Smashed Burgers

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Double stacked smashed burger patties with crispy lacy edges, melted cheddar cheese between the layers, and a homemade special sauce. The whole thing is ready in 25 minutes and tastes like a burger worth talking about.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: burger recipe, smashed burgers, smashed burgers recipe

Servings:

Calories: 625kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

For the burgers:

1 pound ground beef 80 percent lean
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 burger buns
4 slices cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter

For the sauce:

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons dill pickles finely chopped
1 teaspoon pickle juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika

For assembling:

½ cup shredded lettuce
½ small onion thinly sliced
8 pickle slices

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles, 1 teaspoon pickle juice, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon paprika. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Divide the 1 pound ground beef into 8 equal portions and loosely roll into balls. Do not overwork the meat.
Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot. Place 2 to 3 beef balls onto the hot surface. Using a spatula, firmly smash each ball down into a thin patty. Season the patties with some of the 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the edges are crispy and browned.
Flip the patties and immediately place 1 slice cheddar cheese over one patty in each pair. Cook for another 1 minute. Stack a plain patty over a cheese topped patty to create 4 double burgers.
Lightly butter the 4 burger buns with 1 tablespoon butter and toast them in the pan until golden.
Spread a generous amount of the special sauce on both the top and bottom buns. Add the burger patties, then top with ½ cup shredded lettuce, sliced onion, and pickle slices. Close the burgers and serve immediately.

Notes

Get the pan genuinely very hot before the beef goes in. Not warm. Not medium high. Very hot. Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat for at least 3 minutes before anything touches it. A pan that is not hot enough will steam the beef instead of sear it and the crispy lacy edges that make smashed burgers worth making will simply not happen.
Smash the moment the beef hits the pan and do not be timid about it. The smash has to happen immediately, before the proteins start to set, or the patty will resist and tear. Use a heavy spatula or burger press, apply firm sustained pressure for about 10 seconds, and get the patty as thin as you can. Do not season the beef before forming the balls. Form them unseasoned, smash onto the hot pan, then season the top surface right away before the flip.
Use 80 percent lean ground beef. The 20 percent fat is what renders into the pan and creates those crispy edges. Leaner beef simply does not have enough fat to do what we need it to do here. Extra lean is for meatloaf. This is a smashed burger and it deserves the right beef.

Nutrition