Recipe Background
Killer Smash Burgers blend casual flair with epic flavor, perfect for impressing family or friends.
Years ago, when I was getting to know my in-laws, I thought a casual grill-off would be the perfect icebreaker. My father-in-law, an unapologetic burger enthusiast, had yet to be impressed by any patty he'd encountered. It seemed a daunting challenge, but I was ready. Armed with fresh ground beef and thick-sliced cheddar, I decided to go for a smash burger style. Brioche buns, toasted in melted butter, would offer the perfect warm, soft-yet-crispy cradle. My little secret? Mixing a bit of yellow mustard into the mayo for a tangy hint the family had never tasted before.
Gathering around the backyard grill, I divided the beef into neat portions, and smashed each ball onto a sizzling hot griddle. A crucial detail is getting underneath that caramelized crust; it’s the key to texture that dreams are made of. Seasoning with just salt, pepper, and a whisper of garlic powder kept things simple. When I served up those double-patties with crisp iceberg lettuce and sliced red onions, the nods of approval came quick. Chefs watching at home: Smearing the buns with a dab of reserved sauce really pulls everything together in a delightful kick.
After that successful debut, the burgers became a standing request at every family gathering. My father-in-law even declared them his favorite, which I considered the ultimate compliment. So if you're up for it, invite the crew over and turn an ordinary day into a memorable one with these killer smash burgers. Trust me, they’re worth the sizzle.
Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- butter to taste
- 4 brioche burger buns split
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- 4 slices medium cheddar cheese thick-sliced
Optional, for serving:
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced into thin rings
- 2 whole dill pickles cut into 12 pieces
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the beef into 8 even portions, about 3 ounces each.
- Loosely roll each beef portion into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Cover the baking sheet and refrigerate the beef until ready to grill.
- In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and the mustard and stir to combine. Set the sauce aside.
- In a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the burger buns, cut-side down, to the melted butter and toast until golden on the buttered-side, about 2-4 minutes.
- Transfer the buns, cut-side up, to a plate.
- Increase the stovetop heat to medium-high.
- Place 2-4 of the beef balls onto the hot griddle and firmly smash the burgers straight down using a flat, nonstick spatula.
- Season the burger patties evenly with the salt, the pepper, and the garlic powder.
- Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the sauce to the top of each of the patties.
- Cook the burgers until seared and the juices start to come to the surface, about 2 minutes.
- Using a metal spatula, flip the burgers, making sure to get under the caramelized part before doing so, and cook until the reverse side is caramelized, about 1 minute.
- Top 1/2 of the cooked patties with 1 slice of the cheese each, then immediately cover each of the cheese-topped patties with 1 of the non-cheese-topped patties.
- Transfer the cooked burgers to a clean plate and repeat the cooking process with the remaining patties, the remaining salt, the remaining pepper, the remaining garlic powder, the remaining cheese slices, and most of the remaining sauce (reserving a small portion for the buns).
- Evenly smear the remaining sauce across the bottoms of the toasted buns.
- Top each of the bottom buns evenly with the lettuce, the tomatoes, the onions, and the pickle pieces.
- Place a cooked double-patty on each of the bottom buns over the toppings.
- Replace each of the top buns and serve.
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