Skillet Smash Burgers
Season the outside of the ball only, as it hits the griddle. Worked into the meat and left to sit, the salt turns the texture springy and sausage like. Press once, hard, and then leave it alone. This is a five-minute-a-side dinner that depends entirely on getting the pan hotter than feels reasonable before anything touches it.
You can do this in a kitchen on a stovetop just fine, but it's just as easy to do outside - set the cast iron right on the grill grates over hot coals, or lay a flat griddle plate over a bed of charcoal, and you get the same crust with a little extra smoke riding along. The one thing that doesn't change no matter where you're cooking: the pan has to be screaming hot before the beef goes anywhere near it, or you'll steam the patty instead of searing it.
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or flat-top griddle
- Sturdy metal spatula
- Heavy pot or a second skillet for smashing
- Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Temperatures at a glance
| Cast iron / griddle | As hot as it gets - preheat 8 to 10 minutes, surface temp around 450-500F |
| Charcoal grill with a griddle plate | Coals banked hot under the plate, same 450-500F surface target |
| Open fire | A flat griddle or cast iron pan set directly on a bed of coals - same idea, more smoke |
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground beef, 80/20, loosely formed into 6 balls
- RiverKingz All Purpose Rub, for the griddle
- 6 slices American cheese
- 6 soft burger buns, buttered and toasted
- Sliced pickles, onion and your sauce of choice
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, if your pan needs it
Method
- Get a cast iron skillet or griddle screaming hot, more heat than feels reasonable - give it a full 8 to 10 minutes over high heat before anything touches it. If you're using charcoal, this means a fully lit chimney dumped and left to settle for a few minutes first.
- Do not season the meat before it hits the pan. Set a ball of beef down, sprinkle the top with rub, then smash it flat and thin with a spatula or a heavy pot - you want it thin enough that the edges go lacy and crisp.
- Press once, hard, and then leave it alone. Moving it around is how you lose the crust that's forming underneath.
- Season the second side the moment you flip it, about 90 seconds in, once a deep crust has formed underneath. If it's not releasing cleanly from the pan yet, it's not ready to flip.
- Lay cheese on immediately after the flip so it melts into the patty by the time the other side is done, another 60 to 90 seconds. An instant-read thermometer should read 160F if you want to check.
- Stack two patties per bun with pickles, onion and sauce, and eat it before the bun goes soft.
Tips from the kitchen
- 80/20 ground beef is not negotiable here - leaner meat won't render enough fat to crisp properly against the pan.
- If your smash isn't sticking a little to the spatula, your pan isn't hot enough yet. That slight resistance is what tells you the sear is happening.
- A cheap heavy pot works better for smashing than a fancy burger press - flat, heavy, and disposable if it gets messy.
Worked into the meat and left to sit, salt turns the texture springy and sausage-like. Season the outside only, right as it hits the heat.
Made with RiverKingz All Purpose Rub
Small batch, low on salt so you can season heavy. Everything ships together, free over $45.
