Grilled Smashed Burgers
By Morgan BollingPublished on June 15, 2025
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you don’t have a grill press, you can use a saucepan to press out the burgers. To do so, wrap the bottom and sides of a small saucepan with a large sheet of aluminum foil, anchoring the foil on the rim, and then use the base of the saucepan to compress the burger patty on the plancha. If you don’t have a plancha, you can use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. You can use store-bought bacon jam or you can make your own. You can use regular mayonnaise, if you prefer.
Instructions
- Divide 8 ounces ground beef into 4 equal pieces (2 ounces each); form into loose, rough balls (do not compress).
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, center plancha on grill, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill with plancha until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Center plancha on grill, cover, and heat for an additional 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil on plancha until just smoking. Place 2 beef balls about 3 inches apart on plancha. Use grill press to firmly smash each ball until 4 to 4½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle patties with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook until at least three-quarters of each patty is no longer pink on top, about 2 minutes. Use thin metal spatula to loosen patties from plancha. Flip patties and cook for 15 seconds. Transfer to platter and top each with 1 slice American cheese. Repeat with remaining oil, beef balls, salt, pepper, and cheese.
- Spread 1 tablespoon sriracha mayo on each cut side of bun. Stack 2 cheese-topped patties on each bun bottom. Divid ¼ cup bacon jam, if using, on top of each sandwich, followed by ¼ cup bread and butter pickles and 1½ ounces potato chips. Cap with prepared bun tops. Serve immediately.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 2Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Smashed burgers are popular these days. And while it depends on who you ask, most people trace their origins to the mid-20th century at a restaurant in Kentucky called the Dairy Cheer. The story goes that a worker at Dairy Cheer smashed a burger patty with a bean can to give it more surface area that had contact with the griddle, which ultimately gave it more browning and better flavor. People loved it and a food trend was born. For this over-the-top take, we grilled thin beef patties on a plancha, a thick cooking plate safe for a grill. This allowed us to press the burgers on the grill for a thick crust without the meat falling through the grates. We piled two burger patties sandwiched with melty American cheese on each bun. For a little extra, we loaded our burgers with spicy sriracha mayonnaise, pickles, and potato chips. And, if you're feeling so inclined, you can add bacon jam.
Before You Begin
If you don’t have a grill press, you can use a saucepan to press out the burgers. To do so, wrap the bottom and sides of a small saucepan with a large sheet of aluminum foil, anchoring the foil on the rim, and then use the base of the saucepan to compress the burger patty on the plancha. If you don’t have a plancha, you can use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. You can use store-bought bacon jam or you can make your own. You can use regular mayonnaise, if you prefer.
Instructions
- Divide 8 ounces ground beef into 4 equal pieces (2 ounces each); form into loose, rough balls (do not compress).
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, center plancha on grill, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill with plancha until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Center plancha on grill, cover, and heat for an additional 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil on plancha until just smoking. Place 2 beef balls about 3 inches apart on plancha. Use grill press to firmly smash each ball until 4 to 4½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle patties with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook until at least three-quarters of each patty is no longer pink on top, about 2 minutes. Use thin metal spatula to loosen patties from plancha. Flip patties and cook for 15 seconds. Transfer to platter and top each with 1 slice American cheese. Repeat with remaining oil, beef balls, salt, pepper, and cheese.
- Spread 1 tablespoon sriracha mayo on each cut side of bun. Stack 2 cheese-topped patties on each bun bottom. Divid ¼ cup bacon jam, if using, on top of each sandwich, followed by ¼ cup bread and butter pickles and 1½ ounces potato chips. Cap with prepared bun tops. Serve immediately.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments