The Grilling Technique That Will Make Or Break Your Smash Burgers

Restaurant-style smash burgers are better than regular burgers because the patties have a caramelized surface, a crispy crust, and uber-savory flavor. However, if you're struggling to achieve this trio of characteristic features on your homemade patties, you need to master the smash-and-hold grilling technique. This two-step move creates the juiciest, quick-cooking patties with a seared exterior and a succulent center.

Begin my placing your ball of ground beef on a hot griddle. It's vital that you use a flat-top grill or pan here, because the entire surface area of the patty needs to come in contact with the heat source so that it can develop a savory crust; patties pushed down onto a grill with grates will simply squish through the gaps. Then forcefully smash your ground beef down with your burger press until it forms a circle, but don't release the pressure. You want to hold the patty down, making sure to even out the edges until it begins to sizzle, develop some color, and release its juices. 

These umami juices will begin to caramelize on the surface of the meat, creating that savory flavor you're looking for. Plus, the continuous pressure placed on the patty will prevent its circumference from curling up and away from the heat source, resulting in rounds that have an even thickness. Once your patties are flush against the flat griddle, you can release the pressure, flip them over, and finish them off. 

Making smash burgers for a crowd? Get the prep work out of the way in advance so that you can give the patties your full attention when the time comes to start cooking. 

One awesome tip is to weigh out your ground beef into identically sized balls, so every patty has a uniform diameter and thickness once pressed. This simple step guarantees that each patty cooks through at the same time, so you can flip 'em and serve 'em all at once, instead of standing by the grill waiting for thicker ones to sizzle at different rates. Chilling the weighed balls for an hour prior to cooking will also prevent them from cracking at the edges when you smash them down on your hot griddle, resulting in neat, juicy patties that are perfect for stacking up on a single bun.

Serve your smash burgers with a simple slice of cheese to showcase the scrumptious sear developed on their surface. However, if you're a sucker for toppings, go ahead and adorn them with pickles, onions, mustard, and more. Chop up any leftover smashed patties and scatter them over loaded cheese fries or nachos with a drizzle of burger sauce, which will bump up the protein content, elevate the flavor, and boost the texture profile.