Smash Burger

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This smash burger recipe is all you need for the perfect burger!

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go out to get an amazing smash burger! In fact the smash burger you make at home will most likely be better than anything you can purchase at a busy burger joint.

Following I’ll show you how it’s done with step by step photographs and tips to make your smash burger the best on the planet!

About this recipe.

This is a recipe I have been making for years. A few years back, I showed how to make a smash burger on your barbecue. That recipe is close to this but as I was enjoying cooking outdoors with a few beers too much, so the photo didn’t do it justice. No need to look at that when you have this.

So now I give you my smash burger recipe which you can prepare indoors. You are about to try the best smash burger around!

How to get this smash burger recipe right?

It’s all down to the quality of what you put in it and of course a bit has to do with how you cook it.

When it comes to the toppings, you need a good burger sauce, lots of fresh salad veggies and the softest, freshest buns you can get your hands on. 

Don’t skimp on the meat! I order a 75%/25% meat to fat ratio mix of skirt, chuck and brisket. It is important that the meat be well aged too. Mine is aged for 3 1/2 weeks. If you must, use good quality meat from your supermarket but using a professional butcher help you take it up a level or two.

How about using expensive minced wagyu beef?

Don’t do that. The reason wagyu steaks taste so good is because of all that marbling and that belongs in a steak.

If you use minced (ground) wagyu, all that delicious fat will end up in your pan. I know a lot of people swear by it but in my taste tests, it just isn’t worth the money when you use it in a burger!

Which burger sauce should you use for this smash burger?

Whichever you like. In this recipe I made made my own using this burger sauce recipe. You might also like to try my Big Mac sauce which is good on a homemade Big Mac but is not limited to that.

How do you make a burger sauce?

Most recipes for burger sauce are quite similar. They involve whisking a selection of sweet, savoury, sour and sometimes spicy ingredients together. It takes about 5 minutes so don’t bother purchasing it.

The links to my recipes above will make about enough for 20 single servings and they keep in the fridge for ages as long as you wrap them tightly. Below I have have given a recipe that will make just enough for this smash burger recipe.

Mix 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill pickle, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 1/2 teaspoon French’s yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. You will have enough for four sandwiches.

How do you make the burger sauce spicy?

That can be done in several ways. You could use sriracha or sambal oelek instead of ketchup. The burger sauce will have the same pink colouring but will be spicy.

You could also use a good hot sauce. I often add one of these… Habanero hot sauce, Serrano hot sauce and/or jalapeño hot sauce. The burger can be made spicier by adding pickled jalapeño chillies instead of the pickle slices.

How do you smash the burgers down like they do at the best burger restaurants?

1. In this case, divide the meat into eight equal sized balls. Don’t squeeze them into tight balls but rather form them into loose balls. 
2. Heat a pan, preferably cast iron over a high heat until smoking hot. Then place the burger balls in it. You might want to cook in batches as the patties are quite large when smashed.
3. Smash one of the beef balls down as much as you can. Put some muscle into it using a burger press or spatula and then slice it off the meat.
4. Fry until the meat is obviously cooking through. The patties will be delicate so carefully flip them, pressing your spatula against the pan so you don’t loose any of that delicious char.
5. Season the patties with salt and pepper to taste and continue cooking until cooked to your liking. Adding cheese is optional. 

Is it important to use a burger dome or lid?

Yes. The dome not only helps the cheese melt to gooey perfection but cooks the burgers faster. 

I also highly recommend steaming your top bun this way as in the photos below. 

 

Step by step photographs.

You will find many spicy and delicious recipes on my blog. Here are some you’ve got to try!

1. Curry house style base sauce – Make a curry just like those at the best curry houses using this sauce.
2. Lamb Bhuna from Scratch – This one is from my book ‘The Curry Guy One Pot’
3. One Pot Chicken Dhansak – from my book ‘The Curry Guy One Pot
4. Asian Honey Glazed Baked Salmon
5. Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
6. Peruvian Chicken – Pollo a la Brasa
7. Korean Braised Beef Stew
8. Dal Makhani – An Indian restaurant favourite!
9. Tonkotsu Broth – When only the best will do. This one takes some time but it is just like you find at the best ramen restaurants!
10. Tonkotsu Ramen – Use that homemade tonkotsu broth in this ramen!
11. The Best Butter Chicken – Try it and you’ll agree.
12. Authentic Saag Recipe – This is so good
13. Thai Beef Green Curry – Authentic recipe with homemade curry paste
14. Air Fryer Chicken Biryani
15. Cajun Mac and Cheese – The creamiest mac on the planet!
16. One Pot Chicken Vindaloo
17. Chicken 65 – One of my favourites. You might also like to try this air fryer chicken 65.
18. One Pot Chicken Chilli Garlic Curry
19. Homemade Sriracha Sauce – So much better than any sriracha you can purchase!
20. Tandoori Chicken Tikka – Homemade is alway best and this recipe gets restaurant quality results.

Have you tried this smash burger recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

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