A smash burger breaks the normal burger rules on purpose. Instead of a thick patty you don't touch, you press a ball of beef thin against hot steel so more of it browns. The result is a crust you can't get on a thick patty, and a burger that cooks in about 4 minutes. Here's how we'd do it, from picking the grind to stacking the bun.
Start with the right beef
Fat ratio. We like 80/20 for smash burgers. The fat renders against the hot pan and fries the edges, and it keeps a thin patty juicy at 160°F. The beef checkoff lists 70%-lean ground beef as the grind used for burgers and browned crumbles, and 80–85% lean for meatloaf and meatballs [3]. Very lean beef (90/10 and up) sticks, tears and dries out when smashed. Federal rules cap fat in both "ground beef" and "hamburger" at 30 percent [2].
Keep it cold. Cold fat holds together better when you smash it, and it keeps the beef out of the temperature danger zone. Portion the balls and put them back in the refrigerator until the pan is ready.
Don't pack it. Roll each portion just firmly enough to hold. A loose ball smashes into a craggy edge. A tight one turns into a hockey puck.
What you need
- 1 lb cold 80/20 ground beef, divided into 4 balls (single burgers) or 8 smaller balls (doubles)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 soft potato rolls or brioche buns
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- Thin-sliced onion, dill pickle chips, shredded lettuce, tomato
- A cast-iron skillet, carbon-steel pan or flat-top griddle
- A stiff metal spatula (and a second spatula or a burger press to push on it)
- Parchment paper squares
- An instant-read thermometer
Our burger sauce: ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle, 1 teaspoon pickle juice, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Stir and refrigerate until you need it.
How to make smash burgers
- Get everything ready first. Slice the onions and pickles, mix the sauce and open the cheese. The burgers cook in about 4 minutes and won't wait for you.
- Toast the buns. Butter the cut sides and toast them on the pan over medium heat until golden. Set them aside.
- Heat the pan hard. Turn the heat to high and let the cast iron or griddle heat for at least 5 minutes, until a drop of water skitters and vanishes. Turn on the vent fan.
- Add the beef. Set 2 or 3 cold balls on the pan with plenty of room between them. Don't add oil. The fat will render out in seconds.
- Smash once, right away. Lay a square of parchment on a ball and press down hard with the spatula, using the second spatula or a press for leverage, to about ¼ inch thick. Do it within the first 30 seconds, before the meat starts to set. Peel off the parchment.
- Season. Salt and pepper the top of each patty.
- Leave it alone. Cook without moving it for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are deep brown and lacy and the top looks mostly gray.
- Scrape and flip. Slide the edge of the spatula under the patty at a low angle to scrape up all the crust with it, then flip.
- Add cheese. Lay a slice on each patty (or stack two patties and put cheese between them) and cook about 1 more minute.
- Check the temperature. Lift a patty onto the spatula and insert the thermometer sideways into the center. You want 160°F [4].
- Build the burger. Sauce on both buns, then the patty (or patties), onion, pickles and lettuce. Serve right away.
Wipe the pan, let it heat back up and do the next batch.
Smash once, and only once
Smashing works because you press the beef before it's cooked. That spreads it into a thin, wide patty with as much meat touching the pan as possible, and that's where the flavor comes from. The checkoff's advice for a regular burger is to never press down on it while it cooks [5], and that still applies once a smash burger has started to set. Pressing it again later, or after the flip, just squeezes the juice and fat out onto the pan.
Getting a thin patty to 160°F
A ¼-inch patty on a hot pan cooks fast, often reaching a safe temperature before you'd expect. Still check, because you can't tell by looking:
- Color isn't a test. FSIS research found that more than a quarter of fresh ground beef patties turned brown before reaching 160°F, and some patties look well-done as low as 131°F [6]. On a smash burger the crust is dark long before you see the inside.
- Go in from the side. For thin patties, FSIS says to insert the probe sideways so the sensor reaches the center. Take the patty off the heat onto a clean spatula first, so you don't burn your fingers [4].
- Use a thin, fast probe. A digital thermocouple or thermistor reads thin foods accurately. Dial thermometers sense along 2 to 3 inches of the stem, which is hard to fit inside a ¼-inch patty [4].
- Check a couple of them, especially ones in the cooler spots on your pan.
For more on why burgers need 160°F when steaks are safe at 145°F, read our burger doneness guide.
Common smash burger problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Patty sticks to the spatula | Pressed without parchment, or the beef was warm | Use parchment and cold beef |
| No crust | Pan wasn't hot enough, or too many patties at once | Preheat longer; cook 2 or 3 at a time |
| Crust tears off on the flip | Spatula too thin or flexible, or flipped too soon | Use a stiff, sharp-edged spatula and wait for the brown edge |
| Dry burger | Beef too lean, or pressed again after setting | Use 80/20; smash once only |
| Lots of smoke | Normal at this heat | Vent fan, or cook outside on a griddle |
Handling ground beef safely
- Keep raw ground beef at 40°F or below, and cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days [2].
- Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds before and after handling raw beef [2]. Rolling smash balls is hands-on work.
- Use a clean plate for cooked burgers, not the one that held the raw balls [2].
- Don't partly cook patties to finish later [2].
- Don't leave burgers out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them to 165°F [2].
Frequently asked questions
What's the best ground beef for smash burgers?
80/20 ground beef. The fat browns the edges and keeps the thin patty juicy. Very lean beef sticks to the pan and dries out.
How thin should a smash burger be?
About ¼ inch. Smash it once, within the first 30 seconds on the pan, and then leave it alone.
How long do you cook a smash burger?
About 2 to 3 minutes on the first side until the edges are dark and lacy, then about 1 minute after flipping with the cheese on. Check that it reaches 160°F with a thermometer inserted from the side.
Do smash burgers need to reach 160°F?
Yes. A smash burger is ground beef, and USDA's safe minimum for ground beef is 160°F no matter how thin the patty is or what color it looks.
Smash burgers from your own beef
If you're bringing us a beef, ground beef is where a lot of it ends up. Our beef cut sheet lets you choose the lean-to-fat ratio, including 80/20, and the package size. Call or text 252-885-1892 with questions, or read more about beef processing. For other patties, from turkey to black bean, see our burger patty recipes. Our beef cuts chart shows where the trim for ground beef comes from, and our safe meat cooking temperatures chart covers every species.
Sources
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Ground Beef and Food Safety — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Everything to Know About Ground Beef — Beef. It's What's For Dinner. (Cattlemen's Beef Board and NCBA)
- Food Thermometers — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- All About Beef Burgers — Beef. It's What's For Dinner. (Cattlemen's Beef Board and NCBA)
- Color of Cooked Ground Beef as It Relates to Doneness — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
