A homemade Smash Burger is quick and easy to make. These take just minutes to grill so it’s a great way to feed a crowd. Smash burgers have the iconic flavor profile of classic cheeseburgers, but the double burger patty with cheese melted in between is irresistible.
You’ll love my special sauce, which makes these taste like a restaurant copycat smashburger.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Easiest and tastiest burgers ever! So glad i found this recipe which is so simple and produces burgers that are better than any restaurant ones I’ve had, which I didn’t think was even possible!.” – RJ ★★★★★
Smash Burger Video
Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to make restaurant-style Smash Burgers for your next cookout.
What is a Smash Burger?
After trying Smash Burgers at a restaurant, I was smitten and knew I had to recreate the recipe. It’s an exciting, extra-tasty, quick way to cook a burger, and even though the process seems to break all the traditional burger rules, the results are fantastic with crisp crust and juicy centers.
Smash burgers start by forming balls of ground beef (which you can make ahead), then pressed or smashed with a burger press into a thin patty as soon as they hit the hot grill. This creates extra browning and flavor on the outside while maintaining the patty’s juiciness. They also cook super fast!
We love all kinds of burgers, from my classic Burger Recipe to Cheeseburger Sliders and even Hamburger Soup! Making your own patty from ground beef tastes so much better than flash-frozen or fast-food patties. I always feel better after eating a fresh homemade burger because I can control the quality of ingredients.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – We use 1.5 lbs of ground beef to make 4 double-patty burgers, but you can easily scale the recipe up to feed a crowd (use 3 lbs for 8 double-patty burgers). For a tasty and juicy burger, use ground beef that is 80/20 (80% lean and 20% fat).
- Sauce – A simple combination of mayonnaise and yellow mustard is what we use to grill and assemble the burgers.
- Cheese – we love thick-sliced medium cheddar cheese for burgers, but you can use American-style cheese or your favorite sliced cheese.
Restaurant-Style Burger Toppings
- Buns – Homemade Buns work great, and I think brioche buns also have that steakhouse burger look, but any store-bought burger bun will work here.
- Lettuce – thinly slice your iceberg lettuce for a restaurant-style smash burger
- Pickles – sliced dill pickle chips are the best
- Tomatoes – Select meaty and large-sized tomatoes for burgers and cut them into rings
- Red onion – thinly sliced into rings
How to Make Smash Burgers
- Prepare Patties – Divide 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef into 8 equal portions (3 oz each), cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Make Sauce – Stir together 1/3 cup mayo and 1 tsp mustard and set aside.
- Prep Toppings – fully prep your toppings ahead to assemble the burgers right away while the patties are hot and juicy off the grill.
- Toast buns – lightly butter the cut side of your buns and toast on a griddle or skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Transfer to a rack.
- Cook patties – increase to medium-high heat. Depending on your surface area, place 2 to 4 cold pieces of meat onto the hot surface. Working quickly, cover each piece with a sheet of parchment paper and smash each into a thin patty. Remove parchment paper, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, add a dab of sauce, and flip. Sear for 2 minutes on the first side and about a minute on the second side.
- Add cheese – place a slice of cheese onto half of the patties and top with a second patty, and remove from the heat. Serve warm over toasted buns with toppings and more sauce – check out all of my favorite burger sauces.
When to Flip the Burger
I cook the patty on the first side for about 2 minutes. Flip with a metal spatula once the bottom is browned and caramelized. This is why it’s essential to start with a preheated grill; otherwise, your burger patties will be overcooked before they have a chance to brown.
Can I make smashburgers on the stovetop?
Smash burgers can be cooked in a very large cast-iron skillet, or on a griddle (indoor or outdoor). We love using our Camp Chef cooktop to cook several patties at once.
Why does the beef need to be cold?
Unlike a good steak which we like to bring to room temperature first, burger patties should be well chilled before they go onto the grill. It helps the fat stay in the meat and will result in a juicier burger.
What is the Best Smash Burger press?
A flat press works best to get the patties very thin. This is our favorite Smash Burger Tool, but you can also push over the top of a spatula with a meat mallet to smash burgers. Also, pre-cut parchment paper makes the job easy, but you can cut your own pieces.
Make-Ahead Tip
Since Smash Burgers are best when using chilled ground beef, you can portion and refrigerate ahead. Roll the ground beef into balls, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
How to Assemble a Smash Burger
According to my husband, Vadim, who used to work at a restaurant, this is the proper way to assemble a smash burger.
- Spread sauce on the bottom bun.
- Add 3-4 slices of pickle
- Top with a mound of shredded lettuce
- Add tomatoes and onions if using
- Top with meat patties and cover with the top bun.
How to Wrap a Burger
If you really want to replicate a restaurant copycat burger, try this easy burger wrapping technique. It’s easy and similar to wrapping a gift. The wrappers are so fun and help contain drips and messes. The kids seem to appreciate the wrappers. Maybe it’s because it feels like eating out.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper into a 10-12″ square and fold in half into a triangle. Place the parchment halfway over the burger.
- Flip the burger upside down and tuck in the sides.
- Tuck the bottom flap under the burger.
Serve Smash Burgers With
These are our favorite cookout recipes to make with burgers.
- Grilled Corn on the Cob or Boiled Corn
- Oven-Baked Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer French Fries or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Classic Lemonade (or Strawberry Lemonade)
- Potato Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Garden Salad
Mmm, looking at that juicy double patty with melty cheese in the center always gives me major cravings. Try this Smash Burger recipe and it might just become your new favorite way to grill burgers, and make sure you don’t skip the sauce – it adds tons of extra flavor.
Smash Burger Recipe
Ingredients
Smash Burger Patties:
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 80/20, divided into 8 portions (3oz each)
- Salt, added to taste
- Black Pepper, added to taste
- garlic powder, optional, added to taste
- 4 slices medium cheddar cheese, we love thick-sliced
Burger Sauce:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Toppings:
- 4 burger buns, we used brioche buns
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2 Dill Pickles, cut into 12 slices
Instructions
Portion Beef Patties:
- Divide beef into 8 even portions, about 3 oz each. Loosely Roll them into balls then cover and refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients (you can prep and refrigerate the balls of meat 1-2 days ahead). The meat must be cold when it hits the grill.
Prep Toppings and Buns:
- Remove wilted leaves from lettuce to keep it crunchy then finely shred lettuce. Slice tomatoes, onions, and pickles.
- Butter and toast buns over medium heat until golden on the buttered side.
Cook the Patties:
- Increase griddle to medium/high heat. Place 2-4 burger balls onto a hot griddle. Working quickly, place a square of parchment paper over the meat and use a burger press or spatula to firmly smash straight down into a thin patty.
- Once patties are smashed, peel back and discard parchment papers and season patties with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add 1/2 teaspoon of burger sauce. Cook 2 minutes on the first side or until seared and juices start to come to the surface.
- Scrape under the burger with metal spatula facing down at a 45˚ angle to get under the caramelized part and flip. Cook another 1 minute. Top half of the patties with sliced cheese and cover cheese with the second patty. Repeat with remaining burgers and transfer them to a platter as they finish cooking.
Assemble Burgers:
- Place sauce on bottom of bun. Top with 3 pickle slices, shredded lettuce, 2 tomato slices and thin sliced onion. Add double patty and top with bun.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love
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- BLT Sandwich
- Sloppy Joes
- Grilled Cheese (famous recipe)
- Reuben Sandwich
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Sandwich
I’m amazed at the difference between this recipe and a regular burger. It was AMAZING! I’ll never make a burger the old way again. Thank you!
That’s fantastic feedback, Tasha! Thank you for sharing.
These were absolutely phenomenal! Made in my cast iron as I didn’t have a grill and still turned out delicious. Thank you Natasha! These will be added to my burger recipe repertoire 😊
That is great! So happy to hear that.
Probably the best hamburger I ever made and it was in doors! used a small sauce pan to smash it. grilled onions. it has been a Natasha week. I made your pesto pasta and we had it for 3 nights!
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me, Nancy!
I also made this burger recipe. It was really good. Burgers cook in no time at all because they are so thin. I don’t have burger press to smash, so I used wax paper squares and small pot and press them flat. Burger sauce is just like big Mac. Thanks!
Sounds great, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing, Michael.
Confused about the sauce on the burger when cooking– so you smash, put it on top, cook that side, then flip so that the sauce is then on the grill for the 2nd side?
Hi Frances, Once patties are smashed, I peel back and discard parchment paper and season patties with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I add 1/2 teaspoon of burger sauce before flipping the burger to cook the other side.By the way, at about minute mark 5:00, you’ll see me seasoning the patty and adding the sauce before flipping it over to cook the other side. I hope that’s helpful!
Another recipe from here that I love!
Having tried lots of burgers, nothing beats salt and pepper if the beef is good quality. Also I didn’t miss the ketchup at all.
This is now my go to burger recipe. Another big plus is it’s super easy so manageable to do coming home from work.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Cait! I’m glad this will be your new go-to!
The whole family loved it!
Yes, we added ketchup on the top of the meat! Everything else followed exactly!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Ilze!
No ketchup??????
Hi Mario, we used a different mix of sauce and not ketchup.
Anyone done this with ground chicken??
Hi Martha, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Tried this tonight, super easy, super quick and kids loved them
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!
From the Mayophobe of all Mayophobes, I would likely use Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. I would have been willing to try the burger with the Mayo/Mustard that you put on the Burger when you put it on the grill, because Mayo totally changes its flavor when cooked, but you lost me when you smothered it on the bun with extra Mayo sauce!
Hello…. where is the link for the scale?
Hello Lisa, you can see the kitchen tools that I use here on my Amazon affiliate shop
Natasha, these burgers are legit! Made them for dinner last night and wow they were gone in no time flat. We’ll be having these on the menu for our next friends and family get together this coming weekend. Thanks and keep up the great work. So glad I found you and your website. Cheers!
That’s just awesome! These are a must during the summer! I’m also so glad you discovered my blog! I hope you try many more recipes!
Yummmmmm!!! We made these tonight for our 4th of July BBQ and it was a huge hit!! I followed the recipe exactly and everyone said it was the best burger!! My husband and son-in-law loved it so much they ate two!! Thank you so much Natasha for this incredible recipe!!
That is awesome review, Chris! I hope you and your family will love every recipe that you will try.
Great! Cant wait to try it! I just purchased the burger press, using your link. But we dont have a griddle. I see the brand you recommend. Can I just set that over the grates on my grill? If I want to make burgers for 6 people, do I need to buy a larger one? Or just make them in two batches? Wondering what size to make? But especially, can I just put that griddle over my grates on the grill? Thanks!
Hi Xenia, it won’t work over grates because it would go through the grates when you try to press it. It would work if you have a griddle on your stove or if you have a large cast iron skillet. You can also place a cast-iron skillet over your grill. Since the burgers cook so quickly, I would recommend making them in batches. We usually cook two servings (4 patties) at a time so we can smash them quickly.
Can Someone skip the cheese if they have a dairy allergy? Would they replace it with something else or just double stack the smashed burgers?
Hi Jessica, yes you can definitely make this without cheese for a simple double cheeseburger.
Made these tonight …so good! Thanks for all the great recipes
You’re welcome, Melissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Oh wow! This burger looks and sounds so delicious! My family and I can’t wait to try this. Looks so juicy and very tasty.
I hope you love it, Beth! It is seriously SO GOOD!
This smash burger is truly AMAZING! The perfect burger for summertime.
What is summer without a delicious Smash Burger!
This smash burger looks wonderful and tasty. I cannot wait to try it. I am wondering what brand of griddle do you use on your grill. Many thanks. I love your blog and recipes.
Hi Carol, we use the Camp Chef Pellet Grill with the sidekick Griddle attachment on the side.