Learn how to make smash burger Use simple ingredients to create a quick, family-friendly meal that's even better than your favorite restaurant version. Thin slices of ground beef layered over sautéed onions and served on toasted buns with burger sauce and all the best toppings!
Easy to make, this homemade smash burger recipe is high protein, gluten free (depends on your bread!), Nut freeand Dairy-free friendly!

What makes a Smash Burger a Smash Burger?
Now that we've started making them, these are truly a family staple for us! Smash burgers are just as the name suggests, smashing burgers until they are thin and crispy! Therefore, smash burgers are usually cooked to well-done, while thick burgers can be cooked from medium to well-done.
But don't worry! There is nothing bland or dry about this recipe. Crushing the beef increases its surface area, locking in the natural juices and flavors. Paired with sweet onions and tangy sauce, the burger is juicy, flavorful and totally irresistible. Plus, they cook super fast, making them perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd!
Add them with your favorite toppings and you'll never go back to the restaurant version.


Required ingredients and substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
smash burger
- onion: I like to use white onions for a saltier flavor, but yellow onions will work too.
- Ground beef: For best results, I recommend using 80/20 beef. This helps keep the burger moist and juicy.
- seasoning: Use salt and pepper, or choose your favorite burger seasoning.
- Yellow mustard: This coats the bread and adds a delicious rich flavor. Feel free to substitute Dijon mustard if you like!
- cheese: Use cheese slices that melt easily, such as cheddar, muenster, provolone, or American cheese. Or, if you need to keep this recipe dairy-free, use your favorite plant-based cheese.
- Ingredients: Mix and match all your favorite burger toppings, such as burger sauce (see below), pickle slices, lettuce and tomato slices.
burger sauce
*If you don't want to succeed, I like this one!
- mayonnaise: Use your favorite store-bought mayonnaise, or make your own ancient May!
- mustard: Yellow mustard or Dijon mustard both work well.
ketchup: I like to use low sugar tomato sauce, but whatever you like best will taste great. - White vinegar: This adds a bit of rich flavor. Feel free to substitute apple cider vinegar.
- seasoning: Garlic powder, chili powder, and salt create a rich, savory flavor.
- Hot sauce: This is optional, but I like to add a little hot sauce for a little extra heat!
- With relish: Again, this is optional but really makes the sauce taste even better!
where do i buy meat
- 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef
- Free range organic chicken
- humanely raised pork
- wild seafood
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How to Make Smash Burgers
- Portion the beef: Divide ground beef into 3-ounce meatballs.
- Cook the onions: Spread the onions onto the hot skillet, skillet or cast iron pan. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, adding oil as needed so they don't stick or burn.






- Flatten the beef: Place the ground beef meatballs on top of the onions and flatten them with a rolling pin burger press.




- season: Brush beef patties evenly with yellow mustard and season with salt and pepper or burger seasoning.
- flip: Carefully flip the burger over and place the cheese slices on top.




- Toast: When the burgers are done cooking, lightly toast the buns.
- Prepare the sauce: Stir all ingredients for burger sauce in a small bowl and adjust seasoning to taste.
- gather: Place burger patties on toasted burger buns with your choice of toppings and prepared burger sauce. Enjoy now!




tools for success
This recipe is virtually foolproof, but the following tools can help ensure your burgers are crispy and delicious with ease, no matter how you cook them!
- Flat top accessories – I like cooking flat topespecially when I'm making multiple burgers at the same time, these accessories make cooking, flipping, and cleaning up easy.
- frying pan insert – This makes cooking on the grill easy without the pancakes sliding right through the grates. You can also use it to make Egg, Pancakeand more!
- Frying pans and grills – Of course, you can use a metal spatula to flatten the burgers if desired. However, I found that these tools produced the ultra-thin, restaurant-quality patties we wanted.
- Kitchen Scale – Use it to evenly distribute the beef mixture so all the burgers cook evenly.
Food recommendations
If you want to keep this recipe low carb and gluten-free, feel free to skip the bread and use lettuce wraps instead. Then, make a complete meal with the following sides:




Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the burger patties 1-2 days in advance and the burger sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then, reheat the burgers in the microwave or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and assemble with your favorite toppings when ready to serve.
I haven't tested it yet, but ground bison, ground turkey, or ground chicken should work. Be sure to adjust cooking times as needed, and remember the flavor and texture of your burgers will change slightly!
Using meat that is more than 80% lean will result in a tough burger. Also, remember not to press the patties after they start cooking. This squeezes out excess juices and dries out the meat.
More Burger Recipes You'll Love


Burger Patties:
- 1 1/2 pound Ground beef Divide into 8 equal portions (3 ounces each)
- 1 white onion cut into thin slices
- yellow mustard
- salt and pepper or burger seasoning
- onion slices
- slice cheese
Ingredients:
- Special sauce/burger sauce
- A cheese that melts well like cheddar muenster or provolone cheese
- kimchi slices
- tomato Elective
- lettuce
- Toast
Burger Sauce:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder/granules
- 1/4 teaspoon chili
- salt and pepper Go and try it
- Optional 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Optional 1 tablespoon condiments If you have one!
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Shape ground beef into 3-ounce balls.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
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Place the diced onions on a griddle, skillet, or cast iron pan and cook for 1-2 minutes (add additional oil if needed).
1 white onion
-
Press the ground beef into the onions (you can first place parchment paper on top of the burgers between the grinders if they stick) and lift gently.
-
Brush ground beef patties with yellow mustard and season with s/p or burger seasoning.
yellow mustard, salt and pepper or burger seasoning
-
Flip burgers and add cheese.
cheese slices
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Toast the bread until golden brown.
Toast
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To make the burger sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon yellow or Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder/granules, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, salt and pepper, Optional 1 teaspoon hot sauce, Optional 1 tablespoon condiments
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Once the burgers are cooked to your liking (note: they cook quickly!), serve the burgers with the pickles and burger sauce.
onion slices, Special sauce/burger sauce, pickle slices, tomato, lettuce, melted cheese like cheddar
- The nutritional information above does not include burger sauce or toppings.
- You can prepare the burger patties 1-2 days in advance and the burger sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then, reheat them in the microwave or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and assemble the burgers when ready to eat.
Serve: 1ServeCalories: Chapter 398kilocaloriescarbohydrate: 2Gprotein: twenty oneGfat: 34GSaturated fat: 13GPolyunsaturated fats: 5GMonounsaturated fats: 11GTrans fat: 1Gcholesterol: 92milligramssodium: 316milligramsPotassium: Chapter 259milligramsfiber: 0.04Gsugar: 0.5GVitamin A: Chapter 324IUVitamin C: 0.1milligramscalcium: 216milligramsiron: 2milligrams