Smash Burgers
I spent years trying to make restaurant burgers at home. The answer was violence — smash that patty HARD.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 450g; 80/20 ratio. You need the fat. Lean beef makes a dry, sad smash burger.
- Salt and pepper generously
- 4-8 slices American cheese yes, American cheese. It melts like nothing else. This is not the time for artisanal cheddar.
- 4 burger buns soft, squishy, Martin’s potato rolls if you can find them
- Butter for the buns
For the Polish Pickle Relish
- 4-5 Polish pickled cucumbers , diced small ogorki kiszone
- 2 tablespoons diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon pickle brine
- Pinch of sugar
Method
Make the Pickle Relish
-
Mix diced pickles, onion, brine, and sugar. Let it sit while you cook the burgers. The sugar balances the tang — just a pinch, not enough to taste sweet. This takes 2 minutes and makes the burger feel like it came from a place with a name and a logo.
Prep the Beef
-
Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions for thick singles or 8 portions for thin doubles (I always go doubles). Roll each into a loose ball. Don’t pack them tight — loose balls smash flatter and create better lace edges. Season the outside of each ball with salt and pepper.
Smash
-
Heat a cast iron skillet or flat griddle over HIGH heat. When it’s smoking — literally smoking — add a ball of beef and immediately press it flat with a sturdy spatula or a burger press. Press HARD. You want the patty as thin as possible, about 1/4 inch. Don’t be gentle. The first time I did this, I was too polite with the spatula and got a mediocre half-smash. My husband took over, used actual force, and produced perfection. Sometimes cooking requires controlled aggression.
Cook
-
Leave the smashed patty alone for 2-3 minutes. Don’t move it. The bottom is forming a deep brown crust — that’s the whole point. When the edges look brown and crispy, flip it. Immediately place a slice of cheese on top. If making doubles, stack the second patty on top of the first. Cook 1 more minute. The residual heat melts the cheese. Remove from the heat.
Assemble
-
Butter the buns and toast them on the hot surface — 30 seconds, just until golden. Stack: bottom bun, patty (or double stack), pickle relish, any other toppings you want. Close the bun. Eat immediately. These don’t wait well.
Notes
You won’t have leftovers. But if you do: patties keep in the fridge 2-3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet to re-crisp, not in the microwave. Uncooked beef balls can be formed ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking. Don’t freeze cooked patties — they lose the crust that makes them special.
Smash Burgers — Thin, Crispy, and Better Than Any Restaurant
I spent years trying to make restaurant burgers at home. The answer was violence — smash that patty HARD.
Every method I tried before smash burgers produced the same result: a thick, round hockey puck of ground beef that was grey inside, dry on the outside, and nothing like what you’d get at a good burger joint. Then I learned the smash technique — take a ball of beef, slam it flat on a screaming hot surface, and let the Maillard reaction do its thing. The result is a thin, lacey-edged, impossibly crispy patty with more crust than interior. The first time I made one, I understood what I’d been doing wrong my entire burger-making life: I was being too gentle. Burgers don’t reward gentleness. They reward aggression.
My Polish twist: I serve these with a quick pickled cucumber relish made with ogorki (Polish pickled cucumbers), diced onion, and a splash of the pickle brine. It’s basically a deconstructed mizeria in burger form — tangy, crunchy, and the perfect counterpoint to all that beefy richness. Regular pickles work fine, but Polish ogorki kiszone (fermented pickles) have a deeper, more complex tang that takes the burger from great to unforgettable.
Why Smash Burgers Are Better
The science is simple: maximum surface area on a hot surface means maximum crust. When you smash a ball of beef flat, every square millimetre of that thin patty makes contact with the griddle. The Maillard reaction — the chemical process that turns meat brown and delicious — happens across the entire surface. A thick burger only browns on the outside edges. A smash burger is basically ALL edge. More crust, more flavour, more of the thing that makes burgers taste like burgers.
The other advantage: speed. Smash burgers cook in about 2-3 minutes per side. No waiting 10 minutes for a thick patty to cook through. No “is it done in the middle?” anxiety. You smash, you flip, you cheese, you eat. The whole process from raw beef to assembled burger takes about 5 minutes. I can make burgers for six people faster than it takes to order delivery. And they’re better than delivery. Dramatically better.
Ingredients
- • 1 pound (450g) ground beef — 80/20 ratio. You need the fat. Lean beef makes a dry, sad smash burger.
- • Salt and pepper — generously
- • 4-8 slices American cheese — yes, American cheese. It melts like nothing else. This is not the time for artisanal cheddar.
- • 4 burger buns — soft, squishy, Martin’s potato rolls if you can find them
- • Butter for the buns
For the Polish Pickle Relish
- • 4-5 Polish pickled cucumbers (ogorki kiszone), diced small
- • 2 tablespoons diced white onion
- • 1 tablespoon pickle brine
- • Pinch of sugar
How to Make Smash Burgers
Make the Pickle Relish
Mix diced pickles, onion, brine, and sugar. Let it sit while you cook the burgers. The sugar balances the tang — just a pinch, not enough to taste sweet. This takes 2 minutes and makes the burger feel like it came from a place with a name and a logo.
Prep the Beef
Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions for thick singles or 8 portions for thin doubles (I always go doubles). Roll each into a loose ball. Don’t pack them tight — loose balls smash flatter and create better lace edges. Season the outside of each ball with salt and pepper.
Smash
Heat a cast iron skillet or flat griddle over HIGH heat. When it’s smoking — literally smoking — add a ball of beef and immediately press it flat with a sturdy spatula or a burger press. Press HARD. You want the patty as thin as possible, about 1/4 inch. Don’t be gentle. The first time I did this, I was too polite with the spatula and got a mediocre half-smash. My husband took over, used actual force, and produced perfection. Sometimes cooking requires controlled aggression.
Cook
Leave the smashed patty alone for 2-3 minutes. Don’t move it. The bottom is forming a deep brown crust — that’s the whole point. When the edges look brown and crispy, flip it. Immediately place a slice of cheese on top. If making doubles, stack the second patty on top of the first. Cook 1 more minute. The residual heat melts the cheese. Remove from the heat.
Assemble
Butter the buns and toast them on the hot surface — 30 seconds, just until golden. Stack: bottom bun, patty (or double stack), pickle relish, any other toppings you want. Close the bun. Eat immediately. These don’t wait well.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ The pan must be screaming hot. If it’s not smoking, it’s not hot enough. Medium heat makes grey burgers. High heat makes crust.
✓ Smash once. Hard. Don’t press multiple times during cooking — that squeezes out juice. One decisive smash at the beginning, then hands off.
✓ American cheese is correct. I know. But it melts into a creamy blanket that no fancy cheese can replicate on a smash burger. Save the gruyere for something else.
✓ 80/20 beef or fattier. Fat = flavour and moisture. Lean beef makes dry, disappointing patties.
✓ Cast iron or carbon steel. Non-stick pans can’t handle the heat you need. Cast iron is the smash burger’s best friend.
Variations
• The Polish Mom burger: Double smash patty, American cheese, Polish pickle relish, a smear of Polish mustard (musztarda). This is my signature and it’s unreasonably good.
• Classic American: Lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard. Nothing wrong with the classics.
• Oklahoma onion burger: Press thin-sliced onions into the raw beef ball before smashing. The onions cook into the patty and caramelise. Incredible.
• Schabowy-smash hybrid: Use ground pork instead of beef, season with marjoram, and top with sauerkraut. Two Polish Mom burger originals in one.
How to Store
You won’t have leftovers. But if you do: patties keep in the fridge 2-3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet to re-crisp, not in the microwave. Uncooked beef balls can be formed ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking. Don’t freeze cooked patties — they lose the crust that makes them special.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a burger press?
No — a sturdy spatula and some determination work fine. A heavy-bottomed plate works too. If you make smash burgers regularly, a dedicated press is nice but not necessary. What IS necessary is force. Commit to the smash.
How thin should I smash them?
As thin as you can get them — 1/4 inch or thinner. The thinner the patty, the more crust, the better the burger. Don’t worry about them being too thin. They won’t fall apart. The Maillard crust holds everything together.
Can I cook these on a grill?
Technically yes, but it’s harder because the beef can fall through the grates. A flat griddle or plancha on the grill works perfectly. A cast iron skillet on the grill also works. You need a flat, hot surface for the smash to work properly.
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