Homemade Smash Burgers (Cast Iron Burgers)

Eric looked in the fridge the other day and said, “I’m not going to tell you how many tubs of sour cream are in our fridge right now.”

So I counted…5. Five sour creams. And one of them was a huge 3 pound tub from Costco. Sour cream is the thing at the store that I’m always like, “Hm, do we have any sour cream at home? Probably not.” And then I add it to the cart. (Five times.)

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The reason I bought the huge one from Costco was because of Taco Tuesday. A few weeks ago I read an article on Kitchn called “5 Rules for Hosting a Crappy Dinner Party (and Seeing Your Friends More Often.)” Basically the idea is to stop worrying so much about fancy food and clean houses and focus on just hanging out. Somebody mentioned in the comments that they have a standing Taco Tuesday at their house. So we are trying it out! It’s been a lot of fun and hasn’t been too overwhelming. (Read: no cleaning allowed.) But apparently people don’t eat sour cream like I do, so we still have 4 unopened tubs of sour cream.

Update: The day after I published this recipe my cousin Alice texted me…”Karen, I read your post about the sour cream. I went to the fridge and counted how many open jars of pickles I have. 6.” HA!

But I don’t have a taco recipe for you today. (In fact for Taco Tuesday my rule is NO SPECIAL RECIPES. Just regular ol’ tacos. Less stress.)

The best smash burger recipe

Today we are talking SMASHBURGERS. Look at this beauty. Have you had one? Of course you have. You may not have known it. But probably any burger that you have eaten and thought to yourself, “That was exceptional,” it was made using this method. They are incredibly juicy, not too thick, and have perfectly crispy edges that are the star of the show. You get this effect by throwing some 80% ground beef on a hot pan, sprinkling with salt,  and smashing the heck out of it.

Two years ago my mother-in-law came to visit and told me that she wanted to try a new hamburger recipe for dinner. She smashed up these cast iron skillet burgers and I’m not kidding you, we have never gone back. Every burger that has come from my kitchen since that day has been a smash burger.

Smash burger recipe ingredients

This isn’t meatloaf. You don’t need a bunch of seasonings to get a great burger.  Salt is all you need. Variations & substitutions include . . . nothing. Burgers are great because beef is great. Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec says it best: “It’s a hamburger made out of meat, on a bun, with nothing. Add ketchup if you want, I couldn’t care less.” In other words:

• 1 pound 80% ground beef. Not 95%. Not 90%. 80 PERCENT!!
• Vegetable oil. To brush the pan!
• Salt. Kosher salt is what you want. It brings out the flavor of the beef without making your burgers overpoweringly salty.
• American cheese. Don’t be an American cheese hater! American cheese melts better than cheddar cheese. It is the best. (Read this article if you’re not convinced.) I got mine from the deli at the grocery store. (My friend Tawna told me the other day that she’s never gotten anything from the deli. NEVER. This is crazy, right? Or do I just go to the deli a lot.)
• Soft buns. Not too big!
• Mayonnaise. LOTS. not optional. go full fat.

(quantities listed in the recipe card!)

BEEF. Salt. Mayonnaise. Subtract nothing from the above! 

Toppings for smash burgers

If you want, you’re allowed to add toppings. 

What is the best meat for smash burgers?

You are going to buy 80% ground beef. That’s 20% FAT, my friends. Fat is flavor. Say it with me now: Fat=flavor. Don’t you forget it.

Did I mention you need mayonnaise? I didn’t say you might want some; I said you NEED IT. (again: “add ketchup if you want, I couldn’t care less.”)

Smash burger recipe tips

What temperature do you cook smash burgers?

Ground beef needs to be cooked to about 160 degrees. But I never use a meat thermometer to check smash burgers. They are smashed thin enough that if the outer edge is crispy and browned, you can rest assured that the inside is cooked perfectly. Just like cooking skirt steak for carne asada. 

The heating surface for burgers should be about 400-425 degrees F. Wet your fingers and sprinkle a bit of water on the greasy surface. It should sizzle and pop. A cast iron skillet or griddle is what you want. All the fat drips into the fire if you put it directly on a grill, and remember what fat is? So instead we are cooking the meat in its own juices, which is the secret to getting those delightfully crispy edges. 

You can cook this in a skillet on your stovetop, but I actually like to cook it on the grill so that I don’t heat up the whole kitchen. Like this:

I have a flat griddle, but I’m thinking of buying this one from Lodge. It is nice and big so you could fit a bunch of burgers at once, and it has raised edges so all the fat doesn’t drip into the grill. It would be great for making bacon when camping too, I’m always starting grease fires with a flat griddle.

How do you smash a burger without a smasher?

Yes, you need something to smash the burgers with and, yes, a grill press is best. Here’s one for sale that is similar to the one I have pictured here, but here’s the kind I wish I had; it’s round and the perfect shape for a burger. You can see that some of the burgers I made today are a bit oval. 

But, hey, no press, no problem! A heavy spatula will do.

Can you make smash burgers on an electric griddle?

Yes, as long as you keep plenty of fat on the griddle surface. Electric griddles aren’t going to have quite as much heating power, but they will do in a pinch.

I think that’s about it. It really is simple. If you are grilling for 4th of July next week you seriously have to try out this smash burger recipe! If you don’t have any cast iron, now is the time. It’s a game changer!

What to serve with smash burgers

A bag of chips (or some sweet potato fries in the air fryer): just fine for a Tuesday night. If you’re having people over, add some of my fave burger sides:

• Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad >> crisp, creamy, and packed with awesome mix-ins
• The Very Best Fruit Salad >> never eat a disappointing fruit salad again!
• Aunt Joy’s Creamy Cucumber Salad >> a tradition from my husband’s family, I could eat this stuff with a shovel
• The Best Macaroni Salad >> lots of hard boiled eggs, a perfectly sweet and tangy dressing, and veggies chopped tiny make this the BEST
• Best Ever Potato Salad >> potatoes + burgers = star crossed lovers
• Jello Pretzel Salad >> salty pretzels, a creamy layer, a sweet jello finish: don’t knock it ’til you try it!

Other great ground beef ideas – including more hamburgers!

• Bacon and Goat Cheese Aioli Burger with Crispy Onions >> A juicy lemon aioli burger topped with goat cheese, bacon, crispy onion strings, and a killer bun
• Seriously The Best Taco Salad Recipe >> A show-stopper dinner, plus it’s healthy!
• 30 Minute Korean Beef Recipe >> unbelievably good for how easy it is to make
• Greek Gyro Recipe with Homemade Gyro Meat >> This gyro meat recipe combines ground beef and lamb to get that distinctive flavor you find at Greek restaurants
• One Skillet Shepherd’s Pot Pie >> shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pie got together and had a baby to make a one skillet shepherd’s pot pie!
• Ultimate Chili Nachos with Queso and Guacamole >> The ULTIMATE chili nachos recipe, loaded up with beefy chili, white queso, guacamole, sour cream, and corn salsa!
• Korean Ground Beef Bowls from Fox and Briar
• 30-Minute Ground Beef and Mushroom Skillet from The Roasted Root