Smash Burgers

By J. Kenji López-Alt

Updated July 24, 2025

Smash Burgers
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(98)
Comments
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The perfect smash burger should have edges that are lacy and crisp, smashed out until they are so thin that they shatter when you bite into them. The key is using beef with around an 80-20 lean-to-fat ratio (ground chuck works well), forming it into balls and smashing it onto an unoiled steel surface (you want the meat to stick when you smash it), and using a stiff, thin metal spatula to scrape up the edges of the cooked meat.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 smash burgers
  • 4soft hamburger buns
  • Condiments and toppings, as desired, such as mayonnaise, mustard, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes and pickles
  • 16ounces/440 grams freshly ground beef chuck, 80-20 beef
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4slices good melting cheese, such as American or Cheddar
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Toast and dress the burger buns and have them nearby and ready as you cook the burgers (they cook very quickly). Using your hands, form the ground beef into 4 equal balls. Season them generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Cut a sheet of parchment paper into 4 (4-inch) squares and have them ready.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large stainless-steel sauté pan or skillet over high for 2 minutes. Place two patties in the pan and place the parchment on top. Using a stiff metal spatula or the bottom of a small saucepan, press down on the patties, focusing on thinning out the edges, until they are at least an inch wider than the burger bun. You can use a second spatula to add pressure, if necessary.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the parchment. Allow to cook until the patties are well browned and the tops begin to turn a pale pink-gray in spots, about 1 minute. Using a bench scraper or the back side of a stiff metal spatula, carefully scrape the patties from the pan, working around them to release all the edges before scraping up the center and flipping.

  4. Step 4

    Immediately place the cheese on top of the patties. Let it cook for about 15 seconds on the second side, then transfer to the waiting burger buns. Serve. Repeat with any remaining patties.

Tip
  • To make a double smash burger, form the same 16 ounces of beef into eight 2-ounce balls. Cook them side-by-side, two at a time, in the same skillet. Repeat with any remaining patties. During Step 4, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty and stack them before transferring to the burger bun.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
98 user ratings
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Comments

Jeff P.

All you need as per a credible chef: 1. Use 75/25 ground beef! It's the perfect blend to keep it juicy and let the fat render out during the cook to help get that beautiful crust! 80/20 works as well, but it's slightly worse than this blend for smashburgers. 2. When you form the 3-4 oz smashburger balls, don't overwork the beef or handle it too much. You want it to really spread out when smashing and this helps get that amazing texture that Smashburger are known for! Just loosely form it with your hands and your done! 3. When cooking, preheat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium high to high heat. You want the cooktop to read 450° F or more. I aim for 475-525 most of the time! You also want to avoid using any oil, it will actually prevent the beef from sticking which is needed for that perfect crust! 4. Season it up after smashing and Let it cook 80-90% (90 seconds) through before flipping, and when you flip you need to make sure you carefully scrape up the edges! This will make sure the crust stays in tact, which is the whole point of a Smashburger! Then cook long enough to melt cheese and done!

Rea;ost

I've done smash burgers. Some, like my wife, wants them paper thin; in the belief they'll be 'crispier'. If the burger is thinner than the cheese, that's a deal breaker for some of us. If you've ever gone to a 5 Guys, you can watch them smash all the juice out of the burger. They hammer that thing to death. I'll make one for my wife, but I'll stick with a thick, decent burger that doesn't have all the juice smashed out of it.

Andy

A wide, high-quality putty knife also works well for scraping up the burgers. Kenji also makes a "Fake Shack" burger, with the sauce, that I highly recommend. I make extra sauce to serve with a side of deep fried tots. (Tots are far easier to do at home than fries and they always come out perfectly.)

Evoroadster

I use waygu ground beef from Costco.

Geophany

Is there a reason for using a steel pan vs cast iron? If so, what adjustments are needed for cast iron?

Kim

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I'm *really* tired of reading about/hearing about/seeing on menus 'smash burgers.'

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