Smash Burger

You're in the right place if you're searching for the perfect burger! Smash burgers are super easy to prepare. I talk you through each step and provide tips for success. See just how easy it is to make, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

Before you begin, you will want to prepare your ingredients before you start to make this recipe super easy. This includes, dividing the ground beef in two and forming them into loose meatballs. Also preparing the tomato, onion and lettuce.

• 140g Ground beef (shaped into two loose meatballs)
• Brioche burger buns
• Red onion
• Butter
• salt&pepper
• Yellow mustard
• Tomato
• Dill pickles
• Burger Sauce
• American burger cheese
• Iceberg lettuce

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step photographs...

1. Step 1: In a pan on medium heat, toast your burger buns with a tablespoon of butter. Then set aside.

2. Step 2: Turn the heat up until your pan is smoking hot. Add the two ground beef balls and smash them down as flat as you can get them with a burger press or spatula. To avoid the meat sticking to your press or spatula, slide it off rather than lift. Add a pinch of salt.

3. Step 3: Fry for a couple of minutes, add a splash of mustard to each patty. then flip the patties over. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then add a slice of cheese to each.

4. Step 4: Cover with a burger dome or pan lid for 30 seconds or until your cheese is melted.

What beef should I use for the patty?

The perfect burger patty needs to have a 70/30 meat to fat ratio. This allows the beef to remain succulent and juicy when cooked and adds a depth of flavor that low fat beef just can't match.

What about the burger sauce?

You can use burger sauce that you can buy from any convenience store, however I highly recommend making my Big Mac Sauce to add an extra level of flavor to this mighty smash burger!

Which buns can I use for this recipe?

I have paired this burger with a brioche burger bun, the easy recipe can be found here: Brioche Hamburger Buns recipe.

Alternatively, you can definitely use a simple burger bun, the recipe can be found here: Homemade Hamburger Buns.

Substitutions

The classic smash burger is exactly as written in this post. However, if you want to use up other items you have in your refrigerator or you need to switch it up for dietary requirements, then absolutely do that.

• Cheese - instead of using a slice of American cheese, an Aged cheddar will melt perfectly or a slice of Mozzarella.
• Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free
• Vegetarian - It will no longer be a Smash Burger but the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian.

Variations

• Onions- why not go all out and have your burger 'Animal style' by topping with these incredible caramelized onions.
• Spicy - add an extra burst of flavor by topping with this unbelievable chili jam!
• Bacon - missing your bacon fix with this smash burger? Not to worry, try this delicious bacon jam!

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe perfect is a pan and pan lid. Instead of using a burger dome, simply use the lid for your pan to perfectly steam your buns and melt your cheese to perfection. You can easily fry your burgers in a pan, or be a star chef and grill on an iron skillet or griddle

Storage

Store the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

Refrigeration: You can store your burger patties raw in the fridge for up to 2-3 days before you want to cook them. Always store in an airtight container and keep away from cooked meat products. You can store cooked patties in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container, keep away from any raw meat in your fridge.

Frozen: You can freeze your raw or cooked patties for up to 3 months, ensure they are separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together and store in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.

Reheating: To reheat your raw patties, simply thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and fry as instructed above. If you’re reheating cooked patties, heat them in a pan or skillet until they are heated through. Finally, recombine as instructed above.