Smash Burgers

Smash burgers have become my go-to burger because of their easy assembly and amazing results. They remind me of Shake-Shack burgers and go amazing with onion, special sauce, and anything else you like to top your burgers with. Just make sure you have a strong spatula handy because I bent mine in the process- but, you really need to press it down to get the crunchy sear on the outside of the burger patty!

Recipe source: Bon Appetit

Adapted by Tierney Larson

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef

Canola oil

Kosher Salt

4 slices of American Cheese (or any kind if you want to go rogue)

Any burger toppings you like!

4 potato buns (not pictured because we only had english muffins when we made this! lol c’est la vie!)

My fav way to make secret sauce: Mix everything below, salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mayo

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce minced

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Ok so..

The trick to these is a really hot griddle or cast iron skillet, so start whichever one you have preheating and let it heat over medium high for a good 3-4 minutes or until you just start to see some tiny wisps of smoke. Meanwhile, divide your meat into 4 equal sized pieces and don’t form them into patties. Once you see the cast iron skillet or griddle JUST start to smoke a tiny bit, brush it with some canola oil. Then, place the burgers on the hot skillet one at a time, and press them down with a strong spatula until they are about 1/4 inch thick. (They might break apart a little just mush it back with the spatula-it’s all good). Season well with kosher salt and then let them brown for about 2 minutes, or until they get a nice crust.

Flip the patty, season the other side with salt and then add cheese. When the cheese is melted the burgers are done, they don’t need a lot of time on the other side. Slap ‘em on a bun and top with whatever you like!