How to Make the Ultimate Double Smash Burgers Recipe

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This customizable smash burger recipe will teach you how to make good smash burgers with crispy edges to assure you get the best results every time. This double smash smash burger only requires just 8 simple high-quality ingredients, most of which are typical in any of your favorite burgers and can be found at any grocery store. These burgers also use my classic burger sauce recipe which rounds out the flavor perfectly to make the best burgers.

These homemade smash burgers are perfect to make during the summer months during grilling season to serve at a barbecue. They are great to make at Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day celebrations and they are always the star of the show. These can also be made inside using a cast iron skillet burger method to enjoy during the cooler months during football season. This smash burger recipe is perfect to make for game day and can also be great to enjoy for a weeknight dinner or weekend dinner.

This was inspired by my Smashburger with Campfire Sauce on this site, and pairs well with this truffle fries recipe or these tater tots on the grill.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
How to Use a Burger Press
Equipment
How to Store a Double Smash Smash Burger
Top Tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
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Ingredients

This recipe uses 80/20 ground beef due to its higher fat content for extra juicy burgers. Sharp cheddar cheese is melted on the thin patty. The burger patties sit on toasted brioche buns. The burgers are then topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and burger sauce for extra flavor. Add seasoning of choice on burgers such as salt and pepper, garlic powder or onion powder.

ground beef
burger seasoning of choice
cheddar cheese
brioche bun
burger sauce
romaine lettuce
tomato
onion

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Form ground beef into balls with your hands. Make about 6 burger balls per pound. Mix burger sauce. Chop romaine lettuce, slice tomatoes and slice onion.

Step 2: Heat up the griddle to medium-high heat. Add neutral oil to griddle. Place a ball of ground beef on the griddle. Place parchment paper on top of burger ball and press with a burger press until flattened. Season with seasoning of choice.

Step 3: Cook about 5 minutes. Flip the beef patty. Cook another 2 minutes and add cheese. Once cheese is melted and edges are crisp, remove the burgers from the heat. Toast the buns.

Step 4: Spread burger sauce on bottom bun. Add lettuce. Place smashed burger patty on top of lettuce. Place second patty on top of first burger patty. Layer tomato and onion on top of burger patties. Add additional burger sauce and top with top bun. Serve immediately.

Hint: to achieve the signature crispy edges on the smashed patties, ensure your cooking surface is preheated and very hot before placing the meat. This high heat creates that caramelized crust known as the Maillard reaction, which enriches the burger’s flavor.

Substitutions

Lettuce - instead of romaine lettuce, you can use ice berg lettuce or spinach
Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread brioche buns to make this gluten free
Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian

Variations

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking the burger to imbue heat into the dish, or banana peppers. You can also add some hot sauce to the burger sauce
Deluxe - add deep fried onion rings instead of the pan fried onion rings
Big Mac - add big mac sauce and an extra bun in the middle, omit the tomato

See this Big Mac burger on my website!

How to Use a Burger Press

Using a burger press is vital to assure you get a nice thin patty with crispy edges. Learning how to use a smash burger press and choosing the right one is important in assuring good quality.

Equipment

To make this recipe, you will need a sharp knife and cutting board as well as a small bowl to mix the burger sauce. A flat top griddle or large sauté pan, cast iron skillet or frying pan is needed to cook the burgers. A burger press is also needed to smash the patties to make a thin burger.

How to Store a Double Smash Smash Burger

Store the wet ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onion) separately from the burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge, reheat and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

Leftover buns can be stored in a resealable bag on the counter or in a bread box. Buns can also be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

These ingredients do stand up well to freezing for up to 2 months. Burger buns can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Top Tip

Ensure you don’t overwork the meat when forming the patties and keep fat content around 20% for juiciness. Cook on high heat for a short time and avoid pressing the patties while cooking to retain moisture and assure the burger patties don't dry out and shrink. Learn more tips and tricks to keep burgers from shrinking on my website!

FAQ

Can I use different types of cheese in this burger?

Absolutely, add a slice of cheese like swiss, American cheese, or pepper jack add varying flavor profiles. Choose cheese that melts well to maintain the creamy texture.

How thin should I smash the burger patties?

Aim for about ¼-inch thickness to get a quick cook time and achieve crispy edges without drying out the center.

Is it okay to prep the burger sauce ahead of time?

Yes, burger sauce can be made a day or two ahead and stored in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully, enhancing the taste.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this double smash smash burger:

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