Smashburger Style Burgers Recipes

Steps:

• Place a 9-in. cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, gently shape beef into 4 balls, shaping just enough to keep together (do not compact). , Increase burner temperature to medium-high; add oil. Working in batches, add beef. With a heavy metal spatula, flatten to 1/4- to 1/2-in. thickness; sprinkle each with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook until edges start to brown, about 1-1/2 minutes. Turn burgers and sprinkle with additional 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook until well browned and a thermometer reads at least 160°, 1 minute. Repeat with remaining beef., Serve burgers on buns with toppings as desired.

Steps:

• Set 2 burners to high and 2 burners to medium on a 36-inch Blackstone® Griddle Cooking Station and preheat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and chopped pickle in a small bowl and set aside. Stir the garlic powder, onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a separate small bowl. Set aside.
• Loosely form the beef into 8 balls; set aside. Working in batches, lightly brush butter onto the medium-heat side of the griddle and toast the buns cut-side down until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and keep warm while you cook the burgers.
• Brush butter onto the high-heat side of the griddle and add the onions. Cook, tossing with a metal spatula occasionally, until starting to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Divide the onions into 4 equal piles, spacing them a couple inches apart. Top each pile with 1 ball of beef. Smash each ball with the back of a spatula or a burger press until the patty is about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remining 4 beef balls directly on the griddle. Season the patties with half the seasoning mixture and continue cooking, undisturbed, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip the patties, sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture and top each plain patty with 1 cheese slice. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted around the edges and the bottoms of the patties are browned, about 1 more minute.
• Spread the ketchup mixture on the bun tops. Fill each bun with 1 onion patty, 1 plain patty, 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf and some of the onions, if any, that were left on the griddle.

Steps:

• For the smash sauce: Mix together the mayonnaise, gherkins, ketchup, sriracha, mustard, granulated garlic and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Season to taste.
• For the burgers: Heat a large flat-surfaced griddle pan to high heat. Add the vegetable oil.
• Add the balls of meat to the hot griddle and let cook for 15 to 30 seconds. Flip the burgers and, using a trowel or large spatula, smash each ball of meat until about the size of the bun (the overhang is crucial). Smash and schmear down the edges of the beef even further, so that they are a little thinner than the middle. Sprinkle the exposed side with salt, pepper and a little granulated garlic. Cook until super dark and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. (The beef will release better when properly caramelized.) Now it's time to scrape the beef and flip, ideally using a griddle scraper or paint scraper to get up every bit of beef. Immediately top each patty with 2 slices American cheese and sear for another 1 to 2 minutes. Spread 1 tablespoon butter on each burger bun and place on the grill. Cook until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Top each bun with a patty, lettuce, tomato and smash sauce. (I like mine plain, with a smash sauce dunk.)