# Smash Burgers

Two lacy, crisp-edged patties per bun with melty American cheese, tangy special sauce and butter-toasted potato buns.

- Total time: 24 min (one cook, steps overlapped; 42 min if done strictly in order)
- Hands-on time: 24 min
- Serves: 4 (4 double cheeseburgers)
- Difficulty: easy
- Source: https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com/r/smash-burgers

## Ingredients

### Patties

- 1 1/2 lb ground chuck, 80/20, cold. Substitutes: 85/15 ground beef (Leaner, so a little less juicy and less crusty)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 slices American cheese. Substitutes: sharp cheddar (Sharper, but melts less smoothly)
- 16 dill pickle chips

### Special sauce

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp dill pickle relish. Substitutes: sweet pickle relish (Sweeter, closer to the drive-thru classic)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

### Buns

- 4 potato buns, split. Substitutes: sesame seed buns (Sturdier and a little drier)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened. Substitutes: mayonnaise (Spreads easily and browns very evenly)

### Griddled onions

- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 pinch kosher salt

## Steps (in the fastest order for one cook)

1. [0:00] **Slice** (Griddled onions): Halve 1 large yellow onion and slice it paper thin. _(3 min, hands-on, optional)_
2. [0:03] **Toast** (Buns): Spread 2 tbsp unsalted butter on the cut sides of 4 potato buns and toast them cut side down in a skillet over medium heat until golden. _(4 min, hands-on, medium)_
3. [0:03] **Cook** (Griddled onions): Cook the onion in 1 tbsp unsalted butter with 1 pinch kosher salt in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring now and then, until soft and browned. _(12 min, hands-off, medium, optional)_
   - At 4 min in: Stir the onions
   - At 8 min in: Stir, and add a splash of water if they stick
4. [0:06] **Preheat** (Patties): Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot. _(6 min, hands-off, high, critical path)_
5. [0:07] **Portion** (Patties): Divide 1 1/2 lb ground chuck into 8 loose balls, about 3 oz each. Keep them cold until the pan is ready. _(3 min, hands-on)_
   - Why: Cold, loosely packed beef smashes thin and crusts without turning dense.
6. [0:10] **Stir** (Special sauce): Stir 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tsp yellow mustard, 2 tbsp dill pickle relish, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika together. _(2 min, hands-on, critical path)_
7. [0:12] **Smash** (Patties): Working in batches, smash each ball flat with a stiff spatula, season with kosher salt and black pepper, and cook until the edges are deep brown, about 2 minutes. Scrape, flip, top each with a slice of American cheese and cook 30 seconds more. _(10 min, hands-on, high, critical path)_
   - Why: Smash once, hard, right away. Pressing later just squeezes out the juices.
8. [0:22] **Assemble** (Patties): Spread the special sauce on the toasted buns and stack 2 cheesy patties on each. Top with dill pickle chips and any griddled onions, and serve hot. _(2 min, hands-on, critical path)_

## Graph

Each step lists the steps that must finish before it starts.

- preheat (can start immediately)
- portion (can start immediately)
- smash after preheat, portion, toast, mix-sauce
- mix-sauce (can start immediately)
- toast (can start immediately)
- slice-onion (can start immediately)
- griddle-onions after slice-onion
- serve after smash, mix-sauce, toast, griddle-onions

## Notes

- Press down on the spatula with a second spatula or a small pan for extra leverage.
- A square of parchment between the spatula and the beef stops it from sticking.
- Skip nonstick pans here. They can't safely take the high heat.

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Recipe graph by Dagwood (https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com). Licensed CC BY 4.0. JSON graph: https://dagwood.blrbdigital.com/r/smash-burgers.json