Smash Burgers
Loose balls of beef smashed thin on a screaming-hot griddle for maximum crust.
Makes 4 burgers · Prep 10 min · Bake 8 min
Ingredients
Patties
- 1.25 lb Ground beef, 80/20 — loosely divided into 4 balls, not pre-formed patties
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
Finish
- 4 American cheese slices
- 4 Burger buns
- 1 Sliced onion, pickles, sauce
Instructions
Prep
- Loosely divide the beef into 4 balls, about 5 oz each, handling as little as possible. Don't pre-form them into patties. (Tip: The smash itself does the shaping — packing them into patties beforehand compacts the meat before it even hits the heat, working against the crust you're trying to build.)
Cook
- Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over high heat until genuinely smoking hot.
- Place the balls on the hot surface, immediately press flat and hard with a sturdy spatula (or a burger press), and hold for a few seconds. (Tip: Smash once, firmly, right away. Repeated pressing later just squeezes out juices without adding more crust.)
- Season the exposed top with salt and pepper. Cook until deeply browned and crusted on the bottom.
- Flip, top with cheese if using, and cook until the second side is browned and the centre reaches 71°C (160°F). (Tip: Thin patties like these reach a safe temperature fast — check with a thermometer inserted from the side if you're unsure, since there's very little thickness for it to travel through.)
Assemble
- Build on toasted buns with whatever toppings you like.
Tips
- Crust didn't develop: The surface wasn't hot enough, or the beef was smashed more than once. A single hard press onto a genuinely hot, smoking surface is what builds the crust — repeated pressing just squeezes out juice instead.
- 80/20 fat content matters here: Leaner beef has less fat to render and crisp at the edges during the smash, and tends to turn dry and crumbly on a surface this hot. Don't reach for lean ground beef for this particular method.