Classic Homemade Smash Burgers with Special Sauce
Lacy, ultra-crispy caramelized beef edges with gooey melted American cheese, crisp pickles, and our famous tangy burger sauce on toasted brioche buns. Better than Shake Shack!
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AdSense Ready • Slot: top-leaderboardClassic Homemade Smash Burgers with Special Sauce
Ingredients
Tap to check off as you cook- 1.5 lbs80/20 ground chuck beef(fresh, not pre-pressed)
- 8 slicesyellow American cheese
- 4 bunsbrioche hamburger buns(split and buttered)
- 1 smallyellow onion(shaved paper-thin)
- 16 slicesdill pickle chips
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 0.5 tspcoarse black pepper
- 0.33 cupmayonnaise(for special sauce)
- 2 tbspyellow mustard(for special sauce)
- 2 tbspketchup(for special sauce)
- 1 tbspsweet pickle relish(for special sauce)
- 0.5 tspwhite vinegar(for special sauce)
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AdSense Ready • Slot: in-recipeStep-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Make Special Sauce: Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, sweet relish, and white vinegar in a bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Chef's Secret: Making the sauce ahead lets the flavors meld together into that classic diner taste. - 2
Divide ground beef into 8 loose, round meatballs (approx 3 oz each). Do NOT pack or overwork the meat. Keep chilled until the exact second they hit the skillet.
Chef's Secret: Cold fat meets screaming hot iron to produce the Maillard reaction crust. - 3
Toast the buns: Melt butter in a wide cast iron skillet or flat griddle over medium heat. Toast split brioche buns cut-side down for 1-2 minutes until golden. Set aside on plates.
Chef's Secret: Toasting the buns creates a barrier that keeps burger juices from turning the bread soggy. - 4
Turn heat up to high until skillet is lightly smoking. Place 2 to 4 beef balls in the pan. Immediately place a small square of parchment paper over each ball and press down hard with a heavy burger press or stiff spatula until paper-thin with ragged lacy edges.
Chef's Secret: Parchment paper prevents the meat from sticking to your metal press! - 5
Remove parchment, scatter shaved onions over the raw side, and season heavily with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes until the edges are deep caramelized brown and crispy.
Chef's Secret: Do not touch them for 2 full minutes to lock in that crunchy lace. - 6
Use a sharp metal spatula to scrape under the crust in one firm stroke. Flip the patty, top immediately with a slice of American cheese, and cook for 1 more minute until cheese melts. Stack two patties together, transfer to toasted buns slathered with special sauce and pickles, and devour!
Chef's Secret: American cheese melts with unmatched creaminess and binds the double patties together.
Estimated Nutrition (Per Serving)
Based on 4 servingsRecommended Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
Equipment tested and recommended by our test kitchen chefs.
Test Kitchen Tips
- 80/20 beef chuck is mandatory—lean beef (90/10) lacks the fat necessary to fry and crisp the patty edges.
- Shaving the onions paper-thin with a mandoline allows them to steam and caramelize right into the patty during the smash.
Storage & Reheating
Smash burgers are best served immediately hot off the griddle. Extra special sauce can be stored in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
