How to Cook Smash Burgers {Blackstone Griddle Recipe}

One of my favorite things to cook on the Blackstone Griddle is the Smashburger.

So what is a Smashburger?

A homemade smash burger is super-thin burger patties cooked on a griddle with lots of flavor from the browned bits that develop during cooking. Those bits form a delicious and flavorful crust with a wonderful texture.

Ingredients

• Ground beef (at least 80:20)
• American Cheese
• Leaf Lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Sweet onion slices
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper
• Butter
• Ketchup
• Mayonaise
• Mustard
• Relish
• Burger buns

How to Cook A Smash Burger

There's no right or wrong way to cook a smash burger on the Blackstone griddle.

After cooking dozens of them, I found the best method is using parchment paper, a bacon press, and a sturdy metal spatula. These burger patties can also be cooked in a hot skillet like a cast-iron pan.

Typically, I will make four ground chuck burgers per pound of beef. But that's just what works best at my place.

Kenji from Serious Eats uses about 2oz of beef per burger and double-stacks them. This is quite a thin patty.

Although I appreciate and respect his method I often use a larger bun than he does and like the burger to hang over the edge. That extra meat is almost like a tiny appetizer before eating the burger's main bite.

The Serious Eats method uses a combination of both ground chuck and brisket for their burgers. Brisket-chuck burgers are phenomenal and especially good for this Beef Bulgogi burger recipe, but that blend of meat isn't always easy for me to come by.

Believe it or not, one of the best places I have found brisket burgers consistently is at WalMart. These brisket burgers make a wonderful smash burger on the griddle but I find they need to sit about 30 seconds longer than normal on the griddle before smashing. 

If I'm not using a brisket burger blend, I use an 80:20, or even a 75:25 meat to fat ratio whenever possible. If you want to try a Smashburger blend specifically formulated for griddle cooking this one from Porter Road is my favorite. 

Use freshly ground beef over previously frozen whenever you can to make the burgers even more delicious. Or if you're adventurous, why not try making turkey burgers.

What toppings go on the burger?

Burgers are a blank canvas.

I'm convinced the foundation of any delicious ground meat burger starts is a quality burger bun. I always slather a little butter or mayonnaise on the bun and cook it on the griddle until it turns slightly golden brown. Brioche buns make for an especially delicious smash burger.

Some of my favorite Smashburger toppings are:

• Bacon
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Mayonaise
• Mustard
• Dill Pickles
• Ketchup
• Relish
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Barbecue sauce
• Grilled onions
• Blue Cheese crumbles
• Jalapeno peppers
• Pimento Cheese
• Slice of cheese

Toasted buns add a pop of flavor that's a bit salty and nutty.  Toasting a burger bun also helps to keep the bun from being soggy if you add burger sauce or other condiments like ketchup, relish, or smash sauce. This is especially helpful when making thicker burgers like the ones in this Maple Bacon Beer Burger recipe.

Most enjoy at least some toppings on burgers; the most common are lettuce, tomato, and onion.

I find that the thickness of the tomato and onion can change the flavor of the burger.

Slicing the tomato becomes very important. Too thick of a slice and the tomato adds more cold moisture than necessary, throwing off the meat to topping ratio.

The same can be said for onions. If the onion slice is too thick, its flavor can be overwhelming. But if you get the slices to the correct thickness, it complements the burger quite well and accentuates how delicious the dish is.

To achieve the perfect thickness of onion and tomato slices, it's important to use a very sharp knife. Using its automated sharpening cycle, I keep my favorite slicing knife sharp with the WorkSharp E2. If the knife needs a slight touch up, I will use a ceramic honing rod and bring the edge back quickly. Beyond a sharp knife, some griddle accessories will make this cook more fun. Check out some of the best griddle accessories in this post.

For the tomato, I try and cut round slices slightly thinner than the thickness of a pencil. The onion gets sliced to about half that thickness. 

If you plan on putting cheese on your burger you can add cheese just after flipping the burger. Some people will also add special sauce at this time but I prefer to slather that directly on the bun instead of on top of the slice of cheese.

Expert tips

1. Always toast your buns over medium high heat in a bit of butter first and allow them to keep warm while the burgers cook. This way the burgers are immediately ready to serve when piping hot.
2. Portion your ground beef ahead of time. You can use a kitchen scale to measure what amount of beef you want per burger and then make them into meatballs. This is great when cooking for a crowd.
3. Make sure the griddle is nice and hot before dropping your meat. Use an infrared thermometer to test your griddle temperature. If you don't have an infrared thermometer, a tablespoon of water should instantly begin sizzling when it hits the griddle and evaporate within a few seconds.
4. Don't forget to double up! Smashburgers are all about the delicious flavor the crust of the meat gets when cooking on the griddle. So it makes sense that two patties will be twice as delicious.

What do you serve with one of these burgers?

If you're lucky enough to have the Blackstone Air Fryer Griddle Combo then there are so many options for making fries, tater tots, and onion rings.

I have shared my opinion about whether the Air Fryer Griddle Combo is really worth it after using it dozens of times. 

Lately, I have been really enjoying making this spicy-sweet street corn with bacon and jalapeno as a delicious side dish for burgers. 

📖 Recipe