see brown bits on the bottom of the pan? We’ve all heard it a hundred times: scrape up the brown bits or deglaze the pan because that’s where the most flavor is!
Similarly here, browning more of the meat means more of the meat is intensely flavorful.
And there’s a scientific explanation for what’s going on: the Maillard reaction! Named after French chemist Louis Camille Maillard, this is a nonenzymatic chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars when exposed to high heat. This reaction produces melanoidins, which give browned food its distinct flavor and aroma. This reaction is different than caramelization; the Maillard reaction takes place between 285 and 330 degrees F. If the temperature is higher, caramelization occurs.
You can read more about the Maillard reaction on National Library of Medicine, Science of Cooking, and Wikipedia.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Smashburger Sauce Ingredients
- Mayo – Mayo is the base of this creamy burger condiment.
- Prepared yellow mustard – Go for regular prepared yellow mustard, such as French’s.
- Pickle juice – Just a touch of pickle juice adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor.
Burger Ingredients & Optional Toppings
- 80% lean ground beef – You’ll also find this called ground chuck. We want fattier ground beef for this type of burger. These burgers are thin, so there really isn’t any way to cook them to a medium level of doneness; instead, we need a higher fat content to help prevent them from drying out.
- Coarse kosher salt and coarsely-ground black pepper – This is as simple as seasoning gets. We only need salt and pepper because the rich flavor of the beef shines.
- Beef tallow – We use a little bit of fat to grease the skillet; if you have a well-seasoned cast-iron pan or griddle you may not need to do this. In addition to beef tallow, duck fat, ghee (clarified butter), or vegetable oil all work well.
- American cheese – Instead of American cheese, you can use any type of sliced cheese that melts well. Cheddar or pepper jack are other good options.
- Burger buns – Use a classic bun, brioche bun, or potato bread bun, and toast it if you like. However, you don’t need a bun; this burger is every bit as delicious when you keep the carbs down. You can use a low carb bun, wrap it in a large lettuce leaf, or eat it with a fork and knife. (Hey, we eat steak with a fork and knife, why not a burger, right?!)
- Dill pickle chips, red onion slices, tomato slices, and green lettuce leaves – Put on your favorite toppings.
How to Make Smashburger Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl.
- Stir to combine, and then cover and refrigerate.
How to Make Smash Burgers
- Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball (don’t worry about making them perfect balls, we’re going to smash them). Don’t shape them into patties!
- Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle to high. Once it’s screaming hot, brush on the beef tallow. Add 1 or 2 balls of meat on opposite sides of the skillet, leaving space for you to smash them (don’t crowd the pan).
- Put a 5-inch piece of parchment paper on top of a ball of meat. Use a press to smash the meat down to a patty about 1/4-inch thick.
- Peel off the parchment paper.
- Season the burger with salt and pepper. Let the burger cook until it has a golden brown crust on the first side, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to scrape under the burger, and then flip it.
- Cook the burger until golden brown on the second side, about 1 minute. Add the cheese during the last 30 seconds.
Transfer the burger to a plate and tent a piece of foil on top to keep it warm. Cook the remaining burgers the same way.
Pro Tip: How to Prevent the Press From Sticking to the Meat
Put a square of parchment paper on top of the meat before you press it down with the burger press.
Storage
You can store leftover cooked burgers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
However, this Smash Burgers recipe cooks up fast and these burgers are best when they’re eaten fresh while they’re still hot! If possible, make them right before you want to eat them.
Recipe Tips
- The balls of meat should be chilled when you put them on the sizzling hot griddle or skillet. This helps the fat stay in the meat, which results in a juicier burger. Additionally, it helps prevent your smashing tool from sticking to the meat, although I do recommend placing a piece of parchment paper on top of the meat when you smash it to make fully sure that the press doesn’t stick. Once the hamburger is formed into balls, I like to pop the tray into the fridge so they can stay cold as I cook them in batches.
- Make sure to let your cast-iron skillet or griddle get nice and hot. A good range to aim for is between 450 to 500F. I preheat my cast-iron skillet for about 3 minutes on high heat before cooking the burgers.
- If you like, you can toast the buns. After cooking the burgers, add the buns (cut side of the bun facing down) to the hot skillet with the burger drippings, and toast until golden. Stay with it, this happens fast!
- Make sure your kitchen or cooking area is well-ventilated. These burgers have a high fat content, and the kitchen has a tendency to get quite smoky when you make them, so be prepared! Turn on the kitchen vent, open a window, set up a griddle to cook outside, or do what you have to do.
Smash Burgers Recipe FAQs
80% lean ground beef (also called 80:20 ground beef because of its lean meat to fat ratio) is best for this recipe. 80/20 is typically ground chuck.
Because these burgers are smashed thin and cooked, there’s no “medium” level of doneness to keep the meat from drying out. So instead, we need a little more fat to keep the burgers juicy.
Yes! We cook this type of burger in cast-iron skillet or on a griddle, so you can use a thin metal spatula to scrape the burger up so it releases easily, and then flip it.
There are a few different ways you can do it!
A small plate or small skillet works well to press the meat. I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper on top of the ground beef ball before smashing so the plate or skillet doesn’t stick.
Another option is to use a thin metal spatula to smash the meat into a patty shape. Place the spatula on top of the ball of meat, and evenly press down to flatten the beef. It helps to put something on the spatula and apply pressure, such as the handle of another spatula or a can of beans.
No! To make this type of burger, all you need is a flat surface that can get really hot.
Cast-iron skillets work well, but a cast-iron griddle or a Blackstone flat top grill (aka, griddle) also works perfectly.
What to Serve to Make it a Meal
- Garden Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Crispy Beer Batter Onion Rings
- Parmesan Baked Zucchini Fries
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Smash Burgers Recipe
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Smashburger Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard such as French’s
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice right from the pickle jar
Burger Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 pounds 80% lean ground beef chilled
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon beef tallow or duck fat, ghee (clarified butter), or vegetable oil
- 8 slices American cheese
- 4 burger buns
- 12 dill pickle chips
- 4 red onion slices
- 4 tomato slices
- 4 green lettuce leaves
Instructions
For the Smashburger Sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
For the Smash Burgers:
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to about a 5-inch square.
- Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball (don’t worry about making them perfect balls, we’re going to smash them!).
- Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Once it’s screaming hot, brush on the beef tallow or other fat (you can skip this if your pan is well-seasoned). Add 1 or 2 balls of meat on opposite sides of the skillet, leaving space for you to smash them (don’t crowd the pan).
- Put the piece of parchment paper on top of a ball of meat, and use your press to smash the meat down to a patty about 1/4-inch thick. Peel off the parchment paper, and season the burger with salt and pepper.
- Let the burger cook until it has a golden brown crust on the first side, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to scrape under the burger, and then flip it. Cook the burger until golden brown on the second side, about 1 minute. Add the cheese during the last 30 seconds.
- Transfer the burger to a plate and tent a piece of foil on top to keep it warm.
- Cook the remaining burgers the same way.
To Serve:
- Split a bun in half and top the bottom half of the bun with 2 cheeseburgers, 4 pickle chips, 1 onion slice, 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, about 1 tablespoon of Smashburger Sauce, and the top half of the bun.
Notes
- Storage: You can store leftover cooked burgers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, this Smash Burgers recipe cooks up fast and these burgers are best when they’re eaten fresh while they’re still hot! If possible, make them right before you want to eat them.
- How to Prevent the Press From Sticking to the Meat: Put a square of parchment paper on top of the meat before you press it down with the burger press.
- To Toast the Buns: After cooking the burgers, add the buns (cut side of the bun facing down) to the hot skillet with the burger drippings, and toast until golden. Stay with it, this happens fast!
- Ventilation: These burgers have a high fat content, and the kitchen has a tendency to get quite smoky when you make them, so be prepared! Turn on the kitchen vent, open a window, set up a griddle to cook outside, or do what you have to do.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
