Smash Burger Recipe (Takeaway Dupe!)

Recipe: Smash Burger Recipe »

It's Smash Burger recipe time and I'm going to show you how to make incredible Smash burgers that taste just like your favourite Smash burger place at a fraction of the cost! I've made and eaten so many Smash burgers in my research for this recipe and I've finally nailed it. You won't have to go out for burgers any more after this I promise.

About This Smash Burger Recipe

Smash Burgers are a popular way of making burgers where the beef patty is "smashed" against the grill using a burger press so that it is completely thin and flattened out. The patties are cooked at high temperatures so that they get a browning reaction called the "Maillard reaction" which is the delicious, crispy brown crust like on the outside of steak. Smashing increases the surface area of cooking and maximises the umami flavour but the patty still remains juicy as they're cooked for a short amount of time (2.5 minutes total). I love smash burgers so much more than regular burgers because they've got so much flavour to them!

Smash burger patties are actually thinner and smaller than burgers and are best served two to a burger as each patty is just 60g or 2ozs each! The best Smash burgers are served on the classic Martin's potato buns or milk buns as they're soft. All they need is some onion, tomato, lettuce, burger sauce, pickles and melted American cheese. These are so simple to make and great for a cookout or bbq as they take no time to cook and there's no risk of not knowing whether it is cooked through. One person can assemble the burger components while the other person cooks them. When I gave these to Mr NQN he said that they tasted identical to the smash burgers we had eaten except he liked these better as I added pickled jalapenos for a bit of spicy heat.

Ingredients for Smash Burgers

• Martin's potato buns: there are a couple of non negotiables for Smash Burgers and Martin's potato buns are one of them. You can use milk buns too. I didn't really like the Tip Top potato buns as they're quite dry and don't have the same squish factor as Martin's.
• Beef brisket/chuck mince. Every burger enthusiast has their own favourite combo for a burger but I really like mixture of beef brisket and chuck. The best lean to fat ratio for juicy burgers is 80% lean 20% fat. Make sure that the beef is cold from the fridge so that it stays together easier.
• Salt and pepper

• American cheese: no other cheese works as well on burgers. I've tried them all but I just had to bite the bullet and buy a massive pack of American cheese from Costco. Now I have enough cheese to open up a Smash burger place. Is this how they all got started? LOL.
• Brown or white onion: you can use red onion too. I like the no tears brown onions as they are less acidic but still onioney.
• Sandwich stacker pickles: you can also use pickle chips too.
• Jalapeno pickles: I love jalapenos on my burger but you can leave this out if you prefer without any heat.
• Tomato: use a firm, ripe tomato and cut into thin slices. Tip: I use this knife to cut tomatoes, it's the best knife for bread, steak and tomatoes.
• Baby cos lettuce: you can also use iceberg, cos or soft lettuce
• Burger sauce: burger sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup and pickles. I have a recipe for burger sauce here or you can also buy it at the supermarket nowadays.

Tips For Making Smash Burgers

1 - Keep your burger patty balls cold in the fridge until you want to use them. This helps the mince stick together better.

2 - Use a burger smasher tool. You can also use a grill spatula but the burger smasher is inexpensive and works better. I used this burger press.

3 - I always pre order my burger patties from my butcher. Ask for beef brisket/chuck with 80% lean and 20% fat. This is the perfect mix for smash burgers. You can also use wagyu beef but it's more expensive and honestly this tastes wonderful as is and the wagyu releases more fat when cooking as it spits on you (and I HATE that!).

4 - The burgers need to be cooked on very high heat. I'd recommend using an outdoor grill but if you're cooking it inside on the stovetop I'd recommend using cast iron pan as it is fine on high temperatures. I used my Lodge cast iron pan which I love and was a gift from a friend (and comes pre-seasoned, IDK why they all don't!). Also only cook the patties inside if you have a good extractor fan.

5 - You need to cook the patties on very high heat: 230C/446F to get that delicious, crispy browned Maillard reaction.

6 - Do not add any oil to the pan, the beef will release fat and as long you heat the pan up properly, it will not stick.

7 - Use the smasher to spread the patty as soon as it hits the heat. Smash the burger in a circular motion. It's fine it is looks a bit lacey like it has small holes in it. The patty won't fall apart.

8 - The parchment prevents any fat from spitting up on you so use a large sheet that covers the pan because we don't want anything spitting on your hands or face (not the face! ;) ).

9 - Season it well with salt and pepper. The beef doesn't need anything else, no garlic powder, no tomato paste, just salt and pepper so you can taste the beef.

10 - How to clean your cast iron pan? I don't use detergent on my pan. When it is still hot from the stove, I cover it with hot water from the tap and let it soak for no more than 5 minutes. Use a nylon brush to scrub away any dried on bits and use lots of hot, running water. I promise that even the baked on cheese and beef will come off easily this way.

Smash Burger Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 3 minutes to grill buns, 3 minutes for burger patties on a large grill

Makes 4 Smash Burgers

Ingredients Needed

• 4 Martin's potato buns
• 8x 60g/2oz patties brisket/chuck mince 80% lean 20% fat, rolled into balls, cold from the fridge
• Salt and pepper
• 4 slices American cheese (sorry non negotiable, no other cheese works as well)
• 60g/2ozs diced white onion
• 4-8 slices pickles sandwich stackers (1-2 per burger)
• 12 pieces jalapeno pickles (3 per burger, optional)
• 1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices (2 per burger)
• 4 leaves baby cos lettuce, trimmed of the hard stem (1 per burger)
• 4 tablespoons burger sauce (1 tablespoon per burger)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - First toast the buns lightly until golden. Then take a large grill or a large cast iron frying pan and heat to 230C/446F (very hot) and have a large sheet of parchment and the burger smasher ready. Place a 60g/2oz ball on the heat and immediately cover with a sheet of parchment and then smash down making a circular motion so that the patty spreads out. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 1.5 minutes exactly. The contact area should be browned and crispy.

Step 2 - Turn over the patty and add cheese on top. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the pan or grill and repeat with the remaining patties but doubling up the patties and cheese so that you get a double stack for 4 burgers.

Step 3 - Place a tablespoon or so of onions on each bottom half of the bun. Add the double cheese and beef patties on each. Then add the pickles, jalapenos if using, 2 tomato slices and one lettuce leaf. Spread 1 tablespoon of burger sauce on the top of the bun. Place the top bun on the bottom one.

Step 4 - Take a large square of wax paper around 30x30/12x12inches and fold in half into a triangle. Place the burger on the long side slightly peeking out. Fold over the sides and then the back of the paper to enclose.

Personal Note

I mentioned trying out so many smash burgers in my pursuit of the ultimate smash burger recipe. We ate a lot out but I also tried making them at home. I tried using bought burger patties but these were quite large, around 170g/6ozs and when I doubled it up, it was too much beef and just wasn't balanced. It took me a while to realise that the patties needed for smash burgers were tiny in comparison and around a third of the size. Then I found it hard to find Martin's potato rolls (I eventually found them at the meat emporium) and the last thing that eluded me was the American cheese. No other cheese compares for burgers. I tried a red cheddar cheese and it was terrible and a whole lot of others and none did the burger justice. I realised that I just needed to buy some American cheese which is easier said than done here.

The only place to get it here at the moment is Costco and while I have a membership, it's really far from me. But I decided to combine it with a restaurant visit in the area just so to make the drive worthwhile. I left with plenty of time but then the traffic hit and suddenly I saw my time in Costco shrinking and if you've ever been, you'll know that it isn't the sort of place to duck in and out of quickly.

I hit gridlock in the carpark, circled once and then headed to the floor below. I ran upstairs, swiped my card in and almost turned around as I saw half of Sydney waiting in line for the registers. I ran towards the cheese section and grabbed an enormous 2.2kg/4.8lb packet of American cheese with 120 slices of cheese and somehow managed to find a register with only two people in it. The woman in front of me only had one item and I decided that I would either run the entire way down on the ramp with my cheese or chance it with the slow-as-molasses elevator. As I was leaving I saw the last person getting into the elevator and I slid into the last remaining spot clutching my cheese breathlessly. A woman smiled at me (I must have looked crazy holding onto the cheese for dear life) and as soon as the doors opened on my floor I ran out. I drove the restaurant to meet Laura and ended up arriving 5 minutes early! But at least I had done my exercise with weights for the day!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you try and get special ingredients so that something will taste juuust right? Do you like smash burgers?