Smash Burgers with House Sauce

Smash Burgers with House Sauce

from pinchofyum.com
35 min

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

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • a couple swishes of fish sauce (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 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) mayo, ketchup,horseradish (✨grabbing a little jar of this is SUCH a worthwhile investment!✨), Worcestershire, sriracha, paprika shallot or garlic, minced or grated
  • Other toppings you might like: diced or sliced onions (sautéed for an extra level up), lettuce, tomato, or pickles

Directions

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    Butter the buns and toast them on your skillet or griddle until golden.

  3. 3

    Prep the toppings and house sauce (see notes).

  4. 4

    Cut a small piece of parchment paper that you’ll use on top of the burgers to prevent sticking.

  5. 5

    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. 

  6. 6

    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.

  7. 7

    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.