I had a Smashburger for the first time in 2019 and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. If you’ve never tried pressing your burgers flat on a hot surface, you’re missing out on what I think is, hands down, the best way to make a burger. Nothing beats the sound of a thin patty sizzling on a very hot griddle. By smashing the burgers, you can achieve not only a crispy but also a juicy end product, which, by the way, cooks in significantly less time. Most of the time, I'll throw together my basic smashburger sauce recipe.
This particular time, I was craving something extra, so I created a hybrid BBQ burger sauce—it's smoky, slightly sweet, and doubles as a great dipping sauce for fries. And trust me, once you taste it and see how easy it is, you’ll be remaking this at home regularly.
Why Smashburgers?
Smashburgers started as a staple in local diners, where line cooks discovered that flattening a small ball of beef on a hot griddle made one hell of a burger—pressing the meat directly onto the metal surface forced more of the fat and juices to interact with high heat, leading to that incredible chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction that forms a savory, crispy exterior. I didn't have one of these great establishments near me growing up, so I didn't enjoy this incredible treat until I had one at Shake Shack when I was almost out of college - talk about missing out.
Nowadays, I make smash burgers pretty much exclusively when I want a burger like a lot of people, because of their incredible taste, but also for their quick cooking time and ease of preparation—making this a perfect option for any home cook who's really pressed for time -- and let's face it -- that's most of us.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef (80/20): The fat ensures tenderness while forming a thin patty that won’t dry out. Lately, I've been grabbing the pre-made patties from Schweid & Sons because they're pre-formed into 2.5 oz. patties that are the perfect size for a crispy smash burger and are easier to prepare. Good, old-fashioned ground beef from the grocery store also works fine.
- BBQ Burger Sauce Components: Mayo, mustard, pickle relish, and barbecue sauce—my special sauce is a balanced blend of sweet and tangy, perfect for burgers.
- Favorite Burger Toppings: Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions- you could go several ways with this, but these are the ones I gravitate toward.
- Buns: Toast the bottom bun lightly to prevent it from absorbing too much moisture. I usually pick up the grocery store-brand buns because they're cheaper, but there's no wrong answer here.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, barbecue sauce (I prefer a sweeter variety, as I've other acidic ingredients in the sauce), yellow mustard, pickle relish, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust to taste as needed. This creamy sauce can also be a dipping sauce for fries or onion rings. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2: Preheat the Griddle
Crank up your griddle (or cast-iron skillet) to medium-high. A hot surface is essential for a crispy burger.
Step 3: Form and Smash the Patties
Divide the ground beef into small portions of 2-3 oz balls (or use pre-made patties, such as the ones I mentioned above). Place one ball on the griddle and immediately press down with a sturdy spatula for about 10 seconds. I've found that placing a sheet of parchment paper between the spatula and the burger is an effective way to prevent the spatula from sticking and tearing the burger. Let it cook for 1–2 minutes until browned, then flip.
Once flipped, quickly add your favorite sliced cheese variety and cook for 1–2 minutes until the cheese has melted. Take the finished patty off the griddle and repeat as needed; the beauty of a griddle is that you can make several of these at once.
Step 4: Finish & Build
To toast the buns, place them on the griddle over the fat from the burgers to sear for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove them from the grill.
Finally, slather your bottom bun with the prepared BBQ burger sauce before building your burger with your favorite toppings, one or two stacks, and additional sauce if desired. Serve it with fries and more sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Substitutions
Need to swap a few ingredients? Here are a few alternatives to consider:
- Leaner Beef: For a leaner burger that still tastes like beef, consider using a lower-fat percentage product, such as 90/10 ground beef or 93/7% ground beef, if you prefer. However, it may lack the same fatty crisp. If you do, a spritz of oil helps ensure a thin patty still gets crispy edges.
- Turkey, Chicken, or Imitation Meat: These options can be easy substitutes for those seeking an alternative to beef. Though they won't have as much flavor due to the lack of fattiness in each alternative, you can still make a tasty burger.
- Different Sauce Profile: If you dislike sweet barbecue, consider swapping it out with your favorite sauce from home. I'm a big fan of vinegar-based sauces, so if you're looking for a tangier option, that's a great way to go. If you prefer not to use the barbecue sauce, you can substitute it with two teaspoons of sugar for a mild sweetness is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.
Variations
Want to make the recipe your own? You can easily change up this recipe with a few tweaks like these:
- Onion Smash: Add thin-sliced onions on top of the patty before flipping to caramelize them into the crust. This is a fantastic option; make sure you slice the onions thin. A mandolin works excellently but watch your fingers!
- Cajun Variation: Want to try this burger with a southern twist? This cajun remoulade is surprisingly delicious on burgers!
- Low-Carb: Skip the bun, wrap the burger in lettuce, and drizzle the sauce between the layers.
Equipment
- Griddle or Cast-Iron Skillet: browning beef patties on a flat surface.
- Sturdy Spatula: You need something that won’t bend under pressure—crucial for flattening the meat. You can get a burger press, but I use a large spatula that works fine.
- Parchment Paper: This makes your life much easier by keeping the burger patties from ripping when you smash them with the spatula.
- Prep Bowl: This is for mixing up that easy smashburger sauce recipe.
- Airtight Container: For storing the sauce
Storage
Leftover patties or sauce? No problem. Let the burger patties cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat briefly on a hot surface to get back some crispness. You can certainly microwave them, which I've done on several occasions, but you definitely lose the crust.
As for the sauce, it keeps well in the fridge for a week or so; stir it if it separates. Buns can stay fresh at room temperature for a day or two, but I store mine in the freezer most of the time so they don't mold — so I don't have to buy a new pack of buns every time I make burgers.
Recipe
Smashburgers with BBQ Burger Sauce
Equipment
- Griddle or Skillet
- Large Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring Utensils
- Storage Containers
Ingredients
- ½ C mayonnaise
- ¼ C BBQ sauce
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ¼ lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ - 2 lbs. ground beef 80%/20%
- olive oil
- Swiss Cheese sliced, as needed
- Leaf lettuce
- 1 tomato sliced
- Hamburger buns
Instructions
For BBQ Burger Sauce:
- Add the mayonnaise plus the next 5 ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined. Salt to taste, then adjust ingredients as needed and set aside.
For the Smash burgers:
- Take the ground beef out of the packaging. Knead the meat until well combined and then mold into meatballs. I try to keep the patties to ~⅓ - ¼ lbs., but the number of burgers depends solely on how much ground beef is in the packaging. For reference, I shoot for 4-6 meatballs in a 1 lbs. package of ground beef.
- Once the griddle has preheated, place the meat on the griddle and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, press down on one of the meatballs until flattened. Repeat this process with the remaining meatballs. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the burgers, top with cheese, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
- Once the cheese has melted, set the cheeseburgers on a plate and turn off the griddle burner.
To Finish:
- Place a hamburger bun on a plate and slather with the prepared sauce. Add your toppings of choice plus 2 cheeseburger patties. After that, top with more prepared sauce as desired.
- Serve with your sides of choice and enjoy!
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