About This Recipe

The Smash Burger is not just a burger trend — it's a revelation. A loose ball of 80/20 ground beef gets pressed violently against a screaming hot cast iron skillet, spreading thin and developing the most spectacular crispy, caramelised, lacey edges you've ever put in your mouth. That crust is the result of maximum surface contact triggering the Maillard reaction at full intensity — more flavour chemistry per square inch than any thick patty could ever achieve. Stack two of these paper-thin, shatteringly crispy patties with perfectly melted American cheese, crunchy pickles, fresh diced onion, and a tangy smash sauce on a toasted brioche bun, and you will never look at a regular burger the same way again. This is the smash burger recipe that will ruin all other burgers for you.

Nutrition estimates based on USDA FoodData Central. Values are per serving and may vary.

Why You'll Love It

  • Those crispy, caramelised edges that no thick burger can replicate
  • Done in 25 minutes — faster than a restaurant
  • The secret sauce that ties everything together
  • Only 5 ingredients for the burger itself — simplicity is the secret

Smash Burger

Double smash burger with crispy edges and melted cheese on brioche bun
10 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
4
Servings
⭐ 4.9
Rating
650
Calories

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb 80/20 ground beef
  • 4 brioche burger buns
  • 8 slices American cheese
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • Dill pickle slices
  • Salt & black pepper
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Secret Sauce:
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp pickle juice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. 1Make sauce Mix all sauce ingredients. Refrigerate.
  2. 2Form balls Divide beef into 6 oz loose balls. Do not overwork. Season outside with salt and pepper.
  3. 3Heat skillet Cast iron over highest heat for 5 minutes until smoking hot. Add butter.
  4. 4Smash Place ball in pan. Smash hard with a spatula for 10 seconds. Cook 2–3 min until edges are crispy.
  5. 5Flip & cheese Flip once. Add 2 slices American cheese. Cook 1 min until melted.
  6. 6Stack & serve Toast buns in same pan. Sauce, pickles, onion, double patty. Eat immediately.

Ingredients

1½ lb 80/20 beef 4 brioche buns 8 slices American cheese White onion Dill pickles Butter Mayo Ketchup Yellow mustard Pickle juice Garlic powder Smoked paprika

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1

    Make the secret sauce

    Whisk together the mayo, ketchup, yellow mustard, pickle juice, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust — more pickle juice for tang, more paprika for smokiness. Cover and refrigerate while you cook the burgers. This sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge. It also works incredibly well as a dipping sauce for fries.

  2. 2

    Form loose beef balls — do not overwork

    Divide the ground beef into 4 portions of roughly 6 oz each (for a double burger, you'll make 8 thinner balls of about 3 oz each). The critical rule: handle the meat as little as possible. Just gently roll each portion into a rough ball shape — don't squeeze, pack, or compact it. Overworked beef produces a dense, tough burger. Loose beef smashes into a tender, juicy patty. Season the outside of each ball generously with salt and pepper right before cooking.

  3. 3

    Get the skillet absolutely screaming hot

    Place a cast iron skillet or flat cast iron griddle over the highest heat your stove can produce. Let it heat for a full 5 minutes — longer than you think is necessary. It should be so hot that a drop of water evaporates instantly on contact. Add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt and begin to brown. This is the most important step: an insufficiently hot pan produces a steamed, grey burger with zero crust. You want the Maillard reaction at full throttle.

  4. 4

    Smash hard and don't move it

    Place a beef ball in the hot skillet. Immediately place a piece of parchment paper over the top (prevents sticking to your spatula), then press down with the firmest, flattest pressure you can manage using a heavy metal spatula or burger press. Hold for a full 10 seconds — you want the beef as thin as possible, ideally about ¼ inch thick. The edges should be ragged and spreading out into thin, lacey frills. This is exactly what you want. Now step back and don't touch it for 2–3 minutes.

  5. 5

    Flip once — cheese immediately

    After 2–3 minutes, the edges of the patty should be deeply brown, crispy, and almost charred — this is correct, this is perfect. Slide your spatula under and flip the burger in one confident motion. Immediately place 2 slices of American cheese on top. American cheese is non-negotiable here — it melts perfectly, evenly, and envelops the patty in a glossy cheese blanket that no other cheese can replicate. Cook 1 more minute until the cheese is fully melted and starting to drape over the edges.

  6. 6

    Toast buns, stack, and eat immediately

    Remove the patties and quickly toast the brioche buns cut-side down in the same skillet for 30–60 seconds until golden. Spread secret sauce generously on both the top and bottom bun. Layer pickles on the bottom, then the cheese-covered patties (stack two for a double), then the diced white onion. Crown with the top bun. Press down gently. Eat immediately — smash burgers wait for no one. The crust softens within minutes.

Pro Tips

🏆 Chef's Tips for Perfect Results
  • 80/20 ground beef only. This is the non-negotiable rule. The 20% fat renders out during the smash and creates those iconic crispy edges. Leaner beef simply cannot do this — it produces a dry, flavourless patty with no crust.
  • Cast iron is essential. Non-stick pans can't handle the required heat. Cast iron retains and radiates heat evenly, creating the consistent surface temperature needed for a perfect sear across the entire patty.
  • Never press after the first smash. Once you've done the initial smash, never press the burger again. Pressing out the juices after smashing gives you a dry, sad burger. Press once, hard, immediately. Then walk away.
  • Work in batches. Don't crowd the pan — maximum 2 patties at once in a standard 12-inch skillet. Crowding drops the pan temperature and you lose the crust. Two perfect burgers beat four mediocre ones every time.

Delicious Variations

🔄 Ways to Switch It Up
  • Smash Burger with caramelised onions: Pile a mound of diced onion directly onto the beef ball before smashing. The onion gets pressed into the meat and caramelises with it — this is the classic Oklahoma Onion Smash Burger, arguably the greatest burger variation ever invented.
  • Bacon Smash Burger: Cook thin-cut bacon strips in the same skillet before the burgers. Crumble and pile onto the finished patties with the cheese. Unreasonably good.
  • Jalapeño Smash Burger: Add sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños under the cheese in the last minute of cooking. Add a few dashes of hot sauce to the secret sauce. Fiery and addictive.
  • Smash Burger Salad Bowl: For a low-carb version, serve the double smash patties over shredded iceberg lettuce with the sauce drizzled over the top. All the flavour, none of the bun.

Frequently Asked Questions

80/20 ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat) is the only correct choice. The high fat content is what creates the crispy, lacey edges when smashed against the hot griddle. Leaner beef won't develop the same crust and produces a drier burger. Do not use pre-formed patties — loose ground beef balls smash and spread correctly; pre-formed patties don't.
A cast iron skillet or flat cast iron griddle is the gold standard. They hold heat extremely well, can get screaming hot, and develop the beautiful dark sear that creates the crispy edges. A carbon steel pan works nearly as well. Non-stick pans cannot handle the required high heat — avoid them entirely for this recipe.
Smashing maximises the surface area of the meat contacting the hot cooking surface. More contact means more Maillard reaction — the chemical process responsible for that complex, deeply savoury crust. The thin patty also cooks through very quickly, giving you maximum crust with perfectly cooked beef throughout. Thick burgers simply can't develop the same level of crust.
The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead. The beef balls can be formed and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. But the cooked patties should be eaten immediately — the crispy edges soften quickly and lose their magic within 10–15 minutes. Smash burgers are a cook-to-order dish. The 25-minute total time means there's really no need to prep ahead.

Nutrition Per Serving

650
Calories
38g
Protein
35g
Carbs
42g
Fat
1g
Fiber
8g
Sugar
890mg
Sodium
480mg
Potassium