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Keys to Good Smashburgers

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dmourati
dmourati Posts: 1,268
in EggHead Forum
I made smashburgers again tonight and turned out some of my best results to date. It got me thinking, what are the keys to good smashburgers?

Keys:
1. 80/20 ground beef
2. Good flat cooking surface (Pizza Steel for me)
3. Good smashing/flipping tool
4. American cheese
5. Salt and pepper during the cook process
6. Butter and toast the buns
7. Right number and amount of condiments



So, what are your keys to good smashburgers?
Mountain View, CA
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  • CornfedMA
    CornfedMA Posts: 491
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      8. Right portions per patty. Bigger is not necessarily better. 
      9. Use a good melting cheese.
    10. Let the cooking surface get good and hot. 11. Have everything prepped and ready to go. 
    12. Caramelized onions. 

    and don’t try to put them on a plate sideways...
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  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
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    13. A little cooking spray on the raw meat helps the sear and the turn.
    Clinton, Iowa
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  • fence0407
    fence0407 Posts: 2,237
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    14. A Blackstone Griddle =)
    Large - Mini - Blackstone 17", 28", 36"
    Cumming, GA  

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  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,649
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    14. Make into a ball and salt and pepper before the smash.
    15. Bacon

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    no oil on the blackstone, the burger needs to stick to the surface to get that crunch/ hard sear so quick it holds the juice in.  put the cheese on the cooked lower bunn, the sizzling burger on top, its hot enough to melt the cheese and it sticks the burger to the lower bun. prevents the slipping of the burger in the bun
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Kayak
    Kayak Posts: 700
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    Now let's hear your plan for Turkey smash burgers...

    Low fat, high gluey-ness. It's not impossible, but it is tricky! I've had most of my success with just going at it as normal, but I'd like to have a 'healthy' choice that was easy to make.

    Bob

    New Cumberland, PA
    XL with the usual accessories

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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,476
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    For turkey, I'd spray your "smasher" with cooking spray (won't have to for flipping).  
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    maybe coat with bread crumbs to help with the stickyness or coat with flour and use a little oil
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,340
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    I like to use 3 oz burger balls and make a triple 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • CornfedMA
    CornfedMA Posts: 491
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    Botch said:
    For turkey, I'd spray your "smasher" with cooking spray (won't have to for flipping).  
    I also find that letting your flipper/smasher heat up on the cooking surface helps immensely. Heat it, smash it, leave it on the patty for a bit while I starts to cook the top slightly, take it off gently, good to go. 
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  • rockymountaineggster
    rockymountaineggster Posts: 113
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    Someone on here suggested leaving the ball of meat on the very hot surface for 20 to 30 seconds or so initially, flipping the ball over to the other side and then smashing to avoid sticking to the smasher. This tip helped me a ton with that issue.
    Parker, Colorado
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  • stv8r
    stv8r Posts: 1,127
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    Yumm just yumm!
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  • dweebs0r
    dweebs0r Posts: 539
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    Trip to the hardware store first.  Big trowel for smashing the burger and a scraper for getting it off the grill.  Both work perfect.  A little parchment paper helps when smashing on well seasoned cast iron so it doesn't stick to the trowel. 
       -Jody Newell (LBGE & a 36" Blackstone griddle).
    Location:  🍺🍺  The back porch, Munford, TN.  🍺🍺
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  • womaus
    womaus Posts: 256
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    Cheap, tasteless run of the mill hamburger buns
    Mayonaise on the buns for toasting, rather than butter
    2 oz patties, 2 per sandwich
    80/20, or better yet 75/25 if you can find it
    Cheapest american cheese you can find. Or splurge for Velveeta
    Smash sauce spread on the buns after toasting, before assembling
    Smash sauce (mayonnaise, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, minced hamburger pickles, paprika,salt and fresh ground black pepper)
    Super hot griddle with good thickness, the burgers are super thin, they cook quickly and with good char. Thick griddle will hold the heat

    I use a MoJoe on a 22" Weber Kettle. 

    Yeah, I know, not a Smashburger, but it shows the griddle:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htfB6S-euVM&t=467s

    And this is by far the best smash tool. Easy to press hard and evenly when you're right over the center of the meat. Keep a regular spatula (as shown above) handy for the inevitable scraping you'll need to do

    https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1228249/keys-to-good-smashburgers


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  • dweebs0r
    dweebs0r Posts: 539
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    I like that burger smasher.  Is that this item?  --> Amazon link  
       -Jody Newell (LBGE & a 36" Blackstone griddle).
    Location:  🍺🍺  The back porch, Munford, TN.  🍺🍺
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  • womaus
    womaus Posts: 256
    edited July 2021
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    That's the exact one. I've got a couple of them. Fun to use. I don't think I spent $40 on it though.

    Vollrath Yellow Handled 1.6 Pound Steak Weight

    https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/kitchen-essentials/miscellaneous-tools/nsf-certified-steak-weights
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,476
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    I just used my meat pounder, smooth finish on the bottom, heavy, and I already had it:
     

     

    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • Corv
    Corv Posts: 365
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    To keep the spatula from sticking when I do the smash, I butter the bottom of the spatula. Oil or bacon fat would work too.
    And with the top of the ball of meat still not hot - the ball just got to the pan, remember - I press on the top of the spatula with my hand to help spread the meat. Works great. The pan can be at 500+ (and ought to be, that's a goal; I use an IR thermometer) and my hand stays cool and splatter-free. No need for a fancy smashburger-presser-downer.

    Somewhere on the Colorado Front Range
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