Satisfy all of your burger cravings at home with this smash burger recipe! Stacked up with cheese, your choice of toppings and the best burger sauce, these easy burgers are better than any fast-food restaurant.
Go the traditional route and make classic burgers on the grill or even in the air fryer!
SMASH BURGER RECIPE
Once you try this juicy smash burger recipe it is going to be on repeat! Beef patties pressed thin onto a hot skillet, giving you crispy, golden, yet juicy patties. Make your smash burger a single or a double and enjoy this popular burger joint menu item anytime with this easy homemade recipe. These are great to enjoy for dinner, potlucks, or BBQs!
WHAT IS A SMASH BURGER?
A smash burger is a type of burger made when a ball of ground beef is pressed onto a very hot skillet or griddle, giving you a thin, crispy patty that has a caramelized crust. Smash burgers are popular at diners and burger joints like in and out!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Ground Beef– For the best results you want to use ground beef with fat, like ground chuck. You want to say around 80-85% lean to 15-20% fat when making burgers. I love using my homemade burger patty recipe for this recipe.
- Smash Burger Seasoning– To season these smash burgers, I just use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. You can also add any other of your favorite seasonings and spice blends.
- Buns– For delicious smash burgers, the choice of buns matters! Classic buns, sesame buns, or potato buns work great, but buttery brioche buns work best in my opinion.
- Cheese– You can use either classic American cheese, Colby jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, or any other sliced cheese you prefer!
- Toppings– The four classic smash burger toppings are tomato, lettuce, onion and pickles. You can add any of your favorite burger toppings to these smash burgers!
- Burger Sauce– My homemade smash burger sauce brings these smash burgers all together! You can also just use simple mayo and ketchup, or any other burger sauce you prefer.
HOW TO MAKE A SMASH BURGER
The best thing about these smash burgers is that the patties cook super-fast, so you can have these ready in under 10 minutes!
- Combine the ground beef and seasonings and then divide the meat mixture into 8 equal balls, cover, and chill until ready to cook.
- Prep your burger toppings and condiments.
- Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet on high heat. Toast the buns with a bit of butter, then set aside.
- Place 2 meat balls on the hot skillet (or more if space allows). Smash each ball into a thin patty using a spatula or a smasher—use parchment paper if needed to prevent sticking.
- Cook until crispy and golden, flip and repeat, about 1 minute per side.
- Top one patty with cheese, then stack with a second patty to make a double.
- Remove from heat. Repeat with the remaining patties to make 4 double burgers.
- Assemble burgers with your toppings and sauce on toasted buns. Serve immediately.
TOPPING OPTIONS
The topping choices are endless! You can keep it simple or load your burgers up! Here are some delicious topping ideas:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Pickles
- Cucumbers
- Bacon
- Caramelized Onions
- Sauteed Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Jalapenos
| Condiments– There is nothing worse than dry burgers, the right condiments can help avoid dry burgers! You must make these smash burgers with my amazing burger sauce! You can also just stick to the classics like mayo, ketchup, and mustard. |
SERVING IDEAS
Pair these homemade smash burgers with the right sides for the ultimate meal! Here are some great sides that go great with these burgers:
- Crispy French Fries
- Potato Wedges
- Loaded Fries
- Garden Salad
- Chips
- Onion Rings
- Pickles
- Waffle Fries
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Since the patties are so thin when smashed, it’s best when doubled! But you can totally just use one patty for a light option, you can also even triple the patty.
Yes! Opt out of buns and make this a smash burger lettuce wrap and wrap In iceberg lettuce or romaine.
This recipe will make 8 thin patties, but 4 smash burgers when doubling the patties.
Yes! Make the burger patties up to 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge until they are ready to be made.
You can totally just buy the fresh premade patties at your local grocery store, and once smashed season with seasoning.
For the best results you want to use a griddle or cast iron. You want it to get super-hot to achieve the crispy crust on the patty.
You can totally enjoy leftover smash burgers the next day, they are just as good! Once the patties are made and stacked, remove from heat and cool. Once cooled, store in the fridge, covered or in a container for 3-4 days. To enjoy, reheat and assemble the burgers and enjoy.
OTHER SANDWICH RECIPES-
There is nothing better than a delicious sandwich during the summertime! Try these other great sandwich recipes:
Smash Burger Recipe
Ingredients
Burger Patties-
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 80/20%
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Burger-
- 4 burger buns
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 sliced American cheese
- Choice of burger toppings
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Divide the seasoned beef mixture into 8 equal-sized balls. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- While the meat chills, prepare all your desired burger toppings and condiments so they’re ready for assembly.
- Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat.
- Once hot, add a bit of butter to the skillet and place your buns cut-side down to lightly toast them. Remove and set aside.
- Place two meatballs onto the hot skillet. (Depending on the size of your skillet or griddle, cook as many as you can without overcrowding.)
- Use a large flat spatula or a smash burger press to smash each ball into a thin patty. (Place a piece of parchment paper between the meat and the spatula to prevent sticking. Remove the paper after smashing.)
- Cook the patties for about 1 minute, then carefully flip and cook for another 1 minute. (The patties are thin, so they cook quickly!)
- Top one patty with a slice of American cheese, then place a second patty on top to make a double stack.
- Remove the double patty from the skillet to prevent overcooking. Repeat with the remaining patties to make a total of 4 double smash burgers.
- Assemble your burgers: Spread your burger sauce on the toasted buns, add your toppings, place the smash patties on top, close the burger, and enjoy immediately.
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