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Smash Burgers

Name: Smash Burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (preferably 80% lean); 1 teaspoon canola oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided; 4 hamburger buns, split; Optional: Mayonnaise, sliced American cheese, sliced tomato, dill pickle slices, lettuce, ketchup and yellow mustard

Now is not the time to cut calories or skimp on salt. Go for ground chuck that is at least 80/20. If you can find a blend with ground brisket or short rib, all the better. The best burger comes with being liberal with kosher salt—it is beef's best friend. —James Schend, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (preferably 80% lean)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
4 hamburger buns, split
Optional: Mayonnaise, sliced American cheese, sliced tomato, dill pickle slices, lettuce, ketchup and yellow mustard

Directions

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.

Test Kitchen tips

Want a Smash Cheeseburger? Add a slice of your favorite cheese right after you flip it.

The more you work the ground beef the tougher the burger will be. So use just your fingertips to form the loose balls. Don't worry about tucking in all those loose strands that may stick out; they turn into well-browned bits of goodness.

There is a lot of flavor in the browning, so after you smash them don't move them until you're ready to flip. If you have the space, flip the burger onto an unused area of the skillet; it's much hotter than the section of pan where the burger was.

Using a meat mallet to press on the spatula while you're flattening the burgers will help to form them evenly and will help keep your spatula from bending.

Nutrition Facts

1 burger: 339 calories, 16g fat (5g saturated fat), 70mg cholesterol, 760mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 24g protein.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

amsm
Jan 11, 2021
I love smash cheeseburgers, and this recipe is just like they are cooked on a flat top in a diner. The perfect amount of crust on the patties is what makes these smash cheeseburgers my fave!
JMartinelli13
Sep 23, 2020
This is the first recipe ever for burgers cooked indoors that my guys have devoured and then asked when I'm making them again! I did 2 patties per person with shredded cheddar between them, bacon, ketchup and served them on griddled buttered pretzel rolls. A++
cynandtom
May 23, 2020
We love us some burgers, but our general cooking method is grilling. When I saw this recipe, I decided to give this method a try, and I’m so glad I did. Beautiful crust on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside. Burger perfection! Hubby said he wants to make them like this from now on. I topped with sharp Provolone, bacon, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and pickles.

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