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Side shot of a Smash Burger with a toothpick in the bun and french fries in the background.
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4.70 from 23 votes

Smash Burgers

If you love a meaty, juicy burger patty with loads of crispy edges and tons of smoky crooks and crannies for your favorite sauce or cheese to sink into, this Smash Burger recipe is for you!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: ($11.85 recipe / $2.96 serving)
Servings: 4 burgers
Calories: 516kcal
Author: Monti Carlo

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef* $6.99
  • 4 Tbsp frozen salted butter, divided* $0.56
  • 3 tsp Homemade Burger Seasoning $0.33
  • 4 burger buns $2.99
  • 4 leaves iceberg lettuce $0.37
  • 1 tomato, sliced into thin rounds $0.45
  • 1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin rounds $0.16

Instructions

  • Separate the ground beef into four equal portions.
  • Grate 1/2 tablespoon of frozen butter onto each portion. Wrap the meat around the butter and shape it into a ball. Chill the beef until you are ready to cook. Place an ungreased cast iron skillet over high heat. Turn on your exhaust fan. Open a window.
  • When the skillet is smoking hot, sprinkle a 3/4 teaspoon of burger seasoning all over the beef ball, then place it in the pan.
  • Smash down with a spatula and keep the spatula on the burger as it cooks. When you see the top of the patty change color (about 2 minutes), carefully work the spatula under the patty. Take your time with this step, as the patty will be stuck to the pan.*
  • When you have loosened the patty, flip it and smash it again. Cook for 2 minutes more, remove the patty from the pan, and rest it on a cooling rack. Wipe the pan down with a paper towel and cook the remaining patties.
  • While the patties rest, place a rack in the top third of your oven and put it on broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it onto the inside of the buns. Place them buttered side up on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for a few minutes until golden.
  • Assemble the burgers. Place the burger on the bottom bun and top with onion rounds, tomato slices, and lettuce. Add the top bun and enjoy the crispiest, smokiest, burger ever!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

  • Ground Beef- Don’t use lean ground beef. You need fat for a smashed patty to be flavorful and juicy. Instead, use 80/20 ground beef, which means the beef is 80% meat and 20% fat. If you want to make your burger patties with ground turkey or ground chicken the same rule applies.
  • Butter- Adding frozen butter to the beef mix helps give you juicy results with deep, meaty flavors while also delivering smoky, crispy edges. To add even more depth to your burger, you should butter your buns before toasting them.
  • If you want to make this a cheeseburger, as soon as you flip the patty and smash it again, remove the spatula and top the patty with a slice of cheese. I prefer American, as it melts beautifully. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Sodium: 453mg | Fiber: 1g