Ingredients
Scale
For the Patties:
- 600 g ground beef, 80/20 fat ratio (or mix in a bit of ground pork for extra richness)
- 50 g Texas-style beef seasoning
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
For the Special Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 25 g Texas-style beef seasoning
For the Buns and Toppings:
- 4 brioche or potato buns, buttered
- 4 slices American-style cheese
- Pickles, thinly sliced red onion, lettuce, and sliced tomato
Instructions
- Mix the special sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, minced garlic, white vinegar, and 25 g beef seasoning. Stir well, taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Portion the beef. Divide the ground beef into 8 equal loose balls, roughly 75 g each. Don’t pack them tightly. Season the tops generously with the Texas-style beef seasoning.
- Toast the buns. Butter the cut sides of your brioche buns and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- Heat the pan. Place a cast iron skillet or heavy griddle over high heat for at least 3 minutes until it’s very hot. Add 1 tbsp of butter and let it melt and start to brown.
- Smash the patties. Add 2 to 4 beef balls to the pan (work in batches), immediately press each one firmly with a heavy spatula or burger press for 10 seconds. You want them flat and wide with thin, ragged edges.
- Season and cook. Season the top of each smashed patty with a little more beef seasoning. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges turn deep brown and crispy. Don’t touch them.
- Flip and add cheese. Flip each patty with a thin metal spatula, scraping up all the crispy bits from the pan. Immediately lay a slice of cheese over one patty, then stack a second patty on top. Cook for another 60 seconds.
- Rest and assemble. Transfer the double-stacked patties to the toasted buns. Spread special sauce generously on both sides of the bun. Top with pickles, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cast iron is strongly preferred here. A stainless steel pan works, but a non-stick skillet doesn’t get hot enough and won’t give you the crust.
- Don’t season the beef balls before cooking. Season the top side after smashing so the seasoning hits the crust directly.
- Work fast once the beef hits the pan. The smash happens in the first 5 seconds before the patty starts to set.
- Double patties are standard for smash burgers. Single patties cook so thin they tend to dry out.
- The special sauce scales easily. Double the batch if you’re feeding a crowd or want extra for dipping.
- Make-ahead: the sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days. The patties are best cooked fresh.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg