Smash Burger Recipe
on Jun 26, 2025, Updated Jul 10, 2025
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Just when I thought burgers couldn’t get any more delicious, I discovered Smash Burgers 🍔. If you’ve been living under a rock, and don’t know what a smash burger is, it’s essentially a burger made by smashing a ball of ground beef onto a hot griddle or skillet, creating thin, crispy-edged patties. As if this isn’t convincing enough, these babies usually get topped with caramelized onions (which are pressed into the meat), melty cheese 🧀, and then stacked to give you the ultimate smash burger experience. When I started making these on my Blackstone, I couldn’t get enough! Cooked in under 10 minutes, this Smash Burger Recipe is the ultimate summer bbq anthem that’s going to live on your weekly meal rotation rent-free.
Why You’ll Love Smash Burger Recipe
These Smash Burger patties are what burger dreams are made of. If you’re wondering why smash burgers have become such a hit, the secret’s in the science—aka the Maillard reaction 💥. By pressing (or smashing) the beef down flat, you’re creating maximum contact with the cooking surface which produces a golden-brown, caramelized crust, and creates deep, rich flavors. And if you’re worried that the “smashing” will dry out the burger, don’t be. Despite being thin, this Smash Burger Recipe ensures that the center stays nice and juicy 💦 by cooking each side of the patty for only a couple of minutes. Plus, thinner patties mean unlimited stacking rights, so what are you waiting for?!
Ingredients
🐄 Ground Beef: The star of the show! Ground beef is the perfect meat choice for this Smash Burger recipe because the fat renders down perfectly, creating that signature golden crust that sets these burgers apart. Rule of thumb is you want an 80/20 ratio, meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. But, you don’t have to follow this precise split. Just steer clear of that extra-lean stuff if you want juicy, crispy patties.
🛢️ Oil: A touch of oil is all the Blackstone needs to prevent the beef from sticking. Choose an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil, since the griddle gets super hot.
🧅 Onion: Thinly sliced is the move! This is not the time for those chunky cuts you did in Home Economics. Slice them thinner than your patience, so they can cook quickly and caramelize like a dream.
🧂 Salt and Pepper: When it comes to seasoning, we’re keeping it simple. Sure, you can add whatever spices you like, but honestly, you don’t need much. A simple sprinkle of salt and pepper is all it takes to let the flavors speak for themselves.
🍔 Mustard: Yup, add a drizzle of that liquid gold onto one side of the patty while the other side is searing, then flip. This is a non-mandatory step. BUT, it adds a punchy, tangy flavor and helps create a next-level crispy crust.
🧀 Cheddar Cheese: For this Smash Burger recipe I recommend classic American cheese. You’re not limited to American by any means, but it melts so perfectly and the flavor combo just hits!
Nonna’s Tip 🍔
Don’t move the meat once you press it down. Let it sear, untouched, for that perfect crispy crust. Press hard, but only once—no double smashing!
How to Make Smash Burgers on Blackstone
A Blackstone, aka a carbon steel griddle, is incredible at maintaining heat on a nonstick-like surface.
- Preheat the blackstone over a gas or charcoal grill or on a gas stove. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation in your cooking space.
- Once the blackstone is hot, add the oil and distribute it across the cooking surface.
- The oil should be shimmering, but not smoking. (This is why it’s important to cook with a high smoke point oil, such as avocado oil.)
- Place the onions in little nests/bundles, with a few inches of space between them. Add the burgers and smash them down.
- Use a metal spatula (not plastic nor silicone, which can melt due to the heat of the blackstone) to flip the burgers.
- Once the burgers are cooked, you can use the blackstone to toast burger buns. Let the blackstone cool fully before washing it. Make sure the blackstone is completely dry before storing it.
Variations and Substitutions for Smash Burger Recipe
- You can use other ground meats, however none will produce quite the same level of juicy patty with caramelized crust as beef. You can try ground chicken, pork, lamb, or a vegan ground meat alternative 🍗.
- Sky is the limit with topping these bad boys. Some of my favorite homemade toppings include: Pickled Onions, Homemade Mayo, and Homemade Ketchup.
- Other toppings I love: potato chips, crispy bacon, your favorite cheese, such as blue cheese, Muenster, Swiss, or American 🧀.
- For the onions, you can use red onions, yellow onions, or even shallots 🧅. They key is to slice them super thin so they cook quickly. Sometimes I use a mandoline.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- My watermelon fries are such a fun way to serve fruit 🍉. Kids and adults love them! A perfect way to keep this a low-carb meal.
- These grilled Greek potatoes are such a crowd pleaser. Excellent for summertime entertaining ☀️.
- My parmesan smashed potatoes make for a smashing pairing with these burgers 😉.
- Simple Green Salad + 🍔 = 👌❤️
Smash Burger Recipe
Equipment
- Parchment Paper cut into 7 small squares
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (or lamb) , 454 grams
- ½ tablespoon oil, plus more as needed
- ½ thinly sliced onion, yellow or red
- salt and pepper, to taste
- yellow mustard, drizzle on each one
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, halved
- toppings of choice, such as lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced pickles, hot sauce, mayo, etc
Instructions
- Divide the meat into 7 equal portions. I like to weigh each one or use a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Each ball should be 2.5 ounces.
- Heat up the pan (or blackstone) and add some oil. Once the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions in 7 individual bundles, each spaced a few inches apart, and let cook for about 1 minute.
- Add a ball of meat on top of each onion bundle. Place a small piece of parchment paper on top and smash it down with a burger press or the bottom of a small pot. (You can also do this with a flat metal spatula as well.)
- Once smashed, remove the parchment paper and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of yellow mustard to taste. Cook until the bottom of the burger patties are caramelized and golden, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the patties and cook for about 2 minutes. Add half a slice of cheese to each patty and cook for about 1 minute.
- Note: I like to cook my burgers for 2-3 minutes on each side but keep an eye on them, so they do not overcook or burn.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the patties from the heat and serve as single or double patties, with any burger toppings you like. Check out my tips below for low-carb alternatives to burger buns.
Nonna’s Notes
- Protein Style: These smashed burger patties are delicious sandwiched between good ‘ol burger buns, but there are so many ways to enjoy them as a low carb meal. Just like In-N-Out Burger offers, you can make these “protein style” and wrap them up in large, crunchy lettuce leaves. Or place the patties between two large slices of juicy ripe tomatoes (warning: things will get messy). Or try using large slabs of roasted or grilled sweet potatoes or eggplant as an alternative to bread.
- Cooktop Matters: Smash burgers cook best on a heavyweight surface that retains heat. Making smash burgers on a grill (with a grill grate) is close to impossible, because the meat will fall through the grill grates when pressed down. However, you can place a blackstone or a cast-iron pan on a charcoal or gas grill, and cook the smash burgers that way.
- Nutrition Breakdown: The nutrition info for this recipe reflects one 2.5 oz burger patty with onions and half a slice of cheese. It does not include nurtitional data for a burger bun nor toppings.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Common Questions
The classic way is between two burger buns, with your favorite condiment and burger toppings, such as pickles, lettuce, and onion. I like to make mine “protein style” and swap out a bun for a large piece of crunchy lettuce used as a wrap or serve the burger patties between two large slices of tomato.
A traditional burger features a larger, thicker meat patty, which cooks for many minutes, until it reaches the doneness of your liking (medium-rare, medium, well done, etc.) If often has a thick outer layer, and a tender inside. A smash burger uses small patties smashed thin, to create a quick-cooking patty that takes on crispy, caramelized edges. The smash burger ensures even cooking throughout the patties and the perfect ratios of meat, toppings, and cheese.
You can portion out the meat into 7 equal size balls one day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow the meat to come to room temp about 30 minutes before cooking.
I use 80/20 ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat). The extra fat helps the smash burger achieve a caramelized crust and adds loads of flavor. You can use other ground meats, such as chicken, pork, lamb, or a vegan ground meat alternative, but none are as perfect for a smash burger as meat.
No, but they are nice to have. In place of a burger press, just use a metal spatula. In place of a blackstone, use a heavy-bottomed pan, like a cast-iron.
I made a mini-slider version of this recipe for dinner tonight and there are currently zero leftovers. 🤣 Definitely a hit with my tween boys! The cheese, onion, pickle, and mustard were the perfect savory toppings. So simple and delicious! Thank you! 🙌
I made these smash burgers and they were way easier than I expected. The edges got super crispy and the flavor was seriously so good!