The Best Smash Burger Recipe
The best smash burger recipe— zero exaggeration! These burgers are incredibly juicy, perfectly crispy, smothered in cheese, and topped with a hefty amount of secret sauce. Serve between a toasted brioche bun and this is truly the ultimate smash burger recipe.
Ingredients
Burgers
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 and ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 slices cheese
- 8 Brioche buns
- Toppings: lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, etc.
Secret Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 and ¼ teaspoons horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons minced or grated red onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start with the secret sauce— this is to let the flavors develop. Whisk together the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Place the ground beef to a large bowl. Add the butter, Worcestershire, paprika, and salt. Mix together with your hands to get it well-distributed. Form into 8-10 balls, depending on the size of the burgers you prefer. Place the balls in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes— this will allow the flavors to develop and the butter to harden. Or you can even put them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat for 5 minutes— you want it to be VERY hot. Cut a couple pieces of parchment paper. You'll use these on the burgers when pressing down to prevent sticking. Place a couple of the burger balls on the hot surface. Place the parchment paper on each burger and then, using a heavy, flat tool, press the burgers down as flat as you can get them. (It's ideal to use a cast iron grill press, but a flat spatula works too— it's what I use!) The burgers will be sizzling and can splatter a bit.
- Cook the burgers for 2-3 minutes, then flip and top with cheese. Leave for an additional 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese— you can also place a small lid on top to let steam help melt the cheese. Then, assemble your burgers!
- Burgers stay fresh when stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat to your liking.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can prep the beef ahead of time— combine together and let it sit in the refrigerator for up to 1 day either (pre-rolled or in balls.) The beef balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Burgers: Depending on the size of the burgers, you can put 1-2 burgers on each bun.
- Beef: To guarantee flavor, you want to use 80/20 beef. I actually prefer to use 1 pound 80/20 with 1 pound 90/10.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!