How to Make Smash Burger at Home
A smash burger is a crispy edged, delicious burger in which the cook ‘smashes’ a ball of beef to a hot surface to give it’s name. This technique for patty makes an irresistible crust which locks juices in and enhances flavor. They are different from thick traditional burgers as they are just thin, they cook extra quickly and you get crackle in every mouthful.
There’s a reason that smash burgers exploded in popularity over the last few years — they’re simple, they taste bold and they have a diner sense of charm. A burger that was made famous by American burger joints has become a favorite sit home style among home cooks who want restaurant quality results with little ingredients. A smash burger is juicy, crispy and a classic topped burger, whether you’re making it to quick weekday meal or to impress guests at a weekend cookout.
Shake Shack is known for its smash burger — an easy to recreate burger using accessible ingredients and tools — and in this step by step guide, you’ll learn exactly how to recreate the magic of a shake shack burger right in your own kitchen.
Introduction
Want a juicy, crispy edged, restaurant quality smash burger cooked at home? I wish I could tell you not to worry, but I can’t. It’s a cult following, for good reason, on this American fast food classic. Smash burgers are typically thinner, crispier burgers with a beefier flavor than traditional burgers and they’re also simple.
In this guide, I will show you how to make smash burgers at home step by step using simple directions, expert tips and easy substitutions. This guide will take you through the process no matter who you’re making your smash burger for — your family, your friends or just yourself.
What is a Smash Burger?
A smash burger is the way of hamburger Ing beef into contact with a cooking surface (hot), adding some sort of natural fat to the meat and the flattening the ball of meat into a thin patty. This smashing method gives you as much surface contact as possible, creating a deep brown crust (or Maillard reaction)—it makes food not only taste better, but improves the texture. (Serious Eats).
Ingredients You’ll Need
That being said, here’s what you need to make the best smash burger at home.
For the Burger Patties:
- ½ pound 80/20 ground beef (100% lean, 20% fat)
- And to taste, salt and black pepper
- To grease the skillet: use vegetable oil or clarified butter.
For the Burger Buns:
- 4 soft brioche or potato buns hands
- To toast, you need butter.
Toppings (Optional but Recommended):
- You know, the ones that are abnormal shaped cuts of American cheese slices.
- Shredded lettuce
- Tomato slices
- Pickles
- Grilled onions or onions raw, rinsed with water and dried.
- Smash sauce (the recipe below)
Optional Smash Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
- You will need ¼ cup mayonnaise.
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickle relish
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Taste for it seasoned salt and ground pepper.
Instructions:
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl, refrigerate until ready to use..
Tools You’ll Need
A couple of tools do make a huge difference to the whole authentic smash burger thing at home.
- Holds heat well: gives good crust and is deliciously used to produce a variety of eggs for breakfast.
- Burger smash: It’s the act of smashing the beef with a burger press or heavy spatula.
- Prevent sticking: when pressing down the beef on parchment paper squares.
- Metal scraper: To flip the thin patties without breaking them!
How to Make Smash Burger at Home: Step-by-Step Guide
So let’s take it apart into sensible, foolproof steps.
1: Prepare Your Workspace
Organize your ingredients and tools before you cook. It involves pre slicing vegetables, toasting of buns and prepping up sauce.
- Tip: Buttering the buns slightly soaks up grease and really improves the flavor and keeps them from becoming soggy.
2: Shape the Beef Patties
1 lb ground beef will yield approximately 4 oz each! Divide 1 lb of ground beef, divide into 4 equal balls.
Don’t flatten them out yet, keep them ball shape.
Gently handle to not compress meat.
- The Why: Packed meat helps keep the meat juicy and because the meat is packed loosely, you will have a better crust when you open the lid and smack it down.
3: Heat the Skillet or Griddle
- Place your cast iron skillet or flat griddle over medium high heat for about 5 10 minutes until it is scorching hot.
- Grease the space lightly with vegetable oil or butter.
4: Smash the Burgers
- Put a beef ball onto the skillet.
- Smash it down immediately with a spatula or burger press. When you use a spatula to remove beef from a pan make sure you use a piece of parchment paper between the beef and spatula to prevent sticking.
- Press the patty to about ¼ inch thickness.
- It will take 90 seconds to 2 minutes to cook undisturbed.
- Pro Tip: After the initial smash, don’t press again or it’ll compress all of the juices out of it.
5: Season and Flip
- Season with salt and pepper, working the salt over the oil when the burger cooks.
- And scrape and flip the patty using a firm metal spatula once the edges are dark brown and crispy.
- Put a slice of American cheese on immediately.
- Let the cheese melt for another 30–60 seconds.
6: Assemble the Burger
- Put the cheesy patty on your bottom bun.
- Top as you like with the following toppings: lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and a bit of smash sauce.
- Serve hot, cover with the top bun.
Tips for the Perfect Smash Burger
- Also: you want good meat, nothing lean like in a grocery store, use high fat beef and this is why (80/20) because fat is flavor. Don’t implement lean.
- Overmixing: the beef will make the meat tough.
- Heat the pan well in advance: It’ll give you the best crust.
- Smash: But just once: to keep it juicy.
- American cheese: melts the best and goes very well with the cattle flavor.
- Don’t overload: entrees with toppings; try to let the meat stand out.
Ingredient Benefits
- Ground Beef (80/20)
- Has the best fat to lean ratio for juicy, flavorful and well textured patties.
- Contributes to the Maillard reaction contributing to texture and taste.
Brioche or Potato Buns
- It’s slightly sweet, soft and super sturdy—it will hold up to sauces, juicy patties and spreading apart a bit.
American Cheese
- Texture is improved and richness is added by creamy meltability.
Homemade Smash Sauce
- It’s a creamy tend with an articulate blend of tart taste which balances the beef flavor.
Smash Burger Variations to Try
- Double StackTwice the fun for just double the price.
- Crispy bacon between the pattiesBacon Smash Burger.
- Add jalapeños and spicymayo to make it Spicy Smash Burger.
- Instead of beef usea smashed black bean patty for a veggie smash burger.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can I use lean beef?
But it would be far less juicy and less flavorful, so you can but unless you’re at an old school burger joint with an old school meat grinder and an old school chef, it would be 80/20 beef.
Q2: What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
A heavy stainless steel skillet or griddle is what you should use. Don’t use non-stick pans — they won’t ever heat up enough for a proper crust.
Q3: Is it okay to cook smash burgers indoors?
Yes! As long as your kitchen is well ventilated, that’s all. High heat can cause smoke, so open up the windows, turn on the fan and be ready to move!
Q4: Can I make smash burgers ahead of time?
To get your best results it is best to smash and cook the patties fresh but you can prep the patties & toppings in advance.
Nutritional Information (Per Patty with Bun and Cheese)
- Calories: 550–650
- Protein: 30g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fat: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
Topping and sauce used may vary the nutritional values
Final Thoughts
You don’t need any special tools or training to make a great smash burger at home. You only need good ingredients, a heated cooking area and the proper method. With this recipe, you get big flavor with little work and your family is sure to love it.
No matter if you’re hosting a barbecue or cooking late at night, this guide will teach you how to make a crispy and juicy smash burger at home.
So what are you still waiting on? Turn on the stove and start smashing your potatoes!
If you liked this guide, tell your friends about it or save it for the next time you have burgers.🍔
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