Smash burgers have caught a wave of popularity in recent years. It feels like everyone has been capitalizing on the trend with one-of stores, chains, and weekend pop-ups. We’re pretty burger crazy and got tired of spending $20 on a double cheeseburger, so it’s time to teach you all how to make the best smash burger!

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The most important ingredient will be the meat, followed by the bun. Call your local butcher and ask them to prep a ground beef mix. Request the mix to be 70% lean and 30% fat ot brisket. 2-4 lbs is plenty for 5-6 people and you can always run it back for breakfast/lunch.  

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If you’re in an area that sells Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls - this is your #1 go to. Martin’s supplies Shake Shack and is the go-to burger bun. Second alternative is finding a bakery that sells them fresh in the morning. If all else fails, the Dempster’s hamburger bun is a great alternative. 

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Sauce can be made any way you want and for that OG special sauce you’ll want to replicate these steps to taste. Mayo, ketchup, splash of pickle juice with a bit of finely chopped pickles, and a small spoonful of sriracha. 

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What you need to make a Smash Burger

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You don’t need much, but what’s listed is key. For your cooking tools, you’ll need

Stainless steel pan and a metal spatula. Stainless steel is key. The flat surface will give you an even sear and the metal spatula is necessary to get the crispy edges separated from the pan. 

Smasher. Like me, you probably didn’t have one handy either. A small pot with a flat bottom works really well. Make sure the bottom is flat so that the patty gets crushed evenly. 

Baking sheet. You need to cut the sheet  into hand sized squares. One for every patty you plan to make. 

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Separate the ground beef into palm sized balls (2-3 oz) and put them on a baking sheet. Allow them to come near room temperature before cooking. 

Take a white onion and slice up some paper thin slivers.

Wash and chop up some iceberg lettuce. 

Dig those kraft singles out of the back of your fridge. Or get some real cheese slices ready. Your call. 

Next set your stainless steel pan on medium-high heat and get ready!

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The Smash Burger cooking method

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Cooking Smash Burgers is a fairly straightforward and easy process just like regular burgers. Make sure all of your prep is done so that you can eat these quickly off the grill.  

Toss one golf ball sized patty onto the stainless steel pan and let it sit for 10-20 seconds.

Place a hand sized baking sheet on top of the patty and use the pot to flatten the ball out into a disk. Make sure to apply a bit more pressure around the edges. This will allow the edges to create a “lettuce effect” and become extra crispy.  

Cook the patty for 30-45 seconds applying salt and pepper and the paper thin onions. 

Apply pressure with the spatula to get right underneath the crispy, crunchy, caramelized exterior. 

After flipping the patty, add the cheese and wait for it to melt before pulling it off the grill. 

Take your toasted bun, apply the special sauce, lettuce, pickles, and serve with a side of fries - the cavendish from Costco is the best!

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Try this cooking method with a combination of ingredients - without lettuce, with tomatoes, raw onions, etc. You won’t be disappointed with what you can create. 

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