This restaurant-style smash burger recipe includes the most amazing creamy burger sauce, my favorite topping ideas, and of course, how to make those iconic crispy-thin patties easily on the stovetop!
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Those crispy-edged, thin patties with juicy centers that almost smell as good as they taste are – dare I say – one of the best creations, ever.
Whether you know smash burgers from Shake Shack, Five Guys, In-N-Out or somewhere else, I’m going to let you in on the secret to making the best smash burgers at home!
This recipe is my husband’s and my newest obsession on a Friday night alongside Grilled Corn on the Cob and fries! With a few easy toppings, these burgers are truly out-of-this-world amazing, and in fact so good, that you might want to preemptively double the recipe.
Prefer to lighten it up instead? My Salmon Burgers and Grilled Chicken Sandwich recipe are just as good but not quite as beefy!
How to Make Smash Burgers: Video
What Is a Smash Burger?
A smash burger is all about that crispy, golden crust! It starts with a ball of ground beef (usually 80/20 for the fat content) that gets smashed flat onto a ripping-hot griddle or skillet. That pressure against the heat creates an insanely flavorful sear (thank you, Maillard reaction), and because the patties are thin, they cook super fast!
Smash burgers are typically stacked with gooey cheese, some pickles or onions, and tucked into a soft bun. And there’s always sauce…something creamy and tangy, like a blend of mayo, mustard, ketchup, and pickles. It’s messy in the absolute best way!
Smash Burger Recipe Ingredients
- 80/20 ground beef – 80/20 beef is ideal for smash burgers because the higher fat content (20%) keeps the patties juicy and flavorful, even when they’re smashed thin and cooked at a high temp. Leaner kinds dry out too fast and don’t deliver that rich, crispy bite!
- Burger buns – brioche buns are my favorites for smash burgers because they’re soft, slightly sweet, and buttery.
- Flavorless oil – you’ll need a bit of flavorless oil like avocado or canola oil to prevent the burger patties from sticking to the smasher and the pan.
Topping Ideas
- Homemade Burger Sauce – it’s creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and a little smoky! You’ll need mayo, dill relish, ketchup, Dijon mustard, garlic and onion powder, and smoked paprika to whip it up. I could basically drink this sauce!
- Sharp cheddar or American cheese – gooey cheese, that melts really well and isn’t too fancy, is the best!
- Green leaf lettuce – crunchy lettuce is key for a pop of freshness.
- Sliced tomato – don’t get fancy heirlooms! Look for slicing tomatoes that aren’t too ripe and won’t make your buns all soggy.
- Sliced sweet onion – I find sweet onions give just the right “bite” and crunch while not being too overpowering.
- Dill pickle chips (slices) – storebought or Homemade Dill Pickles add that perfect tang to cut the richness of the patties.
- Other toppings ideas – bacon or Bacon Jam, Over Easy Eggs, Avocado, Roasted Mushrooms, pickled jalapeños, and other sauces like Homemade BBQ Sauce, regular ketchup and mustard, or mayo are great variations on the classic!
How to Make Smash Burgers
It’s actually easy to make smash burgers at home! Here are the steps with photos to help you along the way (full details in the recipe card below):
Make the sauce. Make the burger sauce by mixing together all of the burger sauce ingredients.
Form balls. Form 4 loosely packed, round balls of beef (about ¼ pound each).
Preheat stove. Oil a burger press. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
Smash. Add in 2 balls of beef. Immediately use the greased smasher to press down the beef into ¼ inch thick patties. Gently slide the smasher off the patties to prevent sticking.
Sear. Let sear for 1-2 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper.
Flip. Use a sharp spatula to flip to the other side, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the patties. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Melt cheese. Place patties on a baking sheet, add cheese, and melt in a warm oven for 1-3 minutes. Repeat steps for other 2 patties!
Assemble. Toast buns if you’d like, add a spoonful of burger sauce on the bottom buns, then the cheesy patties, 4 pickles each, onions, tomato, lettuce, more burger sauce to taste, and the top buns. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no doubt that 80/20 beef is best for smash burgers because the higher fat content keeps the patties juicy and flavorful, even when they’re smashed thin!
You don’t need a burger press/smasher, but it’s highly recommended. A smasher will create especially even, thin patties easily! But you can use a sturdy, flat metal spatula instead if needed.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
I don’t recommend making smash burgers ahead. They don’t keep well pre-prepared! But you can make the burger sauce and all of the toppings a few days ahead, so all you need to do is smash the burgers last minute.
Serving Suggestions
Think about all of your favorite burger joint side dishes…those all go perfectly with smash burgers! Here are my top sides to serve with them:
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- More pickles
- Easy Kale Salad
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Mexican Street Corn
- French fries or onion rings
- Baked Beans
- German Potato Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Pretzel bites with Beer Cheese
- Strawberry Lemonade
More Burger and Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love!
If you’ve tried this Smash Burger Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Best Smash Burger Recipe
Equipment
- Burger smasher/press (or heavy, flat spatula)
Ingredients
Smash Burgers
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef, cold
- 4 brioche burger buns, or other type of burger bun
- 3 tablespoons flavorless oil, like avocado or canola oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Burger Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill relish, or sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Suggested Toppings
- 4 slices sharp cheddar or American cheese
- 4 large green leaf lettuce leaves, or other crispy lettuce
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1 small sweet onion, sliced
- 16 dill pickle chips, slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (if adding cheese). Make the burger sauce by mixing together all of the ingredients (mayo, relish, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper). Set aside.
- Form 4, equal-sized, loosely packed round balls of ground beef (about ¼ pound each).
- Oil a burger press/smasher. Preheat a large skillet or flat-top griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil, spreading around the pan.
- Add in 2 balls of beef. Immediately use the greased smasher to press down the beef into ¼ inch thick patties. Press down hard to achieve those thin patties, watching your hands and arms for hot oil spatters! Gently slide the smasher off the patty or use another spatula to help guide the meat off to prevent sticking.
- Let sear for 1-2 minutes, undisturbed, until deep golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a sharp spatula to flip to the other side, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the patties. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through.
- Place patties on a baking sheet, add cheese, and melt in oven for 1-3 minutes. Repeat steps 3-7 for other 2 patties!
- Toast buns if you’d like, add a spoonful of burger sauce on the bottom buns, then the cheesy patties, 4 pickle chips each, onions, tomato, lettuce, more burger sauce to taste, and the top buns. Dig in right away!
Video
Notes
- Regular 80/20 beef is, by far, the best beef for smash burgers. The fat caramelizes and is unbeatable! No other kind can beat it!
- I prefer less ripe, less juicy tomatoes that don’t run onto the burger.
- For more topping ideas, see my blog post above.
- I highly recommend buying a burger smasher/press. They help make the best even, thin smash burgers! I bought mine on Amazon. If you’d prefer not to, you can use a heavy-bottomed, flat metal spatula.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these for my kid whoโs obsessed with Five Guys and it was a hit! Love the step-by-step instructions with pictures too.
๐ I’m flattered to even be in the same category as Five Guys! Thanks for your review.
Grace
That burger sauce is WOW! Canโt wait to try it out at my family picnic this weekend.
Yay!! Let me know how the burgers turn…glad you love the sauce as much as I do!
Grace
omg I was so intimidated to make these on my own but I trust Grace to make it super easy to follow!! I was right! I could have had four of these burgers on my own…I made the burger sauce too and it was perfecto CHEF’S KISS.
Woohoo, you are so sweet! Thanks for you note and I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe!
Grace