31 Easy 30-Minute August Dinners: Crispy Smashed Cheeseburgers
Crispy lacy-edged smashed beef patties, melted American cheese, secret burger sauce, and toasted brioche buns in 20 minutes.
- Ready in 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Lacy, caramelized crispy edges that thick grilled patties can never achieve.
- Homemade secret sauce takes less than 60 seconds to whisk.
Our August dinner series focuses on high-impact speed. Smashed burgers are the undisputed king of weeknight dinners because the patties cook in literally 2 to 3 minutes.
The key is smashing cold, loosely packed beef balls onto a screaming-hot, dry cast iron surface with a heavy metal spatula and parchment paper.
31 Easy 30-Minute August Dinners: Crispy Smashed Cheeseburgers
August heat calls for fast stove-side searing rather than hours over the stove. These classic diner smashed cheeseburgers develop an unbeatable savory crust in a smoking-hot cast iron skillet in under two minutes per patty.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (80/20 blend for best crust and juiciness)
- 4 brioche burger buns, split
- 4-8 slices yellow American or sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp butter for toasting buns
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Dill pickle chips and shredded iceberg lettuce
- Secret Sauce: 1/3 cup mayo, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp relish, 1/2 tsp vinegar, pinch of garlic powder
Directions
Toast Buns & Whisk Sauce
Whisk secret sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Butter bun halves and toast on skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until golden. Set aside.
Divide Meat
Divide beef into 8 loosely packed round balls (2 oz each). Heat cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
Smash with High Pressure
Place 2-4 balls on skillet. Place a square of parchment paper over each ball and press down firmly with a sturdy spatula to smash paper-thin with lacy edges. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes.
Flip, Cheese, and Stack
Scrape spatula underneath patties to release crispy brown crust. Flip, immediately top with cheese, and cook 1 more minute until cheese melts. Stack two patties onto each bun with secret sauce and pickles.
💡 CHEF'S PRO TIPS
- Do NOT use lean ground beef (90/10) for smash burgers; 80/20 fat ratio is essential for the lacy sear.
Nutrition Facts
Per ServingCommunity Reviews & Ratings
1 cooks have shared their thoughts on this recipe
Restaurant quality at home! The crust on these patties was insane. Never going back to thick burgers.