The Smash Burger Manifesto

The juicy meat, crispy crust, the oozy cheese on a toasted, but soft bun and the burger sauce, who can forget the burger sauce. A smash burger is the easiest (and tastiest IMO) way you can prepare a burger at home. I went in deep to give you the complete guide to smash burgers.

My Favorite Smash Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Two 3 oz (85 g) balls of 80/20 beef + Salt & Pepper

  • Browned onions (1/2 onion + 2 TBSP butter)

  • Slice of American cheese

  • Martin's potato roll

  • Lettuce

  • Tomato, thinly sliced

Method:

  1. Heat your cast iron pan or griddle to medium heat for about 5 minutes. Right before cooking the smashed burgers, put them on high heat.

  2. Sprinkle your balls of meat with salt and pepper right before and plop them on the griddle. Immediately smash the burger into the griddle, applying firm and even pressure. Lift up and do not touch the burger. It needs to remain untouched for crust development.

  3. After a minute or two, the crust should have developed. Flip your metal spatula upside down and scrape all along the edges to make sure that the brown crust is intact. Once the crust is released, flip the burger over.

  4. Moving quickly, add some browned onions to one burger and a slice of American cheese. After another 30 seconds. Add slide the other patty on the cheese and assemble the burger in the following layers:

  • Toasted Bottom Bun

  • Burger Sauce

  • Smash Burger #1

  • Browned onions

  • American Cheese

  • Smash Burger #2

  • Burger Sauce

  • Tomato

  • Lettuce

  • Burger Sauce

  • Toasted Top Bun

Spicy & Tangy Burger Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise - (105 g)

  • 1 TBSP ketchup - (20 g)

  • 1 TBSP mustard - (20 g)

  • 1 TBSP sweet relish - (20 g)

  • 1 chile in adobo sauce, minced

  • 1 TBSP fresh onion, grated / minced - (10 g)

  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika - (1 g)

  • ⅛ tsp celery salt - (.5 g)

  • ⅛ tsp kosher salt - (.5 g)

  • ¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper - (1 g)

Method:

  1. Mix everything together in a bowl.

  2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Ethan Chlebowski