Smash Burger Recipe
from kristineskitchenblog.comThese smash burgers are the best burgers I've ever made! Two juicy ground beef patties smashed thin so that the edges get irresistibly crispy, served on buttered, toasted buns with melted cheese and classic toppings. Restaurant-quality, made at home in minutes!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 583kcal
Ingredients
For Serving (as desired):
- 4 soft burger buns
- butter for toasting the buns
- ketchup and mustard or burger sauce
- iceberg lettuce shredded/thinly sliced
- 4 thin slices tomato
- thinly sliced red onion or sweet yellow onion
- dill pickle slices
For Burgers:
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- 4 slices cheddar or American cheese
Instructions
- Toast burger buns (optional): Heat a large skillet (or flat top grill) over medium heat and add a pat of butter. Once melted, spread the butter around the pan. Put the buns, cut side down, in the pan and move them around a bit to soak up some butter, then toast until golden. Set aside.4 soft burger buns, butter
- Prep burger toppings: You want to have everything ready to go, since the burgers cook so quickly. Then you can assemble and serve the burgers while they're hot!
- Make burgers: Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions (2 ounces each) and shape each portion into a round ball.1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- Heat a flat top grill, cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, use tongs to add the ground beef balls to the hot surface. (I usually cook 4 at a time since they cook so fast and it's hard to manage 8 patties at a time.) Immediately, working quickly, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of each one and then use a burger press to flatten each burger so that it's no more than ¼-inch thick. (If you don't have a burger press you can use a spatula plus a measuring cup/meat mallet to firmly press down on the flat part of the spatula.)
- Remove the parchment and generously season the top of each patty with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side (start measuring the cook time as soon as you flatten the burgers).salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- Use a thin metal spatula to scrape under each burger and flip it over. Add a slice of cheese on top of half of the patties. Cook for 60-90 seconds on the second side, then remove from the heat.4 slices cheddar or American cheese
- Assemble burgers: Spread your desired sauces (ketchup, mustard, burger sauce, etc.) on the bottom bun. Add your desired toppings next (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles), then add one of the cheese topped burger patties followed by a plain burger patty. Add the top bun and enjoy!ketchup and mustard or burger sauce, iceberg lettuce, 4 thin slices tomato, thinly sliced red onion or sweet yellow onion, dill pickle slices
Notes
Kristine's Tips:
- For best results use 80/20 ground beef. The fat content is what gives the patties incredible flavor and keeps them juicy. (I've also used 85/15 and the burgers are still very good, just not quite as juicy and flavorful.)
- I use a kitchen scale (set a small plate on top) to weigh out 2 ounce portions of beef.
- Use 2 spatulas: one for flipping the burgers and a second clean spatula to take the burgers off when they're done.
- I like to mix salt, pepper and garlic powder together in a small bowl to make it faster to sprinkle the seasonings on the burgers since they cook so fast.
- Toasting the buns in a buttered skillet (or on buttered flat top grill) adds an extra layer of deliciousness and makes these restaurant-quality!
Nutrition
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 4mg
