The Crispiest Smash Burger

The crispiest smash burger you will ever see — lacy, crunchy edges, a juicy center, and cheese melted right into every crackle. The secret is a ripping-hot pan, a hard smash, and no fussing. This is the burger that made smash burgers famous, perfected at home.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20), divided into 8 loose balls (2 oz each)
• 4 potato burger buns
• 8 slices American cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and coarse black pepper, to taste
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Sliced pickles
• Thinly sliced white onion
• Butter, for toasting the buns

For the Burger Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles
• 1 teaspoon pickle juice

Instructions

• Stir the burger sauce ingredients together and refrigerate.
• Toast the buns in butter until golden. Set aside.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
• Place 2 beef balls in the pan with space between them. Smash each one flat — as thin as you can — using a stiff spatula and parchment paper. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Do not touch them for 90 seconds. The crust is forming — that is where the crispy magic happens.
• Scrape under each patty firmly and flip. Immediately top each with a slice of cheese and cook 30–60 seconds more.
• Stack two patties per bun (double smash style), add sauce, lettuce, pickles, and onion. Serve immediately.

Pro Tips

• Cold beef + hot pan + parchment paper = thin patties that never stick.
• Scrape like you mean it — the crispy crust is the whole point; leave none of it in the pan.
• Smash only once, right at the start. Pressing later just squeezes out the juice.