The Food Lab's Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburgers Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best meat for smash burgers? ›

A smash burger is a burger that is made by smashing the ground beef onto the grill or griddle with a spatula. Smashing the burger results in a sear on the outside of the meat, which locks in all of the juices and flavor.

Their recipe calls for: ½ cup Hellman's mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, ¾ tsp. Heinz ketchup, ¼ tsp. kosher dill pickling brine, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Minced chuck steak is gold for Smash Burger. Secondly, it's the smash that really makes it. When you smash the burgers down on a super-hot grill, the fat has nowhere to go but back up into the burger patty meaning you're essentially cooking your burger in its own beefy juices.

I'd recommend using either a store-bought American cheese or homemade melty cheese slices. You need a good melter to help bind the patties together. Onto the prepared bun they go. You can mix it up with the toppings, but try to keep it simple.

Add 2 beef pucks to skillet and, using a firm, stiff metal spatula, press down on each one until they're roughly 4 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. It helps to use a second spatula to apply downward pressure to the first if you are having trouble smashing them hard enough.

With 70 percent of your daily max of recommended sodium, 113 percent of the daily fat max and 145 percent of the daily saturated fat max (based on a 2,000-calorie diet), this seemingly healthier burger is way out of calorie, fat and sodium control!

Use a very thin metal spatula to scrape and get under that edge before flipping. Once flipped, cook the patty on that side no longer than 1 minute, ideally 30 seconds or less, just enough to put cheese(optional) on and melt it. A proper smash burger should be well done in my opinion.

What oil do you use in your kitchens? We currently use butter on the grill, beef tallow/canola oil in our fryers, and a blended oil on our Smash Fries. To see the full list of offerings, please visit www.smashburger.com and select the “Menu” tab at the top of the page and then select "Nutrition".

Stacked with two juicy beef patties and double the cheese, this burger is designed to satiate even the fiercest hunger. Savour our signature smashed Black Angus beef patty topped with thyme sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, and our Super Smash Burgers burger sauce on a toasted Martin's Potato bun.

Why are smash burgers so popular? ›

The key reason why smash burgers taste better than regular burgers is that more of the meat gets direct contact with heat. As it does this, the Maillard reaction occurs, which is when the exterior of food browns, thanks to the amino acids changing structure. As this happens, new, delicious flavors are developed.

To Make the Patties:

Place a cast iron over medium-high heat. Preheat the pan until hot and then add about a teaspoon or two of oil. Add two patties, spacing them about 4 inches apart, and then smash them flat with a spatula to form patties that are 4-inches in diameter.

In-N-Out places its burger patties on the flat-top griddle then spreads about a teaspoon or two of yellow mustard on the uncooked side just before flipping. The mustard caramelizes on the griddle, softening that piquant quality mustard can have, and creating an even crispier crust as the burger patties get smashed.

The meat is well-seasoned and flavorful

Unlike many other fast-food companies, McDonald's adds salt and pepper to the meat patties only after they're cooked, not beforehand. The chain also uses a sprinkler designed for even distribution, which explains why I've never had a chunk that was bland or overly seasoned.

To create the best smash burger at home, you'll want a loose ball of ground beef, preferably 80% beef, 20% fat. The fat is crucial for flavor and the recipe only needs salt and pepper to make beef sing.

The best ground beef to buy for burgers is 80/20 ground chuck – 80% lean meat and 20% fat. Ground chuck is ground from the shoulder and has that ideal lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20 (i.e. not too lean) for a super flavorful, juicy burger.

Ground Chuck Is Leaner Than Ground Beef

Though you might not notice it right away because it's already been ground, ground chuck has the perfect lean-to-fat ratio. It's made up of 80 percent lean meat and only 20 percent fat which is why it's sometimes marketed as “extra lean ground beef” in the deli.

You want as much of your 80/20 ground beef in contact with your griddle to get the Maillard reaction as possible. Use a griddle – A flattop style grill will work the best, but if you only have a traditional grill, pick up a griddle to place on top.