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?

It's 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 have found the best method includes 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 skillet.

Typically, I will make four 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 still hang over the edge. To me, that extra meat is almost like a tiny appetizer before the main bite when eating the burger.

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.

How hot should the griddle be for cooking smash burgers?

Rumor has it that the griddle used at the popular burger chain known for these burgers cooks at a temperature of 385°F.

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.

Toasted buns add an additional 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 and the most common would be lettuce, tomato, and onion.

I find that the thickness of the tomato and onion can actually 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 which throws 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 actually 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. I keep my favorite slicing knife sharp with the WorkSharp E2 using its automated sharpening cycle. 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. 

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.