Double Smash Burgers
What’s the key to making a great smash burger? Instead of forming ground beef into patties and then cooking them, the meat is first rolled into balls, placed on a hot griddle and smashed into thin disks. This maximizes the surface area that comes in contact with the heat, producing a burger with a tasty browned crust. To double down on the goodness, we tuck a slice of cheese between two cooked patties so you’ll get all the wonderful crispiness of the smash burger plus gooey melted cheese. Serve on toasted buns with our easy-to-make sauce for a super-satisfying meal.
Note: The Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen chefs like to make these burgers using a stovetop griddle. But if you’d prefer to cook these outside, simply heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400°F (200°C), carefully place a large, seasoned cast-iron fry pan on the hot side of the grill, preheat for 10 minutes and continue cooking as directed.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) ground beef (at least 15% fat)
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 Tbs. yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 thick slices American cheese
- Avocado oil or other neutral oil as needed
For serving:
- 4 potato buns or hamburger buns, split
- 2 cups (2 oz./60 g) shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato, sliced about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
Directions:
Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions, about 3 oz. (90 g) each. Gently use the palm of your hands to loosely roll each portion into a ball. If the meat feels warm to the touch, rather than cold, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard and garlic. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Depending on the size of your griddle, place 2 or 4 burger balls on the griddle, spacing them about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. Immediately place a piece of parchment paper over the meat. Using a burger press, cast-iron fry pan or other heavy pan, firmly press straight down to smash each ball into a patty about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
After smashing the patties, peel off the parchment paper and discard. Season the patties generously with salt and pepper. Cook until pale pink and gray in spots, about 2 minutes, then flip the patties and cook until browned and well-done, about 1 minute more. Top 1 patty with a slice of cheese, then cover with another cooked patty. Transfer the burgers to a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Repeat to cook the remaining patties.
Wipe off the griddle and lightly coat with oil, wiping off the excess, and set over medium heat. Alternatively, heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat; if desired, lightly coat with oil, wiping off the excess. Spread a layer of the sauce on the cut sides of the top buns, leaving the cut sides of the bottom buns dry. Working in batches as needed, place the buns, sauce sides and cut sides down, on the griddle or pan and toast until deep golden brown underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the buns, toasted side up, to a baking sheet.
To assemble, spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom buns, then top with the shredded lettuce, red onion, tomato slices and burgers. Cover with the top buns and serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side, if desired. Serves 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
Recommended Products:
-
$44.95
-
Sugg. Price $290 Our Price $199.95
(50)
-
$14.95
-
Sugg. Price $149.95 Our Price $79.96
(143)
-
$11.95
(17)
-
$39.95
(18)
-
$34.95
-
$16.95
-
$175.95
-
$59.95
