American🥩 Meat

Smash Burger

Name: Smash Burger
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 160 g Ground beef (brisket or chuck); 2 Potato rolls; ~1 tbsp Butter; 2 American processed cheese; ~3-4 slices Sour pickles; ~2-3 slices Red onion; ~½ cup Iceberg lettuce; ~1 tbsp Yellow mustard; ~1 tbsp Mayonnaise; ~¼ tsp Salt

A classic smash burger made by flattening thin beef patties on a hot grill to create a crispy, caramelized crust. Made with freshly ground beef (brisket or chuck, about 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio), soft potato rolls, American cheese, pickles, red onion, lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise.

High-protein

Adapted from a video by Back of House

My OG Smash Burger Recipe

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Ground beef (brisket or chuck)80/20 lean-to-fat ratio, divided into two 80g balls (about 2.8 oz each)160 g
Potato rollsSoft small rolls, milk buns also work well2
ButterFor toasting the buns~1 tbspest.
American processed cheeseYellow cheese slices that melt well2
Sour picklesBread and butter pickles in crinkle-cut rounds, enough to cover the top~3-4 slicesest.
Red onionThinly sliced with the grain, thin enough to be almost transparent~2-3 slicesest.
Iceberg lettuceFresh and crispy, shredded to about ½ cm thickness

Steps

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1
Spread softened butter evenly on all sides of the potato rolls to ensure even toasting and prevent the buns from becoming soggy.
2
Toast the buttered buns over low heat on the grill, moving them around to ensure even browning, until golden.
3
Slice red onion very thinly with the grain to a translucent thinness. Use only a small amount to garnish the burger.
4
Shred iceberg lettuce to about ½ cm thickness for easy biting. This step can be skipped if preferred.
5
Gently form the ground beef into a ball without overworking it—you want to keep the meat structure intact and avoid making it pasty. Aim for 80g per ball and make two per burger.
6
Preheat the grill or griddle to high heat. A large flat grill is ideal, or use a cast-iron skillet at home. Let it heat for about 20 minutes to ensure it's ripping hot.
7
Place a beef ball on the screaming hot grill and immediately smash it down hard with a wide spatula to create a thin, lacy-edged patty. The edges should hang over the bun size.
8
Season the smashed patty with salt immediately. Close the grill lid to allow heat to return and develop the crust.
9
Use a wide spatula to scrape the patty from the bottom of the grill, removing all the caramelized Maillard crust. Flip once the bottom is fully released and starting to develop color.
10
After flipping, immediately place an American cheese slice on top and let it melt. Repeat steps 7–9 for the second patty.
11
Stack the second cheese-topped patty on top of the first to create a double-patty burger.
12
On the toasted bottom bun, spread a thin layer of mustard. Layer with iceberg lettuce, then pickles (covering the top generously), and red onion. The lettuce acts as a barrier against sogginess.
13
Place the stacked patties on top of the lettuce and pickles, cover with the toasted top bun, and serve immediately while hot.

Smash Burger

Ingredients

Steps

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