Creating Savory Menus with Top-Rated Burgers

I make smashburgers on steel typically. They are bad ass and as soon as you attempt it by doing this, you'll never go back. I created the Baking Steel back in 2012 for pizza but truthfully, smashburgers may be the thing I prepare on steel more than anything else these days. The work is getting your hamburger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, unique sauce.

Get your frying pan or steel ripping hot. We're preparing these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shouting hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers famous.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

I've made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still speak about. Smashburgers in the house are off the charts. Here's how I do it. More area equates to more taste. Smashing the beef thin maximizes contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard reaction, the chemical procedure that produces that deep, mouthwatering, browned flavor all of us yearn for.

Your very first hamburger and your fourth get the exact same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my family has been in the steel company for over 50 years at our store in Hanover, MA. I understand this material, and I built these griddles particularly to resolve the heat retention problem that cast iron can't.

Savory Dinner Inspiration for Grilling in 2026

Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes till it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the same principle behind our pizza steels pack the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Carefully divide the ground beef into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not overwork the meat; just form it into a loose ball.

Immediately smash them extremely thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To avoid sticking, you can place a little piece of parchment paper in between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties generously with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Cook for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Utilize a bench scraper or stiff spatula to get under the patty, guaranteeing you scrape up all the crispy, browned bits. Flip it over. Immediately position a piece of cheese on the turned patty. Cook for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Quickly toast your buns on a cooler part of the griddle for 15-20 seconds.

How to Craft a Premium Flat-Top Burger

Cheese melting completely on the Mini Griddle Cast iron is the standard option for smashburgers, and it works. I utilized cast iron for several years. After checking both side-by-side for over a years, I changed to steel. And look, I'm not simply a guy with a viewpoint. My family has run given that the 1960s.

I comprehend how it stores and transfers heat in such a way the majority of people never consider. That knowledge is precisely what led me to invent the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I developed the Skinny Griddle specifically for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the difference: That indicates it recovers temperature level faster between burgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

You get the exact same screaming-hot crust on your first burger and your fourth. Just cook, scrape, wipe clean. I have actually tested cast iron, stainless steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Pre-heat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your burgers right on the steel. You get the exact same extraordinary crust with the added benefit of outdoor cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Comparing Flat-Top versus Outdoor Grilling Techniques

They stroll up expecting regular grilled burgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a slab of American-made steel on the grill. Perfect smash hamburgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outside grill I created each of these for a particular usage case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for families or burger night with good friends. Exact same heat retention, smaller footprint. Use it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and place it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.