How to Make Smash Burgers: Easy Recipe & Technique
Quick answer: use beef with around 20% fat, roll it loosely into small balls, place them on a screaming-hot flat pan or griddle, smash immediately, season, cook until a deep crust forms, scrape and flip once, then add cheese.
For the easiest route, use our Smash Burger Mince 1kg, made from a 50/50 mix of dry aged rib cap and chuck with an approximately 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.
What Is a Smash Burger?
A smash burger is made by pressing a loose ball of minced beef firmly onto a very hot flat cooking surface. The thin patty develops a dark, savoury crust while cooking quickly, giving you crisp edges and a juicy centre.
What Is the Best Mince for Smash Burgers?
Around 80% lean beef and 20% fat is a very good starting point. Too lean and the burger can become dry; enough fat helps with flavour, browning and texture.
Our Smash Burger Mince combines dry aged boneless rib cap and chuck steak and is prepared specifically with smash burgers in mind.
Smash Burger Ingredients
- 1kg smash burger mince or 80/20 beef mince
- Salt and black pepper
- Burger cheese or cheddar
- Brioche or potato buns
- Sliced pickles
- Finely sliced onion
- Your favourite burger sauce
How Big Should a Smash Burger Patty Be?
For a classic thin smash burger, portion the meat into loose balls of around 80–100g each. Do not tightly pack or knead the mince. Keeping it loose makes it easier to smash thinly and helps create those crisp, ragged edges.
How to Cook Smash Burgers
- Heat the pan: use a heavy cast-iron pan, plancha or flat griddle and get it very hot.
- Portion the beef: divide the cold mince into loose 80–100g balls.
- Add the beef: place the balls onto the hot surface with enough room between them.
- Smash immediately: use a strong flat spatula or burger press to flatten each ball firmly and thinly.
- Season: add salt and pepper after smashing.
- Leave it alone: let the first side develop a deep brown crust before moving it.
- Scrape and flip: use a sharp-edged spatula to scrape underneath so the crust stays attached to the burger.
- Add cheese: place cheese on immediately after flipping and cook until the burger is thoroughly cooked.
- Build: transfer to a toasted bun with pickles, onions and sauce.
How Long Do Smash Burgers Take to Cook?
Because smash burgers are thin, they cook quickly. Rather than relying only on a clock, cook until the first side has developed a strong brown crust, flip once, then finish cooking the burger thoroughly.
For home cooking, the Food Standards Agency advises that burgers should be cooked thoroughly all the way through. If using a thermometer, a recognised safe equivalent is 70°C for 2 minutes.
Should You Press a Smash Burger More Than Once?
No. Smash firmly at the beginning while the meat is still raw, then leave the patty alone so it can form a crust. Repeated pressing later in the cook can squeeze moisture out without improving the sear.
Do You Put Oil on the Pan for Smash Burgers?
Usually very little or none is needed when using an 80/20 beef mix on a well-seasoned cast-iron or flat griddle. The fat in the burger will render as it cooks.
Simple Smash Burger Sauce
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp finely chopped pickles or relish
- A splash of pickle juice
- Black pepper to taste
Mix everything together and chill until needed.
Smash Burger FAQs
What meat should I use for smash burgers?
Use beef mince with enough fat to stay juicy and brown properly. Around 80/20 lean-to-fat is an excellent starting point.
Why are my smash burgers not crispy?
The usual causes are a pan that is not hot enough, moving the burger too soon, using very lean mince or overcrowding the cooking surface.
Should smash burger meat be cold?
Keep the portioned mince chilled until you are ready to cook. That makes the loose balls easier to handle before they hit the hot cooking surface.
Can I make double smash burgers?
Yes. Two thin patties with a slice of cheese between them is the classic approach and gives you more browned surface area without needing one thick burger.
Buy Smash Burger Mince Online
Our Smash Burger Mince 1kg is a 50/50 blend of dry aged rib cap and chuck steak with an approximately 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. One 1kg pack gives you plenty for a batch of thin smash patties.
