How To Make Blackstone Smash Burgers

Last Updated on July 4, 2023

If you’ve never tasted a homemade smash burger, you haven’t really lived. Follow this Blackstone Smash Burger 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 they’re 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, loosely roll it into a ball as if you were making meatballs.

Toss it on your Blackstone with some butter and then SMASH it flat with a burger press or metal spatula. 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 The Perfect Blackstone 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
• Smash Burger sauce

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 sturdy metal spatula.

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 10 seconds. When you remove the parchment paper you’ll be left with a thin smashed patty.

Repeat the smashing process for each patty, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic power, and let them cook for about 2 minutes.

Carefully scrape under the patty to loosen it from the griddle. Flip each burger add a slice of cheese and cook for about another minute. Once the cheese is 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 made super thin which means a greater proportion of the patty will have that crispy crust and ore crust means more flavor.

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 start watering.

Tips For Making The Best Smash Burger

Be prepared – 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.

Don’t forget your buns – 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.

Be gentle with your balls – 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.

Focus on flavor – 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.

Technique matters – When flipping your smash burgers, make sure you get all that crunchiness. If you leave any on the flat top, you’ll be missing out on all that flavor!

Get creative with toppings – Try different types of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, bacon, or anything else you like. There are no rules.

The Secret Ingredient: Smash Burger Sauce

Smash burgers are fantastic with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, guacamole, or even tzatziki sauce.

But if you really want to take your burger to the next level, you need to try some homemade smash burger sauce. It’s creamy and zesty, and so easy to make. This sauce will take your burger from delicious to life-changing!

Here’s all you need:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced hamburger pickles
• 1 teaspoon pickle juice
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined. You can make it ahead of time and store in the fridge until your burgers come off the griddle.

Tools For Making Smash Burgers Easy

Blackstone smash burgers are pretty simple to make, but there some tools I like to make cooking them even easier.

Burger Press

If you don’t have a burger press you can make do with a sturdy metal spatula or even a brick wrapped in aluminum foil. But a nice burger press is much easier to use and it will ensure your patties are smashed think and evenly so they cook correctly.

A good burger press like this one also comes in handy to make sure bacon lays flat while it cooks , or for any kind of sandwich you want to smash like a grilled cheese or Reuben.

Parchment Paper Rounds

I used to just take some regular parchment paper and either fold it up or cut it into smaller squares for smashing my burgers. But then someone turned me on to these parchment paper rounds that work so much better.

Plus you can use them for baking and pressing homemade tortillas. They’re so inexpensive and handy, these circles are easily one of my favorite Blackstone accessories.

Kitchen Scale Or Measuring Cup

You want to make sure your burger balls are the right size so they cook properly. I think 3 ounces is the perfect size for smash burgers, especially since I double up the patties.

An inexpensive kitchen scale will remove all the guess work, but if you don’t one you can use a 1/3 cup measuring cup. Loosely pack the ground beef inside the cup and you should have roughly the right amount for your burger balls.

Sturdy Metal Spatula

A good set of metal spatulas is essential for for cooking anything on a griddle, and Blackstone smash burgers are no exception. You need a spatula that’s big enough and sturdy enough to scrap off all the delicious crunchiness and not leave any behind when you flip. This set of Blackstone spatulas is perfect for the occasion.

More On Making Blackstone Smash Burgers

Want to learn more about making Blackstone Smash Burgers? Check out this video from the Hungry Hussey, then follow my recipe below for some good eating!

Frequently Asked Questions

Smash burgers are easy and fun to make and I don’t know anyone who’s ever tried one and didn’t love it. But I do get questions on them all the time, so here are some of the most frequently asked questions about making Blackstone smash burgers.

What setting do you cook smash burgers on a Blackstone?

When cooking smash burgers, the griddle temp needs be high (about 425 F to 450 F). That high heat is important because without it you won’t get the Maillard reaction and your burger’s exterior won’t have that signature crunchy browning.

Why do smash burgers taste different?

Smash burgers taste different than regular burgers because a greater proportion of the meat is pressed to the griddle surface which activates the Maillard reaction and maximizes browning and flavor.

What kind of meat makes the best smash burgers?

The best beef for making smash burgers is ground chuck with a fat content of at least 20 percent. The higher fat content will ensure your burger stays juicy and full of flavor.

How long do you cook smash burgers on a Blackstone?

Blackstone burgers cook very fast. Smash each ball of meat with a burger press or spatula until they are about 1/4 inch thick and let cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the burgers, add a slice of cheese and cook for about 1 more minute and then your burgers are ready to eat.

How many ounces should each smash burger be?

Opinions vary but I find 3 to 4 ounces are the perfect size for smash burgers. When smashed the meat will just about the right size for a hamburger roll.

One pound of meat makes four smash burger patties. If you double up the patties you’ll get two servings per pound.

If you buy a one pound package of ground beef, simply divide it into 4 equal portions and you’ll have the right amount of meat in each. You can also use a kitchen scale or a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion them out.

Do you use butter or oil for Blackstone smash burgers?

Either a drizzle of oil or a 1/2 tablespoon of butter will keep your smash burgers from sticking. I find using butter gives the burgers an extra kick of flavor so that’s what I normally use.

Pro tip – If you’re making bacon to go with your smash burgers, save a little of that bacon grease and smash the burger patties right into it for even more flavor.

Do you need to use parchment paper for smash burgers?

Parchment paper is essential for cooking smash burgers. Its non-stick surface keeps the patty from sticking to your spatula or burger press and prevents the patty from falling apart on you. It’s easy to use and disposable which makes clean up easier.

Why do my smash burgers fall apart?

The most common reasons for smash burgers falling apart when cooking are starting with burger balls that are too warm, a griddle temperature that’s too low, or overworking your meat.

Some quick rules of thumb:

• Loosely roll your burger balls rather than packing them tightly.
• Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking so they’re still cold when they go on the griddle.
• Make sure your Blackstone is up to temp before cooking. It needs to be about 425 F to 450 F to get the perfect sear.