Smash Burger Recipe

This Smash Burger recipe will have you skipping the drive thru to make these delicious burgers at home. Smash small balls of ground beef along with sliced onions on a super hot griddle for a burger like no other.

My family loves to grill out. And one of our favorite dinners to grill is burgers. I upped our burger game by taking my flat griddle outside and putting it to use on the grill.

My smash burger recipe not only tastes delicious, but is fun to make.

Smash burgers are different from the every day hamburger. Super thin with onions smashed into the burgers, they are cooked on a scorching hot griddle. The edges of the burgers get charred and crispy.

ingredients & substitutions

• Ground beef ~ 85/15 blend
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Onions ~ Yellow, Vidalia or red onions are all delicious choices
• Cheese ~ American is my first choice for burgers. But try cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss.
• Hamburger buns
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Sliced tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Dill pickle chips

Scroll down to the complete recipe for full quantities of the ingredients.

how to make smash burgers

To get that smokey char flavor, I place a large flat griddle on my charcoal Weber grill. Grilling the thin burgers outdoors also helps control the mess. There isn't a greasy stove top to clean up.

But if your only option is to cook the smash burgers indoors, keep reading. I give you some tips to control the splattering grease.

Let's get smashing! Combine ground beef, kosher salt and pepper. Form ground beef mixture into 10 balls.

Heat a grill to high heat. When the grill is ready, place a griddle on top of the grill grate.

Place 5 balls on the griddle and top with some of the sliced onions.

Smash the balls into burgers with a large spatula. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Flip the burgers and top with cheese. Place the lid on the grill. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove the burgers from the griddle.

Serve 2 burgers on each bun along with the condiments.

how to cook smash burgers on the stovetop

You can also cook the smash burgers indoors on the stove top.

A flat griddle or cast iron pan are the best options for cooking the burgers on top of the stove. Also, a strong exhaust fan helps control any smoke.

To keep the mess to a minimum, lay sheets of foil on the sides of the griddle or pan to catch the grease splatters.

Then the method is the same as cooking the burgers on an outdoor grill. Follow the directions above.

expert tips

• Use 85/15 ground beef. This fraction is a ratio (whoa! higher math) of meat to fat in the ground beef. Since the grilling is done on a griddle, the fat does not drip through the grate. The fat is what gives the burgers fabulous flavor.
• Make sure the griddle is good and hot before adding the burger balls. A scorching hot griddle will help achieve the crispy edges on the burgers.
• Give the burgers a good smash! You want the onions pressed into the burgers and a flat burger.
• As soon as you flip the burgers, top with the cheese. That way the cheese will melt to an ooey gooey goodness.
• Spend a couple minutes toasting the buns on the grill. The crispy crunch is a nice contrast to the burgers.

what to serve with smash burgers

• Fennel, Apple and Radish Slaw
• The BEST Baked Crispy Oven Fries
• Spinach and Blueberry Salad with Yogurt Dressing
• Chickpea Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
• Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries

just one more thing

Also, if you make my smash burger recipe, I'd love hearing from you.

Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

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