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Smash Burger
Thin, lacy-edged beef patties smashed on a ripping-hot griddle for maximum crust — the technique that changed home burgers.
10 mins
10 mins
4 people
American
Ground beef 80/20
80% lean — fat is essential
700g
American cheese slices
Singles melt best
8
Brioche buns
4
Burger sauce
Mayo + ketchup + mustard + pickles
to make
Yellow mustard
1 tbsp
Pickles
8 slices
White onion
Very thinly sliced
1/2
Lettuce
4 leaves
Butter
For toasting buns
2 tbsp
🍽️ Commercial flat-top griddle
→ Cast-iron pan at maximum heat
Closest approximation to commercial griddle
🍽️ 80/20 beef
→ Regular ground beef — don't use lean
Fat is what creates the flavor and the crust
Season beef only with salt, form loosely into 175g balls. Do NOT compact.
💡 Pro Tip: Loose balls smash flatter and get lacier edges. Compacted meat gives dense patties.
Get cast-iron pan SCREAMING hot. Toast buns in butter, set aside.
💡 Pro Tip: Toasted bun prevents sogginess from sauce and patty.
Drop beef ball in dry, hot pan. Smash hard within 10 seconds using a spatula.
💡 Pro Tip: Smash within 10 seconds — after that protein sets and you can't smash flat anymore.
Cook 2-3 minutes without moving. Crust forms on the bottom. Flip once.
💡 Pro Tip: The caramelized crust is the Maillard reaction at full power. Don't move it.
Immediately add cheese, splash of water nearby, cover briefly to steam-melt cheese.
💡 Pro Tip: Steam-melting gives that oozy diner-cheese quality impossible with dry heat.
- ✓80/20 fat content is non-negotiable — lean beef makes a dry smash
- ✓Smash within 10 seconds of hitting the pan
- ✓Never press a burger after it's cooking — only smash at the start
- ✓American cheese singles are the right tool for the job
- →With shoestring fries
- →With a milkshake
- →Double or triple smash for bigger appetite