Homemade Smash Burgers
Smash burgers were born on the hot griddles of diners and roadside stands in the United States: simple meat, soft bread, and that golden crust that smells like a family Sunday. This version works because it doesn’t try to complicate the burger; it uses meat with enough fat, small balls, and a very hot griddle to achieve crust in minutes. I’m Sam, so I’m taking the practical route: quick sauce, double cheese, and zero unnecessary turns. The secret is to smash just once, season well, and have everything ready before you start, because when the meat hits the griddle, dinner moves quickly.
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Yield
4 servings
Origin
US · Estados Unidos
Ingredients
- Ground beef· ground, divided into 8 balls of 85 g680 g
- Salt· to season the meat1.5 tsp
- Black pepper· freshly ground if possible1 tsp
- Vegetable oil· just to lightly grease the griddle1 tsp
- Hamburger buns· sliced in half4 piece
- American cheese· one slice per patty8 slice
- Mayonnaise· for the sauce4 tbsp
- Yellow mustard· for the sauce2 tbsp
- Pickles· drained80 g
- White onion· finely chopped100 g
Method
- 01
Divide the cold ground beef into 8 balls of 85 g without compressing them too much; keep them refrigerated while preparing the rest to maintain their firm fat.
- 02
Mix mayonnaise with yellow mustard in a bowl until uniform; set aside along with sliced pickles and chopped white onion for quick assembly.
- 03
Heat a cast-iron griddle, heavy skillet, or flat comal over high heat until it reaches 230-250°C; spread the vegetable oil in a very thin layer.
- 04
Place the burger buns cut side down on the hot griddle for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and slightly crispy; remove them.
- 05
Put 2 meat balls on the griddle, wait 10 seconds, and smash them with a firm spatula to form thin patties of 10 to 12 cm; season immediately with some of the fine salt and black pepper.
- 06
Cook the patties for 2 minutes without moving them until the edges are well browned and crispy; flip them by scraping the crust, season with more salt and pepper, place 1 slice of American cheese on each, and cook for 1 more minute until the cheese melts and the meat reaches 71°C internal.
- 07
Repeat the process with the remaining meat, fine salt, black pepper, and American cheese, keeping the griddle very hot between batches so each smash burger browns instead of steaming.
- 08
Spread the mayonnaise and mustard sauce on the bottoms of the buns, stack 2 cheese patties for each burger, add pickles and white onion, close with the top buns, and serve immediately while the crust is still crispy.
Chef tips
- If you don’t have American cheese, use thinly sliced cheddar; it should melt quickly during the last minute of cooking.
- Do not smash the meat more than once: doing it after it has started cooking squeezes out the juices and leaves the burger dry.
- Have buns, sauce, pickles, and onion ready before cooking; smash burgers are made in batches of a few minutes.
- Store cooked patties without buns in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes to regain some crust.
Classifications
More recipes by Chef Sam
View chef profile
65 minBuffalo Wings
Oven-baked buffalo wings, crispy and coated in spicy butter sauce. Easy recipe for family sharing.
70 minMoist Banana Bread
Moist and easy banana bread: homemade banana bread with ripe bananas, yogurt, and butter for a soft crumb.
More Americana
View cuisine hub65 minBuffalo Wings
Oven-baked buffalo wings, crispy and coated in spicy butter sauce. Easy recipe for family sharing.
70 minMoist Banana Bread
Moist and easy banana bread: homemade banana bread with ripe bananas, yogurt, and butter for a soft crumb.