How to Make Perfect Smash Burgers at Home

Directions

1. Make the special sauce first. It's better after sitting for a few minutes and can be made up to a week ahead. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, diced pickles, pickle brine, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Stir until fully combined. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Start the caramelized onions before anything else, they need the extra time. Heat the Elite Griddle to medium-low on one zone. Add oil and sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Spread evenly across the zone and leave them largely undisturbed, stirring every 5 minutes or so. They need 25–30 minutes minimum. Resist the urge to rush them on high heat because they'll soften but won't caramelize properly. You want deep golden, jammy, and sweet.

3. While the onions cook, divide the ground beef into 8 equal loosely packed balls of approximately 85g each. Do not compact them. The loose structure is what allows maximum contact with the steel when pressed and maximum contact is what creates that well loved smash crust. Do not season them yet.

4. Increase one zone of the griddle to maximum heat. You want the surface as hot as it will go. Test the heat by flicking a few drops of water onto the surface. They should evaporate almost instantly.

5. Place 2–3 beef balls onto the high heat zone, leaving enough space between them to work. Immediately season the top of each ball with flaky salt and black pepper. Using a burger press or the back of a heavy metal spatula, press each ball down firmly and hold for 10 seconds. Press hard, you want a patty no thicker than 1cm. Do not press more than once.

6. Leave completely alone for 75–90 seconds. Try not to touch, press again, or move the patties. The crust is forming directly against the steel and any interference breaks it. The patty is ready to flip when the edges have turned from pink to brown all the way around, this is your visual cue.

7. Flip once with a sharp, flat metal spatula and scrape decisively under the patty to preserve the crust. Immediately place a slice of American cheese on each patty. For a double stack, place a second patty directly on top of the cheese, then add another slice of cheese on top of that. The residual heat melts the cheese without overcooking the meat.

8. Remove from the griddle after 30–45 seconds. The second side needs very little time because the patty is already mostly cooked through.

9. Toast the buns cut-side down on a medium zone of the griddle for 60–90 seconds until golden.

10. Build the burger: sauce on both buns, lettuce on the base, tomato, patty stack, caramelized onions, pickles, top bun. Serve immediately and enjoy every last bite!