These homemade smash burgers are the real deal! Crispy, caramelized, and so delicious! Our recipe adds onions before smashing, melty cheese, and our favorite burger sauce to top it all off. These are outrageously good!
Smash burgers are exactly what they sound like! They are burger patties smashed thin onto a hot skillet or griddle, making them super delicious, extra crispy, and browned. Unlike our thick and juicy hamburgers, smash burgers are all about that thin and caramelized texture.
Our version resembles Oklahoma onion burgers since we add a heap of thinly sliced onions to the burger patties before smashing them. So good! Don’t miss our homemade burger sauce. It takes these burgers to the next level!
Key Ingredients and Equipment
- Beef: I recommend using 85/15 or 80/20 ground chuck for the juiciest smash burgers. Avoid leaner ground beef, as it tends to crumble when smashed.
- Onion: Thinly slice a yellow or sweet onion if you’d like to make Oklahoma onion burgers. I love them!
- Cheese: A slice of white cheddar on each patty is my go-to, but use your favorite!
- Buns: I prefer soft potato or sweet Hawaiian-style buns, but any kind you enjoy will do.
- Smash Burger Sauce: Here’s my favorite burger sauce recipe, which is perfect for smash burgers!
- Pan or Griddle: A flat griddle is ideal, but a wide, steel, or cast iron pan with straight or lower sides works, too. (The wide pan lets you get your spatula in there and smash.)
- Stiff Spatula or Grill Press: A burger press makes smashing easy, but a stiff spatula does the job. Look for a wide metal spatula or restaurant turner.
How to Make Smash Burgers
I keep the burger mix simple for the patties, just like when making classic burgers. Divide your ground beef into small portions and roll them into balls.
Place a small drop of oil on the pan where you plan to put a burger ball, leaving some room around it for smashing. Season the ball generously with salt and pepper, letting some seasoning fall onto the pan around the ball. This way, the meat will be seasoned as you smash it.
Top the seasoned ball with a pile of onions and use your press or stiff spatula to smash it down to about 1/4-inch thick.
I find that I have more leverage when using the press over the spatula, while Adam and Richard find it easy to use the spatula (they are taller with larger hands, so I think that helps them). I can definitely use the spatula to smash the burgers, but it takes a bit more effort on my part.
Cook the patty until the underside is crispy and browned, then flip it over. It might stick a bit, so use your spatula to scrape it off the pan.
Once flipped, lightly season the other side with salt and pepper and place your cheese on each patty. When the patty is cooked through, stack as many as you want on your burger and transfer them to a toasted hamburger bun. Add as much burger sauce as you like and any favorite toppings like raw onion, dill pickles, or tomato. Then, enjoy!
Seriously Good Smash Burgers
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Our favorite smash burger recipe resembles Oklahoma onion burgers since we add a heap of thinly sliced onions to the burger patties before smashing them. You can skip the onions if you’d prefer! Don’t miss our homemade burger sauce. It makes these burgers taste incredible!
You Will Need
1 ¾ pound (28oz or 795g) ground chuck, 80/20 or 85/15
1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, sliced very thin
8 slices cheddar cheese or American cheese
Hamburger buns like soft potato buns or Hawaiian-style buns
Directions
1Preheat a griddle or wide steel or cast iron pan over medium heat.
2Divide the ground beef into 3.5 ounce (100g) portions and form into balls.
3Place a small drop of oil in each spot where you will put a burger ball, saving room to smash it out so that the patties aren’t touching. Place a ball of beef in each spot of oil. Season with salt and pepper (it’s okay to get some seasoning all over the pan).
4Add a heap of thinly sliced onions to the top of each burger ball, and then use a stiff spatula or burger press to smash them down to about 1/4-inch thick (or slightly wider than your burger bun). Cook the smashed burgers for 1 to 2 minutes or until the underside is crispy and browned.
5Carefully scrape under each patty to release it (it might stick a bit), and flip it so the onion side is down. Lightly season and place a slice of cheese on each patty.
6Once the patties are cooked, transfer them to a baking sheet or plate. If making doubles, stack them in pairs.
7Toast the buns where the patties were, soaking some of the drippings.
8Place the burgers onto the toasted buns, add as much sauce as you like, and add any toppings you love (if you have some leftover, the thinly sliced raw onions are great).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store leftover burger patties in an airtight container (separate from the buns) in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Thinner burgers: Divide the ground beef into 2 ounce (56g) portions and press it out to slightly wider than your burger bun.
- Cooking tips: Don’t forget to turn on your exhaust fan! And if you’re using gas and a griddle or low-sided pan, keep an eye on the grease (it can run off the griddle and cause flare-ups).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include sauce but have included a bun, 2 patties, and cheese.
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The recipe produces burgers with an incredible depth of flavor and a perfect crispy edge. The technique for smashing the patties really makes a difference, creating that irresistible caramelization. The tips for seasoning and cooking times were spot-on, and the end result was juicy and packed with flavor. Adding some pickles and special sauce really enhanced the experience.
SCRUMPTIOUS! Will never eat plain burgers again. These were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Thank you!
Had these for dinner tonight, together with the yummy sauce! So delicious, they are really good, and so easy. All ingredients already were in my pantry. Thank you.
Yay! Glad you you loved the burger and sauce 🙂
Those hamburgers look delicious. I am definitely try this recipe.
Who knew I’ve been making smash burgers n special sauce all my life!!! It’s just the very best way to make sure your burgers don’t shrink up to the size of a quarter so all you have is tons of bun!!! And the sauce? It’s my go to sauce for everything!!! Thank you for spreading the news bout these delicious burgers n sauce!!!
Hadn’t done these with the onions but, ….yum! Also a nice twist with the burger sauce. Love all your recipes! Thank you for sharing the yum!-M
Love this; smashing the burgers with onions. Delicious! Thanks.
So happy you enjoy it, Diane! Thanks for coming back and sharing.
Will definitely add to menu ideas
Wonderful, Gail!