American
Diner-Style Smash Burgers
Smashing the beef flat in a hot skillet gives you those crispy, lacy edges you can only get from a good burger joint. Doubling the patties makes them feel extra indulgent.
- Prep5 min
- Cook10 min
- Total15 min
- Cost (est.)$3.75/serving
- Leveleasy
Servings
Ingredients
Produce
- ½ small yellow onion, sliced paper-thin
Meat
- 1½ lb ground beef, 80/20, divided into 8 balls of about 3 oz each
Dairy and eggs
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 tbsp butter, softened
Bakery
- 4 potato hamburger buns
Pantry
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp dill pickle relish
- 12 dill pickle chips
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Estimated cost: about $15.00 for the whole recipe, from typical US grocery prices. Your store and region will differ.
Steps
- Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish together for the sauce. Spread the butter on the cut sides of the buns.
- Toast the buns butter-side down in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 minute, until golden. Set aside.
- Turn the heat to high. When the skillet is smoking hot, add 3 or 4 beef balls, then press each one down hard with a spatula into a thin patty. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 2 minutes without touching, until the edges are deeply browned and crisp. Scrape under each patty, flip, and cook 1 minute more.
- Lay half a slice of cheese on each patty and stack two patties per burger. The beef should reach 160 degrees F inside.
- Build each burger with sauce on the bottom bun, patties, onion, and pickles. Repeat with the remaining beef.
Equipment
large skillet or griddle, sturdy spatula
Tips
- Keep the beef cold until the moment it hits the pan so it smashes cleanly without sticking.
- Skip the nonstick pan. Cast iron or stainless steel gives the best crust.
Photo: sarahstierch on Flickr via Openverse (CC0 1.0). All credits
