You do not need a grill or a barbecue to make a great burger. You need a heavy skillet, 115 g (4 ounces) of ground chuck with at least 20% fat, and high heat. Form the beef into a loose ball, place it on the screaming hot skillet, and smash it flat with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper on top while the bottom develops a dark, caramelized crust. Flip once, add a slice of American cheese, and let it melt.
The smash is the entire technique. Pressing the beef flat against the hot metal maximizes surface contact, which means maximum crust. A loose ball smashes better than a pre-formed patty because air pockets create uneven browning. Toast the bun in the same skillet, then assemble with onions, pickles, and a thin layer of mayonnaise. That is the whole process. This has become one of our go-to weeknight burgers for exactly that reason.
Tips for a Better Smash Burger
Use ground chuck with at least 20% fat
Lean beef dries out when smashed thin. The fat renders as the patty cooks, which keeps the meat juicy and helps form the crust. Anything below 20% fat produces a dry burger. 
Do not season the beef before forming the ball. Salt draws out moisture. Season the top of the patty after you smash it so the underside stays in contact with pure meat juices.
Get the skillet extremely hot
Preheat the skillet over high heat for at least 3 minutes. A cast iron skillet is ideal because it retains heat when the cold beef hits the surface.
If the pan is not hot enough, the beef steams instead of searing. You should hear a loud sizzle the moment the ball hits the metal. No sizzle means the pan is not ready.
Perfect Indoor Smash Burger
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Makes 1 burger 1x
Description
Create the ultimate juicy burger indoors with a crispy crust and simple toppings, using high-quality beef and a hot skillet.
Ingredients
- 4 oz (113g) ground chuck, at least 20% fat
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 soft bun, such as Martin's Potato Roll
- 1 slice American cheese
- 2-3 thin slices yellow onion
- 3-4 dill pickle slices
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot.
- Form the ground chuck into a loose ball.
- Place the beef ball on the skillet and smash it down with a spatula to form a patty.
- Season the top of the patty with salt and pepper.
- Cook until the bottom is well browned, then scrape up the patty with a deck scraper or spatula and flip it.
- Place a slice of American cheese on top of the patty and let it melt.
- Toast the bun lightly in the skillet.
- Assemble the burger with onions, pickles, and a little mayonnaise.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 40
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 30
Frequently Asked Questions
Why American cheese?
American cheese melts smoothly and coats the patty like a sauce. Cheddar or Swiss work but do not melt as uniformly. The processed quality of American cheese is a feature here, not a flaw.
Can I use a regular pan instead of cast iron?
A heavy stainless steel pan works. Avoid nonstick pans because they cannot handle the high heat needed for a proper crust. The smash technique depends on a very hot, heavy surface.
What bun should I use?
A soft bun like Martin’s Potato Roll compresses slightly around the patty and absorbs the juices. Brioche buns work too. Avoid crusty rolls that fight the texture of the thin patty.
Cooking for my kid on a chicken-only kick. Could the smash work as well with ground turkey if I bump the fat?
Solid skillet move!! Thanks for the lead!
I made these for my kids on a school night and they ate the whole stack in five minutes, sticky cheese pull and all!
Perfect Tuesday burger, fifteen minutes from skillet to plate and the crust held up against the cheese, thanks for the smash tip!
Eighty-twenty ground chuck only, nothing leaner. Lean beef on a smashburger dries out before the crust forms. Pickle-and-onion stack on top, thin mayo layer, brioche bun toasted in the rendered fat. Absolutely fantastic dinner that beats any chain.
Skillet preheated five minutes over high heat, beef in a loose ball, smashed flat for the entire crust contact. Salt and pepper on top after the smash, never before. Cheese on at the flip, melted by the time the bun toasted next to it. Genuinely incredible for a weeknight.
Fired up the skillet on a Friday after work and they were the BEST homemade burgers I’ve cooked in years, sticky cheese and dark crust!
I lived in Brooklyn for ten years and the best burger I ever ate was at a diner counter in Bay Ridge where the cook smashed onto the flattop and the crust came out like jerky-edged lacework. Smashing at home with a heavy cast iron took me three tries to nail. Eighty percent lean is the line, anything leaner dries out. Salt only after the smash so the moisture stays under. Made these for my partner last Saturday and we both went silent at first bite.