Recipe
Smash burgers
Thin patties smashed onto a ripping-hot pan for a deep, lacy crust - the burger technique that took over America. Two rules: loose 80/20 beef, and smash only once.
Smash burgers takes about 20 minutes and makes 2 servings. Each serving has 915 kcal.
- Preparation
- 10 minutes
- Cooking
- 10 minutes
- Total time
- 20 minutes
- Servings
- 2
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 915 kcal
- Protein
- 49 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 60 g
Ingredients
- Ground beef400 g
- Burger buns2 pcs
- Cheddar cheese80 g
- Red onion1/2 pc
- Butter15 g
- Ketchup2 tbsp
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- Salt1 pinch
- Pepper1 pinch
Instructions
- 1
Divide the beef into four loose 100 g balls - do not knead or compact them - and keep them in the fridge until the pan is ready.
Tip: Use 80/20 beef and handle it as little as possible. Overworked, warm meat turns bouncy instead of tender.
- 2
Butter the buns and toast them cut-side down in the pan until golden, 1–2 minutes; set aside and mix the ketchup and mustard into a quick sauce.
- 3
Heat a dry cast-iron or heavy steel pan until ripping hot - the first wisp of smoke - 3–4 minutes.
- 4
Place two balls in the pan, salt them, and immediately smash each one down hard with a sturdy spatula for about 10 seconds, until very thin.
Tip: Smash once, firmly, in the first seconds - then never press again. Every later press squeezes the juices into the pan.
- 5
Fry undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until the edges look deep brown and lacy, then scrape under the patty and flip.
- 6
Lay cheddar on each patty and let it melt for 45–60 seconds; repeat with the remaining balls.
- 7
Stack two patties per bun with sliced onion and the sauce, and eat immediately - smash burgers do not wait.
Cooking methods
On the stove
Cast iron over the biggest burner, flat out - a proper smash needs surface heat that gas struggles to overdo. Open a window, expect smoke, and rest the pan 30 seconds between batches so it recovers its heat.
On induction
Preheat a cast-iron pan on 9 of 9 for 3 minutes, then drop to 8 for frying. Induction recovers heat between batches faster than gas - but only heavy pans store enough energy for a real crust, so no thin non-stick here.
Over an open fire
Outstanding over fire: set a cast-iron pan or steel plate directly on coals raked into a hot, even bed. The heat is brutal, which is exactly what smashing wants - just work fast and keep the buns far from the flames.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 20 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 2 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Preheat a cast-iron pan on 9 of 9 for 3 minutes, then drop to 8 for frying. Induction recovers heat between batches faster than gas - but only heavy pans store enough energy for a real crust, so no thin non-stick here.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. Outstanding over fire: set a cast-iron pan or steel plate directly on coals raked into a hot, even bed. The heat is brutal, which is exactly what smashing wants - just work fast and keep the buns far from the flames.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
