This is the best dang smash burger you'll ever have!
We're combining juicy beef patties with a classic "smash crust" on top of a toasted potato bun, with gooey melty American cheese, topped off with your favorite toppings, and our signature burger sauce!
Once you master this smash burger recipe, you'll never crave Five Guys or Shake Shack again!
How To Make Homemade Smash Burgers
The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity: high-quality ground beef, cooked on a screaming hot griddle, seasoned with salt and pepper, and topped with your favorite toppings on a potato bun and, of course, burger sauce!
For these smash burgers, we topped them with caramelized onions, pickle slices, and (lots of) burger sauce, but of course you should go with your favorite toppings.
The Ingredients
- Ground beef. High-quality. 80/20 blend.
- Potato buns. Martin's Potato Buns. The best burger bun on earth.
- American cheese. Gooey, melty, and perfect for smash burgers.
- Toppings. Go with whatever toppings you like! For this recipe, we used caramelized onions and pickle slices.
- Burger sauce. You simply CANNOT have a smash burger without house-made burger sauce!
- Salt & pepper. Simple seasoning for a killer burger.
- Beef tallow. To grease up the buns and the griddle. Optional, but highly recommended. You can use butter instead.
The Directions
1. Portion out your ground beef into 3 oz pieces. I like to use this Escali digital food scale to be exact!
2. Form your patties into ball shapes, and then use a burger press to smash your burgers nice and thin. I like to use parchment paper sheets between the meat and the burger press so they don't stick together.
3. Season your burger patties with salt & pepper or your favorite rub. I like to use Meat Church Holy Cow for smash burgers.
4. Heat up skillet or griddle to high heat. I like to put a flat-top griddle on top of my Weber gas grill to make my smash burgers.
5. Toast your buns. Apply a spoonful of beef tallow or butter to your griddle, and then toast your buns for a minute or so, until golden brown, and set aside.
6. Add a little more beef tallow or butter to your griddle, and then place down your burger patties. Press them down firmly with a spatula so the entire surface area of the patty is touching the griddle. Sear on the first side for about 90 seconds.
7. Flip the smash burgers onto the second side, and immediately add your cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 30-60 seconds.
8. Remove burgers from griddle, and add place on buns. Add your favorite toppings, and ENJOY!
What To Serve With Homemade Smash Burgers
- Burger sauce. You can't have a smash burger without homemade burger sauce!
Recommended Tools
- Digital Food Scale. If you're like me and need to weigh everything precisely, then you'll love this Escali digital food scale.
- Burger Press. To make a true smash burger, you need a burger press!
- Cast Iron Griddle. If you're cooking these outside on your grill—and you should—you'll need a cast iron griddle to cook the burgers on.
Psst. If you love these smash burgers, then you'll love these smash burger tacos!
Frequently Asked Questions
For a great smash burger, you need high-quality beef, a screaming-hot griddle, a good, long smash on the beef, a great crust, and some burger sauce.
Be sure to season your smash burgers while they're on the flat-top griddle. A simple combination of salt and pepper is fine. Don't add the seasoning to the meat mixture before.
To smash a smash burger, you can use the back side of a frying pan, the back end of a spatula, or if you really want to do it properly, a burger press.
Best Smash Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 tbsp beef tallow sub butter
- 1 tsp salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp burger sauce
Instructions
- Portion out your ground beef into 3 oz pieces.
- Form your patties into ball shapes, and then use a burger press to smash your burgers nice and thin. I like to use parchment paper sheets between the meat and the burger press so they don't stick together.
- Season your burger patties with salt & pepper or your favorite rub. I like to use Meat Church Holy Cow for smash burgers.
- Heat up skillet or griddle to high heat. I like to put a flat-top griddle on top of my Weber gas grill to make my smash burgers.
- Toast your buns. Apply a spoonful of beef tallow or butter to your griddle, and then toast your buns for a minute or so, until golden brown, and set aside.
- Add a little more beef tallow or butter to your griddle, and then place down your burger patties. Press them down firmly with a spatula so the entire surface area of the patty is touching the griddle. Sear on the first side for about 90 seconds.
- Flip the smash burgers onto the second side, and immediately add your cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 30-60 seconds.
- Remove burgers from griddle, and add place on buns. Add your favorite toppings, and ENJOY!
