Smash Burgers with House Sauce
Rating
The famous Smash Burger! Deeply crisped, craggy, juicy, squashed patties covered with melty cheese, piled on a buttery bun, and topped with a dreamy zip of secret sauce.
Ingredients
- Smash Burger Sauce (for mixing with the ground beef)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- a couple swishes of fish sauce (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Burger Essentials and Toppings
- 1 lb. ground beef (80/20 is ideal)
- Brioche buns
- American cheese (the good kind from the deli)
- House Sauce (see notes for recipe – do not skip! this stuff is magical)
- Other toppings you might like: diced or sliced onions (sautéed for an extra level up), lettuce, tomato, or pickles
Instructions
- Mix the smash burger sauce in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, place the ground beef and pour the sauce over. Mix with your hands to get it well-distributed through the meat. Form into 4 balls. Place the balls in the fridge for 20-30 minutes while you prep everything else. You can even pop it in the freezer for a few minutes – you just want them to be pretty cold so the butter mixture doesn’t immediately melt out everywhere once you start cooking them.
- Butter the buns and toast them on your skillet or griddle until golden.
- Prep the toppings and house sauce (see notes).
- Cut a small piece of parchment paper that you’ll use on top of the burgers to prevent sticking.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or flat griddle until it’s very hot; place a few of the burgers on the hot surface. Sprinkle them with a big pinch of salt and let them sit and sizzle for about 20 seconds.
- Place the parchment paper on top of each burger and then, using a heavy, flat tool, press the burgers down as flat as you can get them in one swift motion. They’ll be super sizzly and splattery, but they should make a nice, round, thin smash burger shape on the griddle. (The ideal tool for this is a cast iron grill press, but a flat spatula can work in a pinch). Cook for a few minutes and then flip and top with cheese right away. Leave them undisturbed for another 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese and get a max amount of flavorful browning on the back side.
- Assemble your burgers! Mine is always a toasted brioche buns, mega flavorful smash burger patty (or 2), cheese, crispy lettuce, and a thick smear of that house sauce. Happy, happy summer.
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