Smash Burgers

I’m putting the smash in smash burgers! Smash burgers, anyone?! These burgers are all the rage and for good reason! Crispy yet tender beef patties, slices of cheddar cheese, pickles, a finger licking burger sauce and soft and buttery buns are all you need to satisfy your fast-food cravings!

All burgers start off with a delicious, perfectly smashed patty! This recipe lets the meat speak for itself! You’re looking for ground beef with a meat to fat ratio of 80:20. This combination produces patties that are crispy and juicy. The ground beef is divided into 8 equal portions, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper, placed onto a hot cast iron skillet and firmly smashed into thin patties using a burger press. The use of cast-iron coupled with the smashing process is what gives these burgers their quintessential crispy and caramelized exterior and flavourful and juicy centre. Given the sheer shape and thickness of these burgers, they cook super quickly! 5 minutes is all you need! What could be better?! Burgers topped with cheese - melted cheese that is!

Now, for the fun part – the assembly! The cheese-covered patties are sandwiched between buttery, soft and rich brioche buns, salty and tangy pickles and a finger licking burger sauce. What’s in the burger sauce, you may ask? It’s quite simple! Minimal ingredients with maximum flavour – that’s a winning combo! Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle brine (or juice), garlic powder, onion powder and sweet paprika combine to create a creamy, rich, tangy, savoury and satisfying sauce that is good to the very last spoonful!

Skip your typical fast-food order and make my Smashed Burger recipe instead! These burgers couldn’t be easier to make, require a handful of simple and everyday ingredients and come together quickly! They make for the perfect lunch, dinner or afternoon snack. You really can’t go wrong! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

Pair these smash burgers with my homemade potato wedges and dill pickle coleslaw for a memorable meal!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 – 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 – 30 minutes

Makes: 4 - 8 burgers (8 single stack or 4 double stack)

Ingredients:

Smash Burger Patties

• 2 lbs medium or 80/20 ground beef

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 4 – 8 regular or gluten free brioche hamburger buns

• 8 slices of cheddar or American cheese

• 12 – 24 slices of bread and butter pickles, as a topping

Burger Sauce

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• ¼ cup ketchup

• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard

• 1 Tbsp pickle brine or juice

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

What You’ll Need:

• Large cast iron skillet

• Burger press (See Notes below)

• 3 - 4 pieces of parchment paper, cut into 5-inch squares

• 2 metal spatulas

• 11 x 17- inch rimmed baking sheet

Instructions:

1. Making the Burger Sauce: To a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle brine (or juice), garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Whisk until fully incorporated and refrigerate to allow the flavours to meld.

2. Prepping the Beef: Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions and form each into balls, measuring approximately 3 ¼ oz, and set aside.

3. Cooking the Patties: Grease a large cast-iron skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 – 3 beef patties (depending on the size of your skillet) and season with salt and pepper.

4. Place parchment paper over top of the balls of beef and using a burger press, flatten out the patties to a ¼-inch in thickness.

5. Remove the parchment paper and cook for 3 minutes or until the edges are crispy and the patties have caramelized. Flip, cook for 1 minute and then place a slice of cheese over each patty. Cook for an additional minute and transfer the cooked patties to a baking sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining burger patties.

6. Assembling the Smash Burgers: Add a generous spoonful of burger sauce to the bottom bun and depending on your preference, place 1 – 2 patties over top. Top with another spoonful of burger sauce, 3 pickle slices and the top bun and serve and enjoy!

   
   

Notes:

1. If I Don’t Have a Burger Press, What Do I Do?: A burger press is a handy kitchen gadget that helps you achieve perfectly smashed beef patties. It flattens the patties out, ensuring consistency with respect to shape and thickness, and promotes a more even cook. If you don’t have a burger press in your kitchen arsenal, don’t fret! Use a thick stainless-steel spatula, potato masher or a small pot or cast-iron skillet to form and smash the beef into patties.

2. Why the Parchment Paper?!: Parchment paper acts as a barrier and prevents the beef patties from sticking to the burger press when smashed. Simply grab some parchment paper, cut it into 5-inch squares (you’ll need a total of 3 – 4 squares), place it on top of the balls of beef and smash away!