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Diner Burgers, aka Smash Burgers

The classic juicy diner cheeseburger is moments away with this easy foolproof method. Just add fries!
Course Main Course
Cuisine North American
Keyword bacon, burger, cheeseburger, smash burger
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Burger Sauce

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Burgers

  • 8 strips bacon
  • 4 brioche or potato buns, sliced (or lettuce 'buns')
  • 1 lb chuck or lean ground beef, 80-20 ratio of meat to fat
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 slices Cheddar cheese
  • Toppings
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato slices
  • Onion slices
  • Pickles

Instructions

Burger Sauce

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon or whisk. Store in the fridge till needed. Can be made in advance.

Burgers

  1. Place one rack on the lower third rung in the oven, and the other in the upper third. Have two baking sheets ready.

  2. Form the beef into 4 equal sized balls. Place on a plate till ready to cook. Don't pack the meat tightly, a bit looser will help them spread out when you smash them.

  3. Have all the toppings prepared and ready to go.
  4. Start with the bacon, by sautéeing it in a frying pan till just crispy. Transfer to a paper towel line plate. Use a brush to coat the insides of the buns with a thin layer of the fat. Set them on one baking sheet with cut sides facing up. Set aside. Discard the remaining fat.
  5. Preheat the oven to broil.
  6. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan (if using a griddle you can use all the butter at once) Immediately place two balls (or more if there is still room to smash them to spread out further) onto the foaming butter. Use a smasher or a wide spatula and a second tool like a potato masher to push down firmly on the ball till it spreads out as far as it can go. Repeat with the second burger. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  7. Cook for 1 1/2-2 minutes till the edges are seared and the burger releases. Flip and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cheese over each burger and cover with a large stock pot lid or other lid. After 1 minute the burger should be done and the cheese melted. Transfer the burgers to the other baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining butter and burgers. Place the baking sheet onto the lowest rack in the oven.

  8. Place the baking sheet with the prepared buns onto a rack set in the upper third of the oven.
  9. As soon as the buns are toasted, about 1 minute, keep an eye on them, remove the buns and the burgers from the oven.
  10. Spread the burger sauce on both sides of the buns. Lay one cheeseburger on the bottom of each bun. Assemble as desired.
  11. Serve with fries or onion rings.

  12. See blog post for more details including how to do this on an outdoor grill.