Double cheeseburgers made from loose balls of 80/20 beef smashed thin on a smoking-hot skillet for lacy, deeply browned edges, stacked with American cheese, pickles, onion and a tangy smash sauce on toasted potato buns.
Pan heat is everything. Aim for about 450°F on the cooking surface: hot enough that water drops skitter and the beef sizzles hard on contact, but not so hot that the oil turns black and smokes heavily. Electric and induction burners can take longer to get there than gas; give the pan the full 6 minutes and check before the first ball goes in.
Use 80/20 beef. Leaner beef doesn't have enough fat to fry the edges crisp and turns out dry. A 12-inch cast iron skillet fits two patties at a time; a big griddle can do four. Don't crowd the pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ lb ground beef (80/20, kept cold; the fat is what makes the crispy edges)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 slice American cheese
- 4 potato buns (soft potato rolls hold up best)
- 1 tsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp dill pickle brine (from the pickle jar)
- 12 dill pickle chips
- ½ medium white onion
- 4 leaf green leaf lettuce (optional)
- 1 medium tomato (optional)
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ lb ground beef (80/20, kept cold; the fat is what makes the crispy edges)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 slice American cheese
- 4 potato buns (soft potato rolls hold up best)
- 1 tsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp dill pickle brine (from the pickle jar)
- 12 dill pickle chips
- ½ medium white onion
- 4 leaf green leaf lettuce (optional)
- 1 medium tomato (optional)
Instructions
Make the smash sauce
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise (4 tbsp), ketchup (2 tbsp), yellow mustard (1 tbsp) and dill pickle brine (2 tsp).
Equipment: small bowl
Prep the toppings
Very thinly slice white onion (½ medium) and slice tomato (1 medium) into rounds.
Set out green leaf lettuce (4 leaf) and dill pickle chips.
Equipment: knife and cutting board
Portion the beef
Divide cold ground beef (1 ½ lb) into 8 equal balls, forming them loosely without packing.
Refrigerate the balls until the pan is hot, and cut 8 parchment squares.
Equipment: parchment paper
Toast the buns
Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Toast potato buns cut-side down for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden, then set aside.
Equipment: cast iron skillet
Heat the pan to 450°F
Turn the heat to high and heat the skillet for 4 to 6 minutes, until the surface reaches about 450°F (425 to 475°F).
No infrared thermometer? Flick a few drops of water on the pan. At the right heat they bead up and skitter across the surface instead of sizzling away, and the pan gives off a thin wisp of smoke.
Add neutral oil (1 tsp) and wipe it into a thin film with a folded paper towel held in tongs.
Equipment: cast iron skillet, infrared thermometer
Smash and season
Working two at a time, set beef balls in the skillet well apart. They should sizzle loudly the moment they land.
Lay a parchment square on each and smash hard with the spatula into a patty about 1/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches wide. Hold for 10 seconds.
Peel off the parchment and season the tops with kosher salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (½ tsp), dividing it across all 8 patties.
Equipment: cast iron skillet, stiff metal spatula, parchment paper
Sear the first side, 1 to 1½ minutes
Cook without moving or pressing for 1 to 1½ minutes. The edges should be deep brown and lacy and the top should have turned mostly from pink to gray. If the edges are still pale at 1½ minutes, the pan wasn't hot enough; give the next batch more preheat time.
Equipment: cast iron skillet
Flip, cheese and repeat
Scrape firmly under each patty with the spatula, keeping the crust attached, and flip.
Top each patty with one slice of American cheese (8 slice) and cook for about 30 seconds, until the cheese melts over the edges.
Move the patties to a plate and scrape any stuck bits out of the pan. Let the pan reheat for about 1 minute, back to about 450°F, before the next batch.
Repeat smashing, searing and flipping with the remaining balls until all 8 are cooked. Each batch is in the pan for under 2 minutes.
Equipment: cast iron skillet, stiff metal spatula
Build the burgers
Spread the smash sauce on the cut sides of the toasted potato buns.
On each bottom bun, layer pickle chips and onion, then two cheesy patties, then lettuce and tomato if using.
Close with the top buns and serve right away.
Tomorrow's Meal
Cheeseburger Quesadillas with Smash Sauce
Leftover smash patties chopped and crisped in flour tortillas with melty cheddar and diced pickles, with the leftover smash sauce for dipping.
You'll need to pick up:
Flour tortillasShredded cheddar1 tbsp butter for the pan
Quick overview:
- 1.Chop the cold leftover patties and a few pickle chips
- 2.Scatter the beef, pickles and a handful of cheddar over half of each tortilla and fold
- 3.Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat
- 4.Cook the quesadillas 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden, the cheese melts and the beef is hot through
- 5.Cut into wedges and serve with the leftover smash sauce
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Pan heat is everything. Aim for about 450°F on the cooking surface: hot enough that water drops skitter and the beef sizzles hard on contact, but not so hot that the oil turns black and smokes heavily.
- • Electric and induction burners can take longer to get there than gas; give the pan the full 6 minutes and check before the first ball goes in.
- • Use 80/20 beef. Leaner beef doesn't have enough fat to fry the edges crisp and turns out dry.
- • A 12-inch cast iron skillet fits two patties at a time; a big griddle can do four. Don't crowd the pan.
- • Smash burgers smoke. Run the hood fan before you start.
- • For single burgers, make 4 balls of 6 oz each, smash them a little wider, and add about 30 seconds to each side.
- • These are best eaten the second they come off the pan; the crust softens as they sit.
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