Two ground beef burgers smashed into thin patties and cooked until the edges are crisp and the center is juicy, topped with melted cheese and served on toasted brioche buns with fried onions, crisp bacon and a smoky special sauce. This smashburger recipe is packed with flavor and takes the classic smashburger to a new level.
This delicious burger recipe is perfect to serve at summer barbecues. It is one of the best burger recipes to serve for Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day barbecues. It is also a great dinner recipe to serve to the family during the week or on the weekends.
This was inspired by my Big Mac on this site, and pairs well with this Mexican Street Corn.
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Ingredients
- ground beef
- brioche burger buns
- cheddar cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- bacon
- onions
- salt and pepper
- mayonnaise
- barbecue sauce
- liquid smoke
- desired oil for cooking
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Turn the griddle up to medium heat. Slice the onions. Coat griddle with oil where you will be cooking your onions. Add sliced onions and bacon to the griddle. Cook bacon until crisp but not overdone. Cooked onions until they are soft with a little char.
Coat griddle with oil where you will cook the burgers. Form the ground beef into loose balls leaving some air pockets. Place each ball on the griddle and press down with the burger press. You want your burger to be between a quarter of an inch to a half of an inch in thickness. Once the bottom starts to crisp around the edges, flip and apply cheese. Apply cheddar cheese on half of the burgers and pepper jack on the other half.
Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the brioche bun and place on the griddle. Remove the burgers once completed. Place one pepper jack burger on top of one cheddar cheese burger. Remove all food from the griddle.
Mix together mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and liquid smoke. Spread campfire sauce on both halves of the brioche bun. Place the double smash burger on the bottom bun and top with bacon and onions. Top with the top bun and serve immediately.
Hint: place a small sheet of parchment paper between the burger press and the burger patty when pressing down on the smashburger. This will keep the burger meat from sticking to the burger press.
Substitutions
- Brioche Bun- for a lower carb option, swap the burger but out with a tortilla. You can also switch out for a potato bun or a regular burger bun if brioche buns are not an option.
- Sauce - the smoky smashburger sauce can be replaced with any condiments desired. Yellow mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, or hot sauce are some basic condiments swaps.
- Cheese - the cheese flavors can be swapped out for American cheese, mozzarella, swiss cheese, etc. Vegan cheese can be used if a dairy free option is needed.
- Burger Patties - switch out the ground beef for veggies burgers for a vegetarian option.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to season the burger meat for an extra kick. Adding hot sauce to the campfire smashburger sauce can also add a little heat.
- Tacos - smash the burgers into tortillas to make smash tacos.
- Big Mac - replace the smoky sauce with Big Mac sauce. This is made from chopped up dill pickles or dill pickle relish, yellow mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise.
See this Big Mac version on my website!
Equipment
If you are making this recipe outside, a flat top griddle, such as a Blackstone will be needed. A burger press with parchment paper is needed to smash the burgers. Additionally, a sharp knife and cutting board will be used to slice the onions. A burger spatula is used to flip the burgers.
If cooking inside, a cast iron pan can be used to replace the flat top griddle.
Storage
Store the burger patties and topping ingredients separately from the dry ingredients, such as the bun, in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Store the sauce in an airtight container or a small bowl covered with tin foil.
These burger ingredients don't stand up well to freezing. The buns can be frozen for up to 2 months if they have not yet been toasted.
Top tip
Do not overcook the burgers. Cook until the edges become crisp. If the burgers are overcooked they will become dry. Cooking to the perfect doneness where the edges are crisp but the center is still juicy will assure you will get the best results.
FAQ
Cook the burgers on medium heat to medium-high heat. This will make sure you get a crisp edge to the burger with a juicy burger center.
This recipe is best when served with fresh onion rings, potato chips or french fries. If serving at a barbecue party, it also goes great with a side salad or a pasta salad.
Typically I only season burgers with salt and pepper. Sometimes I will throw garlic powder on there as well. I love to really let the flavor of the meat shine with all of the toppings so I try not to overdue it.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this smash burger recipe:
Recipe
Smashburger with Smoky Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Flat Top Griddle Grill
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 Burger Press
- 1 Burger Spatula
Ingredients
Burger Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 6 brioche burger buns
- 6 slices cheddar cheese
- 6 slices pepper jack cheese
- salt and pepper to season burger
Toppings
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 onion sliced
Smoky Campfire Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Turn the griddle up to medium heat. Slice the onions. Coat griddle with oil where you will be cooking your onions. Add sliced onions and bacon to the griddle. Cook bacon until crisp but not overdone. Cooked onions until they are soft with a little char.
- Coat griddle with oil where you will cook the burgers. Form the ground beef into loose balls leaving some air pockets. Place each ball on the griddle and press down with the burger press. You want your burger to be between a quarter of an inch to a half of an inch in thickness. Once the bottom starts to crisp around the edges, flip and apply cheese. Apply cheddar cheese on half of the burgers and pepper jack on the other half.
- Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the brioche bun and place on the griddle. Remove the burgers once completed. Place one pepper jack burger on top of one cheddar cheese burger. Remove all food from the griddle.
- Mix together mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and liquid smoke. Spread campfire sauce on both halves of the brioche bun. Place the double smash burger on the bottom bun and top with bacon and onions. Top with the top bun and serve immediately.
Notes
- Burgers are too thin to take their temperature. Burgers are done when the edges are crisp and both sides are cooked.
- If you need to cook inside use a cast iron skillet or indoor electric griddle.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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