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A square image, of the finished smash burgers on a square of white parchment paper. There are a few bits of sliced onion in front of the burger. On the right of the background, there is another burger. On the left side of the background, there is a jar of pickles. This is set on a wooden surface with a blue/grey background.
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5 from 2 votes

Smash Burger Recipe

This is how we make cheesy smash burgers on our BBQ flat top or flat griddle. Thin-yet-juicy, double cheeseburgers with that perfect crust, special sauce and all the fixings!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: BBQ, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Smashed burgers
Servings: 4 Burgers
Author Nicky Corbishley

Equipment

  • Parchment Paper
  • Burger Press
  • Burger Dome/Cloche

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1.1lb) minced (ground) beef ideally 20% fat for a juicy burger
  • ¼ tsp salt (plus another 1/4 tsp for the second side of the burger)
  • ¼ tsp pepper (plus another 1/4 tsp for the second side of the burger)
  • 8 slices cheese (burger cheese slices)
  • 4 brioche buns sliced in half and lightly toasted
  • 1 romaine lettuce sliced/shredded
  • 2 medium tomatoes thickly sliced
  • 4 tbsp burger sauce
  • ½ small onion peeled and finely diced
  • 12 slices pickled gherkins (or burger pickle slices)

Instructions

  • Remove the minced beef from the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
    500 g (1.1lb) minced (ground) beef
  • Prepare all of your burgers fixings before starting cooking - as it goes very quickly!
  • Heat two large flat griddle pans or a flat top BBQ to a high heat (I don't oil the flat top, as I use quite high-fat (20%) minced beef, but you can brush with a little oil if you prefer).
  • Whilst the pan is heating up, divide the meat into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball, pressing the fibres of the meat together.
  • Season the top of each ball with salt and pepper. I use about 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper for this. Add the balls to the cooking surface, seasoning side down, making sure you leave enough space to squash the burgers down.
    1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Place a small piece (about 15x15cm) of baking parchment on top of each of the meat balls and squash the burgers down using a burger smasher or double spatulas, pressing quite hard as you want that thin 'smashed' burger. It should look 'lacy' with little holes in. You want each ball to be slightly wider than the burger bun, as it will shrink a little during cooking.
  • Remove the parchment paper. If you like a well-seasoned burger, season each burger (again about 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper altogether - so both sides are seasoned). Allow to cook for 2 minutes to build up a crust. Use a spatula or scraper with a thin edge to scrape up each burger and flip it over.
    1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Add a slice of cheese to each burger. Cover each burger with a cloche for 30 seconds to help melt the cheese. *The cloche is optional!* Don't worry if you don't have cloches - the heat of the burger will still help to melt the cheese. I have 4 cloches, so I put put these on 4 of the burgers for 30 seconds, then move them to the other 4. Cook the burgers for a further minute.
    8 slices cheese
  • Double up the burgers (so you now have four double cheeseburgers) and remove them from the flat top. Place on a warm plate or tray to rest for a minute while you get the bits ready to build the burgers.
  • Build the burgers up, starting with the bottom bun, then lettuce, tomato, the double smashed burger, burger sauce, finely diced onion and pickles. Top with the other half of the bun and serve.
    4 brioche buns, 1 romaine lettuce, 2 medium tomatoes, 4 tbsp burger sauce, 1/2 small onion, 12 slices pickled gherkins (or burger pickle slices)

Notes

Why use a cloche for smash burgers?

I only place a cloche on each burger for 30 seconds or so. The steam created by the burger inside the cloche melts the cheese perfectly. The steam also helps to keep the burgers juicy.
I have 4 cloches altogether. So when I'm making more than 4 cheeseburgers, I just place them on each burger for 30 seconds to help the cheese to melt nicely.
If you don't have cloches, don't worry! Just make the burgers without using them. The heat from the burgers will still melt the cheese, and so long as you don't cook the burgers for too long, they won't dry out.

Nutritional information is approximate, per double smash burger.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 1.169mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2.365IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 357mg | Iron: 3mg

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