How to Make the Perfect Smash Burger
What is a smash burger? It is a burger with thin, crispy edges and a juicy middle. To get this effect, you start with a loosely packed ball of ground beef and/or venison. Then you press or “smash” it down thin with a spatula. The lacy edges crisp up beautifully, while the inside of the burger stays juicy.
More important, smash burgers are mouthwateringly delicious, straight off the grill.
One of my sons asks for a smash burger EVERY time I ask him what he would like to eat. We only recently started making them after I had a Krystal/Whitehouse craving! Now, it has become a welcome addiction in our family. (How many times do you see those two words in the same sentence?)
This smash burger recipe is is fast and easy, not to mention incredibly delicious. Just make sure you have all the ingredients you need out and ready since the burgers will cook in a flash.
The Equipment (Hardly Any!)
The only equipment you need for this recipe is a cast iron skillet, a spatula, and some parchment paper. I use my skillet for so many things. Click here for my tips on how to season a cast iron skillet.
The Smash Burger Ingredients
The Meat: Of course, the star ingredient is the meat! We always have deer meat in the freezer, so I like to use a mixture of half freshly ground chuck and half freshly ground venison. I buy ground chuck with an 80/20 beef-to-fat ratio. You can certainly make these with 100% beef if you don’t have any wild game.
The Smash Burger Sauce: The sauce adds flavor and moistness to these burgers. I use a good-quality mayo and mix in a couple tablespoons of sriracha sauce. Sriracha is a garlicky, spicy-sweet chili sauce with the thickness of ketchup.
Make It a Cheeseburger: Top with melted cheddar or American cheese, and your family and guests will be clamoring for seconds.
Add Condiments and Toppings: Add whatever toppings you like on a burger, such as mustard, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pickles. Thanks to the sriracha sauce, you probably can skip the ketchup.
Tips for Making the Perfect Smash Burger
- Smashburgers cook incredibly fast since they are so thin and are cooking on such a hot surface. So you’ll want to have all the equipment and ingredients ready and close to hand.
- A cast iron pan is perfect for cooking these burgers. It works like a hot griddle. YYou can place a cast iron skillet right on the grill.
- A metal spatula is best for smashing the balls of beef flat. Put parchment paper between the spatula and the patties to keep the meat from sticking to the spatula.
- Leave the meat to brown without moving once you smash it into the skillet. You will see brown on the sides when it is ready to flip and then it will take only about 2-3 minutes to complete cooking.
- Use fresh-ground beef with a 80/20 ratio of beef to fat, or even a higher fat ground beef if you are cooking with half venison.
The Perfect Sides for Your Smash Burgers
I serve these burgers with plenty of Refrigerator Dill Pickles and homemade fries. Here are three tasty fries recipes to try.
More Burger Recipes: Beef, Venison, and Turkey
Be sure to try these other delicious burger recipes!
Stacy Lyn’s Smash Burger Recipe
Perfect Smash Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces freshly ground beef chuck
- 8 ounces freshly ground venison
- 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- ⅓ cup good mayonnaise
- 4 soft hamburger buns buttered and toasted
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or your favorite spice blend
- 8 slice good melting cheese such as American or Cheddar
- Homemade Refrigerator Pickles see link to recipe in Notes
- Condiments and toppings as desired such as mustard, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pickles
Instructions
- Combine the beef and venison until thoroughly mixed. Divide meat into 8 2-ounce balls and place on a piece of parchment paper.
- Toast and butter the hamburger buns.
- In a small bowl, mix sriracha sauce and mayonnaise. Smear some of the sriracha-mayo mixture over the bottom of toasted hamburger buns. You’ll want to be ready to add the meat and cheese as soon as the burgers come off the heat.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is almost smoking, place 4 balls of meat into the skillet. Cover the meat with a piece of parchment paper and using a spatula press down to flatten the patty. This will give a lacy, crispy crust. Remove the parchment paper and sprinkle the burger patties with your favorite spice blend. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the patties and sprinkle with the spice blend again. Place a slice of cheese on top of 2 of the patties and allow the underside of the meat to cook for about 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove the patty with the cheese to the bottom bun.
- Place a little sriracha sauce on the cheese and top with the remaining patty. Add several pickles and top with the top buns. Repeat for the other two burgers. Serve right away.
