Blackstone Smash Burger Recipe

If you’ve never tasted a Blackstone smash burger, you haven’t really lived. Follow this recipe to make the best burger you’ve had in your life.

I love pretty much any kind of burger, but my absolute favorite is a smash burger cooked on a Blackstone flat-top. They cook super fast and perfect for feeding a crowd.

What Is A Smash Burger?

Get yourself a few ounces of fresh ground beef. Instead of forming it into a traditional burger patty, roll it into a ball like you were making meatballs.

Toss it on your Blackstone with some butter and then SMASH it flat with a bacon press. This will give your patty that distinct crispy crust which is just bursting with flavor.

Add some cheese, and then bun it up with your favorite toppings on a toasted roll. After one bite you’ll know why Blackstone smash burgers are so popular.

How To Make A Smash Burger

First of all, you can’t make a smash burger on a traditional gas or charcoal grill. If you tried, you’d make an awful mess as your ground beef would squeeze right through the grill grates when you pressed down on it.

You need a flat-top cooking surface to cook smash burgers. You can try making them in a cast iron pan or an electric griddle, but I find I get the best results cooking smash burgers on the Blackstone.

You can scroll down and print the full recipe, but here are the basic steps involved:

Ingredients

• Ground Beef (preferably 80/20)
• Cheese slices
• Hamburger buns
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Of course this doesn’t include any of the delicious toppings or condiments you might want to add.

You’ll also need some parchment paper (or aluminum foil), a burger press, and a spatula.

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Step By Step Instructions

Start with a package of 80/20 ground beef. I think 20 percent fat content makes the perfect burger. If you want to go a little leaner you can get 85/15 but honestly it’s just not the same flavor.

Loosely roll the beef into balls about 3 to 4 ounces each. You can use an ice cream scoop or small measuring cup to start but before long you’ll be able to judge by their size.

A good kitchen scale is also handy to keep around. Once you weigh the first one and get the correct weight, you can eyeball the rest.

Preheat your Blackstone to medium-high heat. You’re looking for a temperature of about 425 F to 450 F so you can really get an excellent sear on your smash patties.

When the griddle is good and hot, add some butter to the cooking surface and place each ball of meat on the griddle. Don’t overcrowd them. You’ll want to leave plenty of room to smash them down comfortably.

Pro Tip – If you’re cooking for a crowd, take your time and cook a few burgers at a time. Blackstone smash burgers cook fast and if you try to do too many at once you’ll end up overcooking them.

Place a piece of parchment paper over one of the balls of meat and use the press to firmly smash it into the griddle for about 20 seconds. When you remove the parchment paper you’ll be left with a thin smash patty.

Repeat the smashing process for each patty, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic power, and let them cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Carefully scrape under the patty to loosen it from the griddle. Flip each burger and cook for about another minute. Then add cheese and once melted you can assemble your burgers.

Personally, I like to serve 2 patties on a toasted bun and let my guests choose whatever toppings they prefer, but you can also serve single patties.

Why Are Smash Burgers So Good?

Smash burgers are different than regular burgers. When you smash them into the griddle surface you kickstart the Maillard reaction, which is just fancy science words for the browning reaction which gives food that dark, rich crust that adds so much flavor.

Smash burgers are super thin which means a greater proportion of the patty will have that crispy crust and that means more flavor overall.

Plus, cooking your smash burgers on a flat-top means they’re basically cooking in their own beefy juices and that alone is probably enough to make your mouth water.

Tips For Making The Best Smash Burger

• Have all your ingredients and toppings ready to go and within reach before you start cooking. Smash burgers cook quickly and once you get started you’ll have no time to run inside to grab something you’ve forgotten.
• Toasting your buns will add additional flavor and texture. Just spread a little butter on each bun and place it face down on the griddle for a few minutes before you cook the patties.
• When rolling the beef into balls, don’t pack them too tightly. Leaving them a little looser will make them easier to smash and keep them tender.
• Don’t worry about perfectly shaped patties. When you smash them they won’t be perfect circles. But that’s good because all those little nooks and crannies mean more surface area to brown and develop flavors.
• If you don’t have a Blackstone you can make smash burgers inside with a cast iron skillet or frying pan.
• Get creative with toppings. Try different types of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, bacon, or anything else you like. There are no rules.

Print The Blackstone Smash Burger Recipe

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Yield: Serves 4

Blackstone Smash Burgers

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If you’ve never tasted a Blackstone smash burger, you haven’t really lived. Follow this recipe to make the best burger you’ve had in your life.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
• 8 slices cheese
• 4 hamburger buns
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions

1. Divide the meat into eight portions and loosely roll each portion into a ball of about 3 to 4 ounces.
2. Preheat the griddle to medium-high heat (about 400 F to 450 F).
3. Add the butter to the griddle surface and spread it around.
4. Place 4 of the balls in the melted butter. Top one of the balls with a piece of parchment paper and firmly press down with a burger press to smash it into a thin patty about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat the process for the rest of the balls.
5. Season the patties with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the color darkens and juices rise to the top.
6. Scrape under the patties so they release from the cooking surface and then flip them over.
7. Cook for 1 more minute and then add cheese to each patty. Once melted, remove the patties to a separate platter and repeat the steps above until all burgers are cooked.
8. Toss the buns face down on the griddle until toasted and brown.
9. Assembly time! Stack 2 patties on each bun and add your favorite toppings. In this recipe we used lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and a drizzle of Chick-Fil-A sauce,
10. Dig in and enjoy those Blackstone smash burgers!

Notes

Making more than 4 patties at once is tough because they cook so fast there just isn't enough time to complete each step before they overcook. If you're feeding a crowd your best bet is to cook your smash patties in batches.

Dress your smash burger however you like, our toppings above are just suggestions.